Just now...

[chicating]

Paralympian to Kelly:
"What makes you different is your greatest gift."
Me:
Can I take it back? And not for store credit.

Comments

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Excellent rejoinder for most such comments. \o/

Re: Yes ...

[chicating]

I really should get over being uptight about the Paralympians. I mean, every black guy on a playground court in Cleveland isn't really thinking he's Le Bron, and that's who those people are...some of them even get endorsements, etc.
Just because abled people are confused about the difference and thinking "Why can't you do that?"(Or something.)
doesn't mean I have to act like I'm ten and take that to heart--although that hurt cause "sucking at sports(Minus a truly freakish throwing arm that always gave coaches hopes that everything else about me completely dashes) always seemed like the one pass someone like me ever got.)

Re: Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

It hurts because it's one more round of expectations and demands that the people doing it don't see as a burdensome or cruel thing.

On the bright side, you can usually get "I hate sports" support from nerds.

Re: Yes ...

[chicating]

The stereotypes are contradictory, too.

Re: Yes ...

[chicating]

I also wish that my differences made more people all "Yay...how original," but it's mostly not true.
Like, just enough that I can hold on to the expectation and be disappointed a lot.
Maybe I'm also bad at being Different, though it would seem that that's impossible, that the thing about Originality and Going Your Own Way is that, if you don't really hurt someone, you're always fine.
But that's not how I feel about myself(maybe because I'm usually trying to fit around somebody else's Way at least as much as I do what I think, if not more.