A recent experience had me thinking about the way the world treats those who are different. Little Miss and I usually take a cab to her school and back. I have the cab driver pull up inside the building because Little Miss is still not able to get on or off cars as fast as others. With the bags and payment and her getting off, I find it easier and safer to get the cab inside my building. The guards don’t have any problems with this because it takes only a few minutes and then the cab is gone and the driveway is free.
Yesterday, there was a fairly new guard who came right next to the passenger side window and told me I was not allowed to bring the cab inside. I am not someone with the best of tempers (all my happy is reserved for my daughter) so I told him, very quietly and strictly, that I will bring the cab inside. Then, he noticed my little one getting off and backed away.
At first glance we must have appeared a regular mother-daughter duo, coming back from school in a cab and it usually takes people a few minutes to realise that Little Miss is different. It is in those few minutes that people tend to mistreat or give that “pampered child” look, not understanding that maybe my need for a seat/ getting the cab inside the building/ ensuring that surroundings are quiet is not for me but for my daughter.
Think about it. How many times have you not been irritable if someone in front of you walks a bit slower than you like? How many times have you pushed someone to board a train or bus without giving them any thought? How many times have you blocked a ramp or left your shopping carts right in the middle, blocking the access of people on wheelchairs? How many times have you not offered help with heavy doors or rough terrains or crossing a busy road?
If you do help people or are mindful of your actions, then you are among the few people who make this harsh world a liveable place. But if you have never been mindful of your actions, then maybe its time to think and act on it because I know that there are many parents like me who fight this battle daily and will continue to fight forever. A little help though, is always appreciated.
Leave a Reply