In the second week after my hip operation, I went our for my first family outing since being on crutches. I've done the walk to and from school before, but other than that, I hadn't left the house. I was excited to get out, although I was a little nervous about how I would handle it as I've spent most of my days lying down, with an occasional exciting opportunity to sit up! It wasn't a big trip, just to the local town because my son needed a haircut and I needed to pick up a parcel for my daughter from M&S.
I was so impressed with my children. They didn't moan that I walk ridiculously slowly at the moment. They opened doors for me and waited at the top of stairs whilst I went the long way round to find a ramp! They were caring and looked out for me in the shops that we went in to. My daughter helped me to find a lift and somewhere to sit down when I knew I had done too much.
One thing I hadn't anticipated was how much of an inconvenience I would be to other people. I was tutted at for moving slowly, glared at when someone opened a door for me and I didn't get there as quickly as they had hoped and generally made to feel as if I shouldn't be there because I was a hindrance to them. I was made to feel completely awful simply because I was incapacitated.
It got me thinking about whether or not our increasingly convenient lives are making us less tolerant of anything which gets in the way or slows us down? I know in the past I have got incredibly frustrated by people walking slowly or dawdling when I am in a rush, but I would never tut at someone on crutches for being slow. Generally I would find a way around the person and hope they didn't feel bad because of it.
I was brought up around disability. My sister is disabled and I spend my childhood being stared at by other children or families. Most of it went over my head, but just imagine for a second that you are that person in the wheelchair, or on crutches. How would you feel if everyone was staring at you, being dismissed by those people. Or feeling their frustration at you being in their way. Can you understand how much less of a human that makes them feel? The negative impact your dismissive glances can have on a person are huge.
We live in an increasingly convenient world. You can order something online and receive it in a few hours in some cases, but at the very least, the next day. We can chat to people online and receive replies instantly. You can even get a cab driver or a person on a bike to deliver food you don't want to leave your house to get. We are becoming used to nearly instant gratification. Does this convenience make us less tolerant of other people in society though? What do you think?
I was so impressed with my children. They didn't moan that I walk ridiculously slowly at the moment. They opened doors for me and waited at the top of stairs whilst I went the long way round to find a ramp! They were caring and looked out for me in the shops that we went in to. My daughter helped me to find a lift and somewhere to sit down when I knew I had done too much.
It got me thinking about whether or not our increasingly convenient lives are making us less tolerant of anything which gets in the way or slows us down? I know in the past I have got incredibly frustrated by people walking slowly or dawdling when I am in a rush, but I would never tut at someone on crutches for being slow. Generally I would find a way around the person and hope they didn't feel bad because of it.
I was brought up around disability. My sister is disabled and I spend my childhood being stared at by other children or families. Most of it went over my head, but just imagine for a second that you are that person in the wheelchair, or on crutches. How would you feel if everyone was staring at you, being dismissed by those people. Or feeling their frustration at you being in their way. Can you understand how much less of a human that makes them feel? The negative impact your dismissive glances can have on a person are huge.
We live in an increasingly convenient world. You can order something online and receive it in a few hours in some cases, but at the very least, the next day. We can chat to people online and receive replies instantly. You can even get a cab driver or a person on a bike to deliver food you don't want to leave your house to get. We are becoming used to nearly instant gratification. Does this convenience make us less tolerant of other people in society though? What do you think?
