People are So Ignorant, I Swear

I get an email to join spring.me which is….

I don't know what you would call it. People ask questions on any topic and others answer.

I was surfing through the questions and one hit me. I don't know if I am reading it wrong or taking it the wrong way but the question was 

"This is the handwriting of MiniNini (her name is Nina). We can all agree that she's either fucking retarded or has Cerebral Palsy. I haven't laughed at handwriting this much before."

Here is the picture:

My first thought was are you kidding me. 

I wanted to blast this person. BTW, they hid under the user name Anonymous.

The responses  of others were even more ridiculous and made no sense.

At least we know the writer was talking about science.

I had to refrain myself from writing a long response but then reconsidered. People like that really does not get it and I'd be wasting my time.

Instead I answered: 

I don't know who Nina is but what if she does have Cerebral Palsy or mental retarded? It is not funny and you are cruel. It shows how immature you and all the commenters are. And yes, I do have cerebral palsy. Lets just hope and pray no one you love acquires cerebral palsy by an accident.

I read or hear ignorance just about every day and learned to just let it all roll off my back. But there are those, like this, gets to me. I will think about it for the next few days to weeks and get angry all over again and wished I could just meet them face to face and have a long discussion about their ignorance and lack of compassion.  

Surprisingly, no one else responded to that question or my comment.

What have you read or seen that makes you angry and takes you a while to let it go? Am I overreacting?

Walmart:No He Couldn't Live Our Lives

There is several reasons why I HATE Walmart as you probably figured out if you follow my blog.  It is so big and to get from point A to Point B is like walking a mile.  It never fails to have an encounter or witness an encounter with a Moron. It's like Walmart shows the WORST of human decency.

Let me tell you about something I witnessed a few months ago.

I had gone alone that nonth. I usually wait for MyHubby to come with me but I had procrastinated long enough and he had been working hard. So I went down only the aisles taking my time.

As I was comparing Lipton rice dishes to the the other brands a  60-ish year old overweight Caucasian lady was driving one of the carts they have for people who can't walk or have trouble walking. She had stopped right behind me and I could see she was getting up to reach something on the lower shelf.

I asked her if she needed help. She thanked me but said she had it.

As she stood up, and slowly made her way off the cart, a gentleman of same age passed the aisle and saw her.

Visualize this, we are half way down the aisle when this man was passing the aisle evidently not needing anything down this particular aisle.

I saw him at a glance as he passed by.  I am always looking to see if I am in the way of someone trying to pass. There was only me, the lady and a 30ish African American lady making her way down the same aisle.

I turned my attention back to my label reading when I heard, "Hey You!" Of course, we all stopped what we were doing and looked in the direction of the call.

The guy that I had just seen pass had walked back.  Let me just say he was about 5'10 and overweight himself, maybe 5-10 pounds less than the lady.

He glares at the lady on the cart and shouts, "You do know there is a weight limit on the cart so you better not put too much in the cart. Maybe you should lose some of that weight." Then he took off. He left before anyone could say anything.

Don't you hate those moments when something crazy as this happens and you can't think of one thing to say at the heat of the moment? But after that moment passes, you think of all the things you could have or wanted to say? Arghh!!

Simultaneously I exclaimed, "OMG! That was so rude. Did that really just happen?" and the African American grunted "ooh  child"  like she couldn't believe it either. She reminded me of the reaction the maid would make on The Jefferson's! (For those who are too young to know who The Jefferson's are, it is a comedy way back when).

The lady on the cart visibly embarrassed and upset bursts, "He has no clue what my life is!"

I sympathized stating " No, he doesn't. Maybe he should walk in your shoes or another disabled person's shoes for a day. He is such a man (NOT) that he ran after he said it not giving you time to respond."

She responded, "No he couldn't handle my life and that just shows how he is really a coward running without giving me a chance to respond. Did you notice he wasn't really a Slim Jim either,"

I laughed and said, "You are so right, he couldn't handle it." After a little chit chat we went different directions. She did tell me that she had just had surgery and wasn't able to walk long distances at that time and although she didn't want to use it, she had to.

I've faced many ignorant people in my life. This man made me angry, especially walking away. Who in the hell he thought he was? Every time I think of it, I stew and boil all over again. And  it was not even directed to ME.

What is this world coming to? We are all guilty of some form of judging but blatantly voicing something like that is WRONG. Where has the compassion gone?

