Say What?
Kids say the darndest things, right?
If that’s true, then at times, adults must say some MEGA-stupid things (or so it seems) when talking to those of us with multiple sclerosis.
Because through the years, I’ve heard some real good ‘ol insert-foot-in-mouth, you-gotta-be-kidding-me comments.
Many, so idiotic, the person saying them didn’t even realize what they had just said!
“Take a seat…..”
I heard this nugget just the other day.
I rolled up to the front desk in my wheelchair.
After checking in, the receptionist told me to…”Take a seat, someone will be right with you.”
To which I replied…”Thanks, but I brought my own!”
She looked at me…thought about she said…and laughed.
I would gladly trade my seat for ANY other seat in the house. A bean-bag chair. A Poppa-son chair. Hell, I’ll even sit in one of those old lawn chairs–the ones that turn your thighs into cottage cheese! ANYTHING but planting my ass in this wheelchair!
But what are you gonna do. It is what it is. You can’t change it–so you move on.
“Don’t do anything where you can kill yourself.”
This head-scratcher was a gift from my son.
“Don’t do anything where you can kill yourself is solid-advice for any mere-mortal.
But when you have MS, it has a different meaning.
With MS, I have the muscle control of a jellyfish.
While the economy of a third-world nation is better balanced.
Heck, I’ve fallen over while brushing my teeth!
With MS, anything I do can be a life-threatening experience.
I get nervous shaving for crying out loud!
“What happened, officer?
“He had a muscle spasm and sliced his jugular. We’re taking his Gillette Fusion in for questioning!”
“Do it quick.”
I hear this one a lot.
Fortunately, I have MS. Thus, I don’t do anything quickly.
I have the foot speed of a sloth.
Molasses runs faster.
Species evolve quicker.
I can’t change my mind without a ten-second delay.
To tell me to “Do it quick”—whatever it is—is a waste of your precious breath.
I’m just warning you, so plan accordingly!
So I’m sure you’ve heard some gem comments with your MS.
Please share them and we’ll enjoy a good laugh together.
Otherwise, keep your ears open, I’m positive you’ll hear more in the future!
3 Replies to “Say What?”
“I know how you feel”…..No they don’t….. or “You look so good!”…..If only they DID know how I feel…….
Whenever somebody says “walk this way,” I think of the scene in “Young Frankenstein” when Igor says this to Dr. Frankenstein–and gives the doctor his cane to imitate his hunched over crippled walk, LOL. It was funny back in 1974, pre-MS, but now it seems like a satisfying form of revenge!
Glad to know I’m not the only one to hear this stuff. I love when people say “run down to blah, turn right, climb the stairs, etc”. Then they notice the assistive devices and change to oh, sorry, take the elevator over there and go blah blah. I usually makes a few laughs.