rivka: (her majesty)
rivka ([personal profile] rivka) wrote2004-07-26 11:02 am
Entry tags:

I am the biggest bitch in the world.

Rivka: Good morning.
Health Club Clerk: Oh, good for you, you made it in.
Rivka: [silently wonders why this is news]
Health Club Clerk: [takes membership card to scan] I have a friend, she's got multiple sclerosis, and she blah blah blah.
Rivka: Why are you telling me this?
Health Club Clerk: [says more things about her friend with multiple sclerosis]
Rivka: [slightly louder] Why are you telling me this?
Health Club Clerk: Well... what do you have?
Rivka: That's a personal question. That's none of your business.
Health Club Clerk: Oh. But I just...
Rivka: [firmly] It's a very rude question. [walks away]
Health Club Clerk: [calling after her] I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!
Rivka: [calling back] You didn't "hurt my feelings," you made me angry.
Health Club Clerk: Ma'am, ma'am, please come here. Please accept my apology.
Rivka: [alarmed] Okay, just... okay, don't cry.
Health Club Clerk: [crying] I am going to cry. I've had a really bad day, and...
Rivka: Look, I'm sorry you've had a bad day, but...
Health Club Clerk: Please, please say you accept my apology.
Rivka: Fine. I accept your apology. Okay.

Sheesh.

Offering help to the disabled

[identity profile] wiredferret.livejournal.com 2004-07-26 12:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I find this especially interesting, because although we don't think about it much that way, we grew up with someone who has a disability.

Our dad is pretty firm about not self-defining as disabled, but he is. He has always done poorly at standing. He can't really jump, or stand on one leg. In my memory, he has spent significant time on crutches.

But because it's a mostly-invisible disability, he manages to deflect all inquiries. Still, both of us know how to help a person larger than us out of a chair, and do it automatically. We evaluate walking surfaces at a subconscious level. Just a dozen little coping things that never really got explained, or talked about.