This is probably a stupid question, but what do people do when people on the street call them a “cripple” and other derogatory names? I get so angry in the moment, but then I come home and cry. It’s getting so I’m afraid to go to stores in order to avoid it.
When my son was born he was born with what we called “devil eyebrows” (he has peaks on his brows. When the kids started asking him about it we told him that he is going to get teased (kids are cruel) but we told him that if anybody mentioned it to go a long and make fun of it himself. Other people are just trying to get him to react. If he was that upset about it to wait until he got home. We were fortunate in that we could take him to a salon to get it taken care of (he didn’t want - he thought they were cool), but disabilities aren’t the same but I think you can use the same principle. No matter how horrible they make you feel, go a long with them (even if that means making fun of yourself).
A racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.
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Even though a lot of what I do really is pretty funny, I am not able to go along with people who make fun of me. I try to ignore them and remember to myself that they must feel pretty bad about themselves if they have to put me down to make themselves feel better. Good, worthwhile, and secure people don’t need to do that.
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It’s horrible that this happens and I think it best ignored. If you cant ignore it, smile to yourself and remember that you are better than them.
Patsy x
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Thank you Kay 2, Linda4, and Patsy! I guess it’ll take some time before I’m “seasoned” at this. It really helps to read your supportive words…thank you from the bottom of my heart!
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lin-da, have you tryed to use the magnets? there helping me.ignore them. block them out of your mind.the only reason they are saying that is because they dont know what its like having a disability like we have. we are better that they are because we are dealing with it.
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Thank you Bobby, as always!! You’ve helped me through so much!
Before walking became a problem, I had an eye condition that caused comment. It became necessary to wear sunglasses, even on dull wintry days😏
At the time, I’d enrolled in a craft course at a local High School, and kids beings kids were less than complimentary about the sunglasses 
It was embarrassing and hurtful but I just had to brazen it out. Unfortunately my husband didn’t help matters by asking if I really needed the sunglasses 
Like many others here who cope with eye problems, there are times when I simply close one eye and the problem is instantly solved. Despite my husband being used to me coping like this for almost 20yrs, he still asks ‘why do you have to close one eye’ 
( This is aside from any mention I’ve made about prisms).
It’s hurtful that he doesn’t seem to have grasped why instinct makes me do this. I feel as though I constantly have to explain ataxia and it’s irritating, challenging symptoms😬
This last couple of weeks, I’ve had embarrassing conversations with my Optician. Getting my point over has been so frustrating, people in general just don’t wait while you get your thoughts in order, even if you try to explain why this is necessary in the first place, so that you don’t end up sounding like a complete idiot😤
So Lin-da 
Despite this ‘rant’ 
I do actually consider myself ‘seasoned’ but after all, I’m still only human 
xB
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Beryl of course you are. I’m so sorry your husband wasn’t supportive. I have to do that often as well-close one eye to see straight-bc of blurry vision. Never ever worry about “ranting” with me-it’s all good. 
Everything you’ve always written has been so helpful!
I agree with how helpful beryl and everyone is. I similarly have to close one eye often because of double vision. My eyes don’t track the same and prisms can only be optimized for a particular direction and distance. Fortunately, I see a neurologist-optician who has seen it all before and explains it to me. I always used to be very particular about vision. Now, I figure I won’t see very well anyway so I don’t even bother with the prism glasses much of the time. I find it frustrating to have limited depth perception also. It is also frustrating to have to wear special glasses instead of bifocals to read. I guess I’m ranting now. I try to stay positive most of the time, but sometimes thinking about allI have lost gets to me.
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For me, I’ve been fortunate that people haven’t said anything (or if they have, I haven’t seen or heard them!). I honestly don’t know how I would handle it - probably make some kind of joke about it. I’m one of those people who tries to avoid conflict whenever I can, so I’ll do what I can to diffuse the situation.
I’m not too bad yet - can still get around without a cane or walker (although I have the dubious distinction of being the only person recently to leave my office on a stretcher after I took a tumble and whacked my head!) so there isn’t too much to talk about (yet!). When winter rolls around, I’ll start using my cane on a daily basis to try and avoid wiping out on patches of ice.
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I told my daughter about Lin-da’s terrible experience of having people call her a cripple. My daughter had the perfect comeback. It was " I may be a cripple but you’re an a$$hole". I can’t imagine sating that, but I loved it!
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That was supposed to be “saying”. Someone’s typing finger missed.
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Just consider the source and laugh it off and just be glad you’re not stupid like them
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Its what you think of yourself that matters. It is awfully hard having Symptoms that other people do not understand, or don’t want to understand, they are ignorant and do not deserve giving the time of day. I have Ataxia and walk when I can like a drunken sailor, I speak like I am drunk ,I have an eye condition which makes my eyes permanently red. Be proud of yourself, how well you are doing getting out and meeting people, turn the other cheek. They have not got the guts and ability you have, I and we all know how much effort it takes. Look for the positives which each of us have in bucket loads, try to ignore these ignorant people. Good of you for getting out, if people can have a laugh at us, let them it shows them up as very shallow members of the species. GO GIRL GO Peter Ashbourne England
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