Hubby works at a Home Improvement store and he sometimes comment how these carts are used. The carts are for those who can't walk long distances and are truly disabled but they are being abused by obese patrons as well as children. I remind him to be nice and nonjudgmental.  But it frustrates him that he sees people on the carts that shouldn't be on them. There are only a few of them.

He claims just because you are overweight, doesn't make you disabled and eligible to ride on the car. He has also seen children and lazy people get on them and break them. Or they are left in the parking lot and the battery wears down. So I can understand his reasoning and his view

When BabyGirl was young, she used to ask me why I don't use the carts. I told her I did not need it. She knows how much it takes out of me to walk Wallyworld. When I was having major breathing problems, she saw how I had to stop at the end of few aisles and rest. In her childish mind she couldn't understand why I wouldn't ride one of the carts. It was simple in her mind, I was not like every one else. It was there. Why not use it?

I think she was concerned about me but at the same time SHE was the one who wanted to ride the cart! But I would tell her that there were so few of them and I didn't want to use it because what if someone who really could not walk or really needed it more than me and didn't have one?

However the coward had no excuse of his outburst. It shows how cruel and arrogant the coward was. He could have stood like a man and allowed her to at least defend herself, although he deserves nothing but it could have given her a choice.

I thought afterwards how this could have ruined this woman's day or self esteem. I know how it feels when people judge me without having any clue of who I am. It was just damn WRONG!

I am going to close with this quote of many I have found regarding ignorance.

You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informedopinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” 
― Harlan Ellison

Vegas: "Think Before You Speak"

I promise I am ALMOST finished talking about my trip to Las Vegas last month.

I realize that people are ignorant and all the attempts to educate some of them are all for naught because they just don't get it!!! It's been almost two months and every time I think about what I am about to write, it infuriates me!

When MyHubby and I were coming home from Las Vegas, we decided to use the 'handicapped card'. I hate doing that.  I AM "handicapped' or disabled if you rather that term. I have learned to put my pride on the side and sometimes use the resources available to get from Point A to Point B a bit easier. That week was really tiring for me and it is such a long walk from the waiting room to the plane.

When we disembarked the plane a week before, people were walking around me and then cutting in front me. MyHubby had commented when we eventually got to the same place where ALL the people who passed me waiting for their bags, "Gee, look how far ya'll got?" Of course, those who heard, acted like "It wasn't me!"

Anyway, when we were finally called to board the plane to come home, we were beside a 90ish gentleman and his 40ish Granddaughter. He was a frail elderly male walking with assistance of a walker. We were at a standstill. The granddaughter offered us to go in front of them as he walked slowly. We thankfully declined explaining I was slow and we were not in a hurry..The plane was not going to leave us.

There we were, yet in another line but not going anywhere. When we stretched our necks we noticed a 30-40ish couple making a big ruckus. The woman, drunk was loud and telling the employee that she was handicapped and had to get on first. The employee did not buy it. She was blocking the area so no one was moving. The worker, who was a 50ish old male who had been annoyed by another passenger (Yet, another post) asked her politely to move out of the way.

She moved, for a second and as a family with small children were making their way past her, she made her way back and yelled, "I am with them!" and points at them. The mother just ignored her. As the frail gentleman pass, she scans us from head to toe,then yells, "I need a walker! I wish I was handicapped." OMG! Did she just say that, I thought. WTH? However, she was already onto the next passenger before I could put my thoughts through my brain. I was shocked. Not because I have not heard it before, just the display of ignorance that was before me..

As we finally got through the door, the worker had told her if he had to tell her again, she was going to be escorted elsewhere.

The Granddaughter and I were talking as the four of us snail paced to the plane. I told her I was so offended and Granddaughter said said she was so rude. She said, "She had no idea what it is like." I said, "Maybe she should walk in you one his shoes for one day?" The Grand daughter agreed but then chuckled and said, "We don't wanna wish on the people that would have to be caring for her." I had to agree with her.

Sigh!

What would I have told the ignorant woman if I had a chance? Besides some expletives because I was ANGRY. I would tell her she needs to watch what she says as she can offend others. And maybe, God help her, a family member or herself could BECOME handicapped, how would she feel about that?

Or what about getting in a wheelchair for a day to see what it is REALLY like to be handicapped OR be blind for a day. Or whatever her SO SMART mind could come up with. MyHubby was coaxing me forward, as he had not heard it, and people were behind me and we were already delayed a good 10 minutes by this IGNORANT WOMAN!

 So before we talk, we need to THINK before we allow it to flow out of our mouths.