The Bright Side of Life

I suppose I know more than my share of disabled people these days. It wasn't always the case as you can guess,but the fickle finger of fate pushed me in a certain direction as it were, and so I find I know a zillion more people than I ever did. Come to think of it honestly, I knew one person with MS and I was always hopeless at making any kind of meaningful conversation to my total shame. Now of course I inhabit that alternate reality that is the world of the disabled and as a consequence I find I know loads of people with all kinds of disabilities. Now don't misunderstand me, but I didn't go out looking for them, I didn't just wake up one morning and think, Oh I must find some disabled friends, but I suppose its a shared experience so maybe its inevitable. The thing Ive noticed is that disabled people tend to be hopelessly cheerful in their attitudes to life. I should know as I'm one of the worst. I'm not sure about the reality of this though. Are we all cheerful naturally, or is it an act for the rest of the world? Are those of us that are out and about just the tip of a huge disabled underclass who sit at home all day being invisible to society? And one more thing, are there any disabled people out there who are for want of a better way to put it, just bloody miserable!?

I do think that your own personality tends to become magnified. I am for the most part relatively cheerful in life no matter what. The glass is always half full for me. If I feel down I'm usually quick to get over it, and as I was saying today to my husband, my main motivation and drive in life is anger. Not in an aggressive sort of way, but I get very cross about social injustices and I think this does tend to keep me going when others would give up.

So let me know if you are disabled and grumpy with it, because it seems to be that if you are going to have a disability then you have to be really cheerful all the time!!