The Adventures of Gimpy Me

I am finally off of my crutches.  After a week of assisted walking and lots of resting, I am finally doing better.  My torn calf muscle is healing and I can start getting my life back to normal.  There is one thing that my eyes were opened to while I was hobbling along this past week - How rude people are to the disabled.  While there have been a few kind souls who have held a door open, there are just as many if not more ignorant people with either have no hearts or no awareness of the world around them.  The worst experience I had was the day that we traveled to see my daughter in a band/colorguard competition.  Luckily, after being allowed to park in the handicapped parking area and being led through the handicapped entrance (at the top of the stadium), we were able to snag a few seats in the handicapped companion seating area saving me from falling down the bleacher stairs in pursuit of a place to rest my rear.  However, I was amazed at the number of non-disabled people occupying seats clearly marked for the handicapped.  There was even a lady standing in the wheelchair spot next to my hubby while a lady IN a wheelchair waited behind her for the spot.  She didn't move giving the poor lady in the wheelchair a nice view of her butt instead of the show.  We only stayed for three performances and upon our leaving, the lady who had been standing next to hubby promptly took our handicapped seats.  Later when we stopped on the way home for dinner, I was stunned that upon leaving the restaurant that a group of twenty-somethings standing on the sidewalk outside did not have the courtesy to move when I approached.  I was forced to crutch my way down off the sidewalk onto the road and make my way around them.  Are you kidding?  I have a nephew who is permanently disabled and in a wheelchair or on crutches.  He is not afraid to nudge someone with his crutch and ask them to move because he is disabled.  At first I found this rather rude, but after seeing firsthand how poorly I'm sure he is treated, I say kudos to you nephew!  Wish I had the guts to nudge them with my crutch and ask them to move.  Then again, nudge wouldn't have been the term for what I wanted to do :)