What a night

[LACHopeful]

For those of you who are unfamiliar with me, I am a latin/ballroom dancer who dances from her wheelchair.

That being said, come up with just one stereotype someone might have of me, especially the fact that I dance from a chair.

Tonight, I was at a dance party and I wasn't very new there but boy did I feel like I was being treated like I was new!!!!
People gave me looks, they came up to me and shook my hand and gave me the "pity" look, people said a few very irritating things, one lady had said that she was sorry that I wasn't going to get a chance to dance tonight (I just came through the door), one woman even asked if I will ever walk again, when I said no she said I should work harder.

Yes, I'm going to work harder at something that I haven't done for 20 years. If I really wanted to walk , I would've 'worked harder' a long time ago.

This was the first time in my life that I felt like I was a different species.

WIERD.

[Easy]

I don't know how I'd react, but if I knew you liked to dance, I'd give it a whirl. I've actually done it once before at a comp. My student had fallen, and I spent most of the night at the emergency room with her --11pm ER, finally got a bed for her at 6 am, I left her side at 8am when a doctor finally came to see her.

Anyhow no bones broke, but she did have to stay in a wheelchair the next evening for the formal. She's was really bummed, so I took her out on the floor and danced with her. It made her night brighter.

That being said, not a lot of people are aware of wheelchair dancing. Normally when I see someone in a wheelchair, the last thing I'm expecting them to do, even if they're at a studio, is dance. More people need to become aware of it...I know your post is gonna make me think twice when I see somebody in a wheelchair.

I'll bet you do a smooth foxtrot, you're getting that rolling action that people spend years trying to learn ;)

Can't say I know how you feel, but I imagine people's reactions get old and frustrate you. Hopefully the same people at that dance party next time act differently and are aware of their false assumptions :) Keep going. People are people and they'll always act like it good and bad, but given a chance, most people will wisen up.

[fascination]

sadly too many people forget the adage...best to keep your mouth shut and feel like a fool than open it and remove all doubt....sadly, one thing we don't teach is how to be with one another in sensitive ways...a major part of my job as a grief counselor was education and damge control on that front...hug....

[nucat78]

Chuckleheads. If you're ever in Chicago, let me know. We'll show 'em how it's done.

Actually, I'll be in LA in three weeks if the LA in your moniker means Los Angeles.

[LACHopeful]

I don't know how I'd react, but if I knew you liked to dance, I'd give it a whirl. I've actually done it once before at a comp. My student had fallen, and I spent most of the night at the emergency room with her --11pm ER, finally got a bed for her at 6 am, I left her side at 8am when a doctor finally came to see her.

Anyhow no bones broke, but she did have to stay in a wheelchair the next evening for the formal. She's was really bummed, so I took her out on the floor and danced with her. It made her night brighter.

That being said, not a lot of people are aware of wheelchair dancing. Normally when I see someone in a wheelchair, the last thing I'm expecting them to do, even if they're at a studio, is dance. More people need to become aware of it...I know your post is gonna make me think twice when I see somebody in a wheelchair.

I'll bet you do a smooth foxtrot, you're getting that rolling action that people spend years trying to learn ;)

Can't say I know how you feel, but I imagine people's reactions get old and frustrate you. Hopefully the same people at that dance party next time act differently and are aware of their false assumptions :) Keep going. People are people and they'll always act like it good and bad, but given a chance, most people will wisen up.

I bet you made you students night, how fun! But seee, in that perspective it was easier to dance with her because she was your student, right? So the wheelchair thing became nothing but a prop.
If everyone had that perspective then all of the stereotypes would vanish.

Anyway, Your post has made me think twice as well. I always think of myself as the active one, so I forget that people would assume that I wasn't there to dance, just to watch.

If you're a youtube fan check out some wheelchair dance videos, I'm always amazed everytime I see them.

[LACHopeful]

sadly too many people forget the adage...best to keep your mouth shut and feel like a fool than open it and remove all doubt....sadly, one thing we don't teach is how to be with one another in sensitive ways...a major part of my job as a grief counselor was education and damge control on that front...hug....

If I didn't have the 'get up, and get over it' persona then I'd be using your services often as a grief counselor!

[fascination]

well it's very healthy to arrive at the spot where you can say to yourself "may they always be so blessed as to be so ignorant of what my struggle is and isn't"....but it is very hard to have to educate others rather than recieving what we would hope to have from them...

[LACHopeful]

You're right. It is hard.
I have realized that once I actually go forth with educating, it hits people.
They think "oh,I had no idea...that's really cool" and then they've got a new way of looking at things.