When I see a ginormous woman roll out of her late-model Lexus SUV, waddle into Wal-Mart and plop her arse into a motorized wheel chair, I can not help but feel a good bit of rage.
I have genetic spine problems that can not be fixed, even with a spinal fusion and on “bad days” [actually, ~excruciating~ fits better] I can’t find a close parking spot because they’re all taken up by people who have gorged themselves into their self-inflicted “handicap”.
Yet *I* am the one getting dirty looks when I get out of my truck because no one can ~see~ what’s slowly crippling *me*.
Is *that* discrimination?
[OTOH, I am so “hillbilly” that I will grit my teeth and try to walk tall and sure just so that no one can see my damnable weakness and “pity me”..maybe I should start walking like I really *feel*]
Maybe you should. It's better than getting the dirty looks.
I know exactly how you feel. I have a shattered vertebrae and have much pain if I have to stand up for very long. I try my best to ignore the pain and act as if nothing is wrong when I am in public. When I have bad days, I stay home and close to my bed. I will park away from the entrance to the stores so someone who is in worse shape than me will be able to park close.