“You’re so lucky to always have a seat!”
The first time I heard this, I was stunned.
Like… what level of ignorance does it take to look at a wheelchair and think privilege?
I blissfully pretended not to hear him.
Didn’t want to ruin my day… or get arrested for running him over with my “always available seat.”
The second time?
I let the dude have it.
“I’d gladly give you my seat… if I could take your working legs. Hell, I’d even settle for a body that doesn’t scream in pain every day from my neck down. This isn’t a damn folding chair. It’s a necessity.”
FYI, people… I’m in this chair because I’m paralyzed, not lazy. Jeez.
“I’d love to not work and stay home all day…”
Oh? You would?
Try surviving on SSDI as a single mom of two… with no help from one dad, and crumbs from the other.
Try handling constant pain, caregiving needs, appointments, inaccessible buildings, system failures… and still hustling to build a future.
I’m not sitting around watching soap operas, sweetheart. I’m out here building businesses, raising kids, and making people uncomfortable with how powerful I am in a chair.
Let’s not forget:
Some of the most influential, intelligent, and badass people I know are disabled.
We run companies. Raise families. Shatter recovery expectations.
And we do it all while navigating a world built to exclude us.
“Who takes care of the kids?”
I do, you dumb f**k.
Does the wheelchair erase my brain, intuition, or maternal instinct?
No.
If anything, my chair has made me more organized, more creative, and more resilient as a mom than most people could dream of being.
“You live alone?”
Yes.
With my kids.
And we thrive here.
Is that a problem for you, or are you just projecting your own limitations?
“You decorated this place all by yourself?”
Yep. All me.
Three years of interior design school, baby.
Wheelchair or not… design has always been one of my passions.
Just because I roll doesn’t mean I can’t create a bomb-ass space with style, soul, and structure.
Final Thoughts:
Next time you see someone in a wheelchair, think before you speak.
We’re not your inspiration.
We’re not your charity case.
We’re not your myth or your pity story.
We’re people… resilient as hell, smarter than you assume, and often doing more with less than you could imagine.
By: Krystina | #WheelStrong