But if you're good at social performance, or have some sort of confidence about you, then it doesn't matter what you got. Being socially accepted and having other people understand you really makes life worth living. If I was to stand up in front of that many people and open up about how it is to be me and what the good points and the bad points are (if I did have the confidence to do that), I bet people wouldn't be feeling emotional or laughing with me or anything like that. They'd just be like ''yeah yeah yeah, you've got a disability that makes you shy or socially awkward in some way, you're standing up the front talking about it, you can't be that shy'', or if I try to explain that I am not socially awkward on purpose, people are just like ''you haven't got anything like it, you're just weird''. Yes, I've even had that said to my face, and it was rather hurtful. People just see me as an able-bodied person but with just a dent in the way I do and say things (the dent is too small to define what is wrong with me, but it noticeable enough to single me out), and I just get accused of being weird and nothing else.
At least with this young man people can see that he doesn't have any arms and legs. Yes, you may get some nasty people out there that may think it's funny to be born that way, but then most people would hate those that take the mickey. But someone like me, I only have to walk down the road and I get people staring at me and sniggering, and there doesn't seem to be any ''oh leave her alone, she can't help being weird, it is not very nice to laugh at her. Besides, we don't even know her, she might be a really nice person.'' But no, people can't think like that.
This young man seems to have more social skills than I do. The way I see it, it doesn't matter what you look like, as long as you have that social talent. That's what I have learnt. But my heart does go out to him and I'm so glad he has found a way to be happy with how he is.
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Female
21 Apr 2013, 9:37 pm
