GimPower!

OK, not to brag own ma bad sef, but as you may remember, I did call Josh Blue as my choice for winner of LCS last month. Yay Josh!

I have heard several times from my international students (this has a tie-in - promise) that when they see a stranger from their own country here, there is a certain "wall" that goes up, and they sort of pretend not to see each other. Maybe this has to do with having minority status - I don't fully understand it.

But I think it's kinda the same with PWDs. I mean, it's stressful being different, but as a coping mechanism I guess, you do learn to sort of take some solace in being unique.

So, when you see someone else with a disability (at least in my experience - though I don't think I'm alone here), it's like, "Hey, I'm not like him, OK? I didn't come in with him on the Group Home Van - and we are not a couple." It's like this fear of being instantly homogenized by the majority, complete with all the negative connotations of being mentally deficient, a drain on society, blah blah, blah. It’s extremely anxiety-inducing (people with CP, especially, will know just the kind of anxiety I mean).

But tonight, I had the most amazing conversation with the guy behind the counter at my local pharmacy as he was scanning my cheap wine and dark chocolate:

Me: “CP?”

Pharmacy Guy: “Yeah.”

M: “Me too.”

[slight pause]

M: “So, did you happen to see Last Comic Standing last night?”

PG: [sounding really sincere] “No, I totally had to work.”

M: “Josh won.”

PG: “Wow, did he?”

M: “Yeah.”

PG: “Very cool.”

M: “Yeah.”

PG: [finishing the bagging] “Have a good night.”

M: "Thanks."

We made eye contact.

And smiled.