What do you wish people understood about you?
For me, it's that you can be physically disabled without it being instantly obvious, and being an ambulatory wheelchair user, I often get odd looks or quite rude and pointed questions from people who may see me in a wheelchair one day and not another.
I read this from @StarryEyed and I've wondered since what people wish others knew or understood about their disability or the way it impacts them personally?
"Bottom line: You're not alone in being misunderstood. If anything, being misunderstood might even be one of the things that unites all people. Just maybe."
I know this isn't a particularly 'social model' question but social model doesn't always work when trying to discuss the realities of being disabled.
As someone with both 'visible' and 'invisible' disabilities, I would say I am misunderstood a lot.
Comments
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We live in an imperfect world that should be perfect, but it's not. Everything is weird to people until it affects them. I hope you rise above it and enjoy everyday.
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I try to understand everybody's suffering to a point, there will always be that difference in peoples minds, whether it's an invisible illness or a noticeable illness. Not one of us are perfect and that's the ideal world we should live in.
People shouldn't have to toughen up and pretend their world is perfect when it's not, but then people shouldn't get upset so quick. But that's life as it is, it's not perfect but it's all we've got at the moment, if we were perfect, we'd be robots with no feelings.
Whether you are disabled or not, go out there, don't take any notice of anyone (unless it's a copper lol ) and grasp the freedom we have and shake off the negative feelings and enjoy everything we've got.
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For some highly annoying reason, certain people simply do not understand my accent! I speak clear English in a broad Yorkshire/slight Liverpool accent, and some people just blank me when I speak to them.
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I've a broad Yorkshire accent too but not lived in Yorkshire for 37 years
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Hi everyone. Yes, I said that in the context that - in my opinion and in my experience - not one of us really can fully understand anyone because we're all born as unique and we all have different life experiences. So only we ourselves can fully understand our own perspectives, feel our feelings and think our thoughts. This applies to anyone (with or without disabilities). I think we can help each other a lot by sharing our perspectives and experiences. But in the end, no one can think or feel for us. If you let them, you are giving up the only thing you really own in this world - your thoughts and feelings.....your autonomy.
So it's not meant as what's your beef with the world. Or what do you wish people to understand about you. Or how to make your place in the world. On the contrary. It was said in the context of owning yourself, about calling a truce with others in trying to convince them of who you are or trying to demand a certain treatment towards you.
Hopefully that is clearer. Or maybe I've made it less clear. Who knows which way the dice will land in any given moment.
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Just to add that is a bunch of thoughts, feelings and perspectives that I own, and I'm not trying to force them on anyone. Just saying. ๐
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I really liked this quote you added @Emilee "You're not alone in being misunderstood. If anything, being misunderstood might even be one of the things that unites all people. Just maybe".
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Me too. She's quoting me. ๐
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And the waters get muddier.
That's my point: We all come to every situation with differences. So we see differences in every situation.
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But that's beautiful too. We all have a piece to add.
Maybe no one is right and no one is wrong?
Maybe we can only understand if we put all our pieces together? But being separate, we can make no sense.
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I quite like the quote "those who mind, don't matter and those who matter, don't mind".
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It's not what I'm saying. I'm saying the opposite - all of us matter to get the full picture.
But that's okay. That's your piece. We each have a piece.
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Everything is OK if You're Ok
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Each one of us is like a snowflake - unique, tiny yet significant in the big picture, and fragile in our own way.
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(In case you don't know, no two snowflakes are alike.)
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That's always blown my mind that no two snowflakes are the same @StarryEyed.
I don't use a wheelchair but I feel very self-conscious when I'm out and one day I'm limping and really struggling and another day I feel 'fine'. The underlying pain is always there but I have good and bad days and worry that people think I'm faking it.
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I wish dawnie would not ask me to hold her bag when I am not wearing anything that matches
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Typical, I wouldn't stand for that Mike..Have you tried looking on the Bonmarche site for anything that does match?.
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Haha she works for them ๐คฃ
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