Today I Used A Wheelchair for the First Time
By: Rachel
I was so nervous to use a power chair at Walmart. It’s just that I had never tried it before, and I don’t know why I thought it was such a big deal.
Maybe it’s about the finality of that feeling of loss of physical ability, even though I can still choose not to use one. Maybe it’s that feeling of being “other,” which I already carry, but this time it’s visible.
I kept driving into things, so maybe it was about the fact that I’m a clumsy driver. 😆 🤣
Anyway, it turned out not to be too much of a big deal–except when I did happen to knock something over.
It was a very interesting social experiment. People were so much kinder to me than they normally are in Walmart. They almost always let me go first and apologized for being in the way, when I was probably the one who was in the way.
And at the end, I hadn’t used up my spoons! I still had energy left! It was amazing!
I will be using a power chair again.