While I understand that faking a disability for fun borders on distasteful, it also allows you to see the world differently. You meaning me.
In retrospect, entering through Macy's wasn't the smartest idea, mostly because I had to learn how to operate the joystick while negotiating a narrow aisle through the china department. I fared a little better once we got into the mall itself, though I nearly crashed through the plate glass window of the Hallmark store. After zipping around for awhile (these babies go five miles per hour, fast enough that you feel a breeze), we decided to do what all disabled people do at the mall: we went skateboard shopping.
In the spirit of doing something new, Grant even turned a 360:
Unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out.
Otherwise, we found ourselves on the baby carriage circuit--waiting for the same elevators, going through the same doors--and encountering a surprising amount of hostility from moms, who gave us attitude like, "Sure, you're disabled, but I've got to push this thing around and I'm SO taking this elevator before you."
Still, Grant enjoyed the slapstick value of watching me run into walls and I experienced the pride of manuvuering into a handicapped stall and peeing without wetting myself. All in all, a great day.
4 comments:
That looks fun, I want to try it!
Grant is teh cuteness!
I bet those moms with elevator-tude are the same moms who drive mini vans like bats out of hell.
Glad you and Grant had a fun time and you got to experience something through someone else's eyes.
Marc, My wheelchair experiment at a very crowded Del Mar fairgrounds can be summed up with three observations: everyone was extra nice to me, upon seeing me their expressions became very serious, then they would stare at my legs to see how I was disabled. It was sunny, I was wearing shorts, so I twisted my legs to give them what they wanted. But more seriously, it really opened my eyes to get a glimpse of what the differently-abled people go through every day. BTW, as one gay man to another, thank you for being out in your professional life. I never expected that in 2010 simply being gay and out would still be an issue for so many men in public roles (actors, writers, newscasters, and more). Dennis
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