It is a beautiful Saturday morning. John is at The Market on Goodlette Frank selling fossils as The Shark Tooth Guy. We are hoping for a busy turn-out as the other farmer's markets close down for the season.
Took Ronan in for a dermatology doctor visit. Since I must bring Riley along there was the great production of making sure he was well fed and comfortable, pack up with anything he may need such as clothes change or diapers, then load up Riley's many supplies. Then I use the heavy ramp, disassemble the wheelchair and fit it in the back of the jeep. Carefully place Riley in his seat. Ronan, must just bring himself, load and buckle himself. Reverse everything on the other side when we arrive in the parking lot for the medical building.
As I do all this and others arrive long after, file by and sign in to be seen before us. This is no one else's fault, but it gets to me anyway. My time is just as valuable.
It does remind me however, that there are countless instances when I do have legitimate reason to be annoyed by the other clientele coming and going. One memory stands out above the others. A visit to Dr. D. Perlmutter's office in a beautiful medical building in Naples. After going through the production and finally arriving inside the quiet open foyer. Keep in mind, at the time Ronan was just a baby and I held him in one arm while pushing the wheelchair with another. We must have been difficult not to notice yet everyone did. I located the single elevator and positioned us a few feet in front of the door in the event people would be exiting. We were not so easy to maneuver so I usually try not to be in the way. We waited longer than expected and found that many people entered the building just after us and wanted the elevator as well. We were in the middle of a large crowd when we had started alone. The doors finally opened. I do not even remember if anyone stepped off. I do remember very well that the entire crowd surged around me, piled in to the elevator, turned to face me - each with a stone-faced expression - with no room left and allowed the doors to close before I could even move. Would you believe, it happened again. The anger I felt sent heat to my face and I felt my pulse rising. The next load I shoved us, Riley - chair - baby and all through the crowd onto the elevator . The individuals there at that moment were certain to dismiss me as a crazy woman.
Yes, this really happened just as I related the story! This scenario has repeated many times to various degrees. Please help me to understand why this happens if anyone has insight? I welcome your comments.
3 comments:
Stacie,
A similar stuation happened to us just a couple of weeks ago. Zach was wheelchair bound and I had a doctor's appointment. When I arrived at the office I was already frustrated at having to take BOTH of my children into the office with me. I sighed a breath of relief when I saw a handicapped entrance located at the side of the building. I unloaded everyone and proceeded up the walkway to the "handicapped" entrance. When I got to the door it was ded bolted, it appeared unused for quite some time. So I go around to the front of the office, the only way in... can you guess? STAIRS!!! Really?!?!?! Mind you there where only a few stairs, but still stairs and wheelchairs DO NOT work... My face was so hot and I was so mad that I drug the wheelchair up the stairs with Zachary still in it! When I finally reached the door, I went to open it and the waiting room was PACKED and very narrow. NO ONE stopped to help me open the door... NO ONE! So as I can only imagine what I must have looked like. I signed myself in, by tha time I forgot I was there for me. Zach was parked next to me and a man walked out of the door and SLAMMED it into Zach's wheelchair. Everyone noticed at this point, even Zach. I wanted to call that man every curse word I knew, even more upsetting was that the nurse saw us sitting there and didn't even tell the manwe were behind the door. Grrr.... luckily the door that was for "handicapped" people was able to be used when we exited. Phewww.. what a day! Keep your chin up!
~Rebekah A.
It's the lack of respect and compassion for our children which gets to me the most....especially after he had to enter up the stairs. My hope is that we can cause a few individuals to be a little more considerate for the special needs children. Thanks for posing Rebekah:-)
Things like this make me SO frustrated. I was a live-in caregiver for a year and a half for a woman who was wheelchair-bound. The amount of times I had to deal with situations similar to these was RIDICULOUS! It's embarrassing... for the people being so ignorant and clueless. Had it been my own child I'm sure I would have flipped.
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