Expectations

I am a young woman. Maybe to some I am older, as they are much younger than I,  but at 36, I know I am young. I went for a ride today for an appointment. I had to take accessoride, which is for those who suffer from disabilities and were approved for rides to get to and from your destination.

I have tried taking trains, and waiting on line for buses. The pain became so intense, so I started to back away from the world. I could not get there.

I have days when, even though I have the availability of a ride, such as this, I cannot go out.

 I cancel my rides sometimes the same day. This is the nature of my disability. I am "infirmed."  I am not depressed, but more often than I would like to admit, I do not have the energy to go out.

Today I was the first to be picked up for a ride. I took my seat in the back seat of the car.

The next stop was an elderly woman and her daughter.  The daughter asked me if I could move. I looked at the daughter, and thought to myself, "how does she know I can move?"  It is very difficult for me to get out of the back seat of a car. It is extremely painful.  I saw the age of the woman's mother, so I agreed to move.

The daughter never said "thank you."  Me, being me, told the daughter, "you are welcome."  She completely ignored me. This time I said it louder. I said, "you are welcome!"  The daughter looked at me and told me she heard me the first time.

Then it was time to get onto my soap box.

I decided to educate this woman today. I told her that, just because I look young, does not mean that it was easy for me to move, in order to make room for her mother.  I explained to her that she could have at the very least, said thank you.

I sat in the back, and offered to help her elderly mother put her seatbelt on. The driver was going to get back into the car, but first asked me, "Would you mind moving into the front seat, so the daughter could sit with her mother in the back?"

I could not believe this! I told the driver, "absolutely not! It was difficult for me to move the first time, not get even a thank you, and then be expected to move again.

I did eventually help the elderly woman put on her seatbelt.

Please do not look at me, or any person my age, or really ANY age for that matter and assume that we are "well" enough to have to get up for an older person. We are all in the same car.  This expression is very similar to "we are all in the same boat." Why is it this expression does not share the same connotations?

I am disabled, and I have my rights, the same as anyone else Do not judge a book by its cover.

Above all, whether a disabled person does something they really don't have to do, say thank you. Those two separate words, would have made all the difference today.