Comments | ysabetwordsmith: Poem: "Living on the Edges"

ysabetwordsmith

Poem: "Living on the Edges"

Apr 08, 2013 02:39

This poem was inspired by some wretched Valentine's Day cultural stuff, more crummy urban fantasy, and some considerably better conversations with readers about Brenda and the guys in her life. It has been selected in an audience poll as the free epic for the April 2, 2013 Poetry Fishbowl reaching the $200 threshold. This poem belongs to the ( Read more... )

fantasy, reading, gender studies, writing, fishbowl, poetry, cyberfunded creativity, poem, romance

Comments 6

technoshaman April 24 2013, 13:04:05 UTC

Knowing, and having known, several people with mobility issues, this both helps me understand (ironically) _other people's reactions_ to those on wheels (I'm like, ok, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, if it helps you live _better_, I'm good with that!)... and makes me smile. It's good to see a gentleman be a _gentleman_, old school, even if only in story.

Thank you! ysabetwordsmith April 24 2013, 16:57:29 UTC

>> Knowing, and having known, several people with mobility issues, this both helps me understand (ironically) _other people's reactions_ to those on wheels (I'm like, ok, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, if it helps you live _better_, I'm good with that!)... and makes me smile. <<

Yay! I'm glad that this resonated for you. Part of the inspiration came from things I've seen, and things that people mentioned doing to cope with surrounding attitudes.

>> It's good to see a gentleman be a _gentleman_, old school, even if only in story. <<

*smile* I like gentlemen. I've met a few. This sort of thing is something any man can choose to do.

Attitudes draggon_flye May 19 2013, 02:12:09 UTC

"Brenda? You can walk?" yelped Rick from behind her...

I can't walk in any practical sense at all. No more than a few steps with assistance, but this echoed for me in so many ways. Interestingly, it reminded me most strongly of a time as a kid when a classmate accused me of 'faking' my disability to get attention. I laughed in his face and told him if he though anybody would go through this deliberately, he was obviously crazy.

Brenda sighed. "A lot of people are just weird about those of us who have partial or erratic mobility," she said. "Able-bodied people tend to think that we should walk as much as we can.People with disabilities tend to think we're exaggerating our problems.

You totally nailed that. There's also the 'Super-Crip' mentality some people with disabilities have that says we should do as much physically as we possibly can, just to prove we can. It is equally bogus, IMHO.

Re: Attitudes ysabetwordsmith May 19 2013, 02:18:56 UTC

>> I can't walk in any practical sense at all. No more than a few steps with assistance, but this echoed for me in so many ways. <<

I'm glad this worked for you.

>> Interestingly, it reminded me most strongly of a time as a kid when a classmate accused me of 'faking' my disability to get attention. I laughed in his face and told him if he though anybody would go through this deliberately, he was obviously crazy. <<

Yep. People are stupid that way. I have no idea why.

>> You totally nailed that. <<

Yay! This poem was heavily influenced by some discussions about partial/erratic disabilities. I already knew that Brenda had partial function and tended to hide it, but those conversations really helped me flesh this out.

>> There's also the 'Super-Crip' mentality some people with disabilities have that says we should do as much physically as we possibly can, just to prove we can. It is equally bogus, IMHO. ... )

starcat_jewel September 17 2014, 03:41:52 UTC

I don't see what's so hard to understand about "I can walk a few steps, but that's all". I guess I've just known enough people with mobility issues, and seen the effort it takes them to (frex) get into/out of a car, that it doesn't seem odd to me at all. I suppose some people might assume that wheelchair = paraplegic, but it sure doesn't have to!

Liked Darrel telling Rick off. And he's right, the kind of man who won't take "no" from a woman won't hear a woman saying that either. But the Magic Dongle makes a difference to that sort.

Well... ysabetwordsmith September 17 2014, 09:54:54 UTC

I don't really know either. From what I've heard, some people just get in in their heads -- somehow -- that people like to fake being disabled. 0_o So then they pick on people with partial or variable mobility. I've heard this repeatedly from folks with that kind of disability, and I've had people bug me about it a few times.

I don't mind telling them where to shove their remarks sideways.