I find that I am becoming more of a homebody than ever. I never want to leave the house, even on the weekends. I do leave, of course, because things like groceries don't deliver themselves and because my kids need to be out in the community. But I am just so freaking tired of all the stares from people.
I don't know if people are staring more than usual, or if I am just more sensitive, or if as I get older I get less tolerant, but I do know that I just don't want to deal with it.
We had some errands to run this past Saturday - the sporting goods store to get lacrosse gear for Ronnie, the pet store to get Cooper a new toy - and then we had lunch at a local deli, a deli frequented by families. I lost count of the number of people who would just stop and stare as we went by. I don't mean just a sideways glance, but just a full stop and stare.
I live in an area of town that is a tad more affluent than some of the inner city areas. Others who live in this area are seemingly intelligent, well-heeled folks (based on their jobs, their clothes and their vehicles). But I swear, polite, positive behavior does not seem to come with education, money and big houses.
Parents stare, their children stare and are never corrected for it, shop people stare, waiters and waitresses stare, even police officers sometimes stare. But you know who almost never stares at my unique family - elderly people. Why is that? Do people just mellow as they get older? Have they seen so much in their lives that a beautiful young girl with only one eye and a handsome young man who uses a wheelchair and talks with his hands are nothing out of the ordinary for them? Or have they just learned tolerance and acceptance as they have aged?
I would like to know their magic formula, and then I would like to sprinkle that over the rest of 'humanity' (and I use that term loosely....).
I've been trying so hard to teach Peyton about acceptance. Because she is certainly in the question asking/pointing stage. I can't really fault her for saying "that girl is using that to help her walk." Because I know it's good for her to learn, etc but she played with a ltitle boy with a limb deformity and didn't even notice..she did notice he only had one AFO and was insistent he needed his other boot, lol. The general public just sucks for the most part and the older I get the less I am able to bite my tongue!
ReplyDeleteJust The Tip, I have absolutely no problems when children ask questions. I like being able to share with them and hopefully increase their understanding and acceptance. But, it's when the kids have learned from their parents to just stare, or back off, or some other equally offensive thing, that really drives me nuts. And yes, like you, as I get older, the less I bite my tongue.
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