If you already follow my journey though this crazy imperfect life, you will already know the exciting new i announced a week ago about receiving my new wheels, and if your new to my page welcome it nice to have you here.
I think it’s easier for society to automatically think that if you’re a disabled person you use a wheelchair, that’s obviously not the case you have many that only need to use a wheelchair occasionally or not at all.
So let’s talk powered wheelchairs. It’s easy to feel like a burden when most of the people around me or i meet up with don’t use a wheelchair, it would only be natural to feel out of place. Being a wheelchair user I also have to find alternate routes or building depending on how good the access is or isn’t, which is inconvenient not just for myself but anyone that’s accompany me also.
However, having to use a powered wheelchair for almost 14 years of my life has helped me realise that most of my anxieties and discomfort at the beginning of using my chair was to do with attitude. My attitude towards myself and how I was feeling, nothing to do with my friends or family that really couldn’t care less in the nicest possible way obviously to them I’m still just me! Just lower down and sitting in four wheels. The more you get out into the world and experience life in a power chair, the more secure you’ll be.
Action and attitude go hand in hand, changing your thought process isn’t easy but you’ll need to work on both if you want to be less self-conscious in public or with friends. Wheelchairs aren’t the most attractive so why not put your stamp on it make it your own, I’ve seen so many great ideas from lights to stickers. I’m definitely excited to ‘pimp my ride’.
I know over the last year most of us haven’t been out, so we’ve had no interaction with the outside world, it would be understandable if feelings of self-consciousness could be looming in the background along with other feeling of re-ending society after so long.
I understand all this is easier said than done and, believe me, I’ve been in a place of insecurity many times. It took me a long time to just say f**k it.
Taking small steps or wheels in some cases – as long as it’s at your pace, nobody else’s. It’s also trying to remember you cannot let your disease in my case muscular dystrophy, dictate the way you interact with society.
It’s hard to feel and look different than everyone around you, and sometimes the way we are treated by society doesn’t help. But if you don’t face your self-consciousness, it will keep you from doing what you are capable of accomplishing.
Kisses K
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Past posts you might like to read
Kerry Thompson - My Life, Kerry's Way. 