I’ve now been to two weddings in the last two days, and the common feature, which I’m genuinely pleased about, is that they weren’t about me. People spoke to me normally, I felt less tired and stressed, and most importantly, I was simply a guest.
And I enjoyed it.
I won’t pretend it wasn’t strange or a little difficult, but for the evening, I felt – I hate to say it – ‘normal’. Or at least as normal as I’ve felt in a long time.
My wife was a star, as was the friend who bought me a gin and tonic.
That’s all I want: to just be a guest enjoying a wedding. I even had a good excuse not to dance, which has been hard these past few years. I was able to relax. I even ventured into a new line of humour – wheelchair jokes. My first one (albeit pathetic) was how I’m feeling: ‘Electric’. I know, it’s terrible – but bear with me.
I’m not going to stop walking with the walker – I don’t want to lose functionality – but I’ve decided to buy a new electric wheelchair. It’s lighter, better suited to my size, and easier for my wife. It also offers future options like carer control.
Hopefully, this is the last word on the wheelchair for a while. I’m grateful these technologies exist, and that so much work has gone into making streets and public buildings, including wedding halls, more accessible. It truly makes a difference. Things that are often taken for granted, like toilet access, suddenly become critically important.
So thank you to the designers out there.
Thinking positively.
One Response
totally with you on the accessibility front – until you are faced with a mobility disability, you never really consider what a challenge it is to some people when the pavement is uneven, or there are no ramps, or no handrails etc. Things most people can (happily) be oblivious about but which are a big issue if you have a disability!