Oh, yeah…you
know you want to.
You burn to click
on that link and watch the video clip with its provocative title. You want it
to pull you in, to take your focus off the world around you for a few minutes.
Maybe you even keep Kleenex by the computer, just in case.
Finally, you
give in to your urges and cue up the video. And there it is: a one-legged guy running
a 5K. You feel warmth surging through you. The tears well up and roll down your
cheeks. You grab that handy Kleenex and wipe them away.
No, I’m not talking
about fetish porn. I’m talking about inspiration porn: the objectification of
people with disabilities as inspirational simply because they are living their
lives. Non-disabled people do this for their own benefit, as if disabled people
are not people but are merely props to make the non-disabled feel good. To make
them feel inspired, all warm and fuzzy.
Well, I got news
for you. If you feel the urge to compliment me simply for getting out of bed
each day and pulling my clothes on, stick a sock in it.
Don’t get me
wrong: I enjoy getting compliments. Tell me my blue eyes are gorgeous, and I’ll
blush and smile back. But if you tell me I’m fiercely independent just because
I drive myself to work, you’ll get a wilting glare.
Might as well
tell me I’m a credit to my kind. You know, the gimpy kind. Those handicapped,
the wheelchair people who shouldn’t be expected to do more than weave
potholders and soil their diapers.
Seriously, if
you need people with disabilities to make you feel good about your own
situation, I suggest you find a good psychotherapist.
Just leave me out of it. 
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