Broken Ankle Etiquette

Since I've become a little bit mobile, I've been interacting with the public more and it's been interesting. I assumed the public would avoid me like the plague but it's been quite the opposite. People are generally so nice and seem empathetic as a fellow human for what I'm going through. However, there are some folks that are socially challenged when it comes to interacting with a girl with a broken ankle in a wheelchair. Here are some of my observations of their lack of broken ankle etiquette.


  • Asking me what happened. I get it. It's not everyday you see a girl in a crazy foot boot in a wheelchair. People see it and just can't help asking "what the heck happened to you?" Plus there is of course the underlying fact the person asking wants to know what happened so they don't do the same thing. I'm always polite and tell the story but I've told my story probably 100 times so far and it gets old sometimes. I should type up my story with pictures and just hand out flyers. That way I can pick out a ripe avocado at the grocery store without having to relive my trauma over and over. 
  • Say "Awe you poor thing". Jeez! I'm shopping at Organic Roots with my super awesome husband for Gods sake! I'm not poor monetarily or in life and I'm definitely not a thing.
  • Move out of the way, please! My ass got wayyy bigger when they attached a 17" wheelchair to it so I need lots of room. While I have some muscle on my arms, I'm not Popeye and maneuvering my chair as a rookie chair user is sketchy at best. I'm not responsible if I run your kid or big toe over. You have two feet, I have no feet, just super awkward wheels that never go the way they are supposed to!
  • Tell their own 30 minute broken bone story. I've heard so many "my great uncles sisters cousins" broken bones stories it's crazy. It seems everyone has had some sort of broken bone close to them. Even worse, are the stories not even about broken bones to make me feel better. "My Aunt had plastic surgery and her boob fell out because of MRSA and then she died. You've got it really good compared to her." Uh, ok can you please move so I don't run over your toe while I pick out a ripe avocado? 
  • Asking me if Tony pushed me down. Uhm no, he didn't and joking around about spousal abuse isn't funny. Besides, according to Tony, the only breaking going on in our marriage is me breaking his balls.
  • Not closing their kids gaping mouth and tell them staring is rude. Doesn't anyone teach their kids this? You would think Justin Bieber was poking his head out of my boot.
  • Assuming I feel like them, which I don't. I'm probably in pain and may seem rude if I'm not really into talking. I promise once I'm healthy again I'll be more into your crazy Aunt story but for now I'm really trying to just focus on not knocking over the coconut water display with my wheelchair. 


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