For me, living with cerebral palsy has its challenges and difficulties. I have physical limitations that make it difficult for me to do certain things like feed or dress myself. Even with the limitations of my disability, I live a really full and interactive life. I think of my life as being normal and mostly uneventful. I am really just a regular dude actually.

That is why sometimes I don’t understand why random people come up to me and ask a whole bunch of questions about my life and how I go through my day. I called it the adult version of when a child openly stares at you like you are the bogeyman incarnate. But with the kid you can use the excuse that he or she does not know any better. With adults this attitude that people are freakish comes out in a few amusing ways.

Some people react by ignoring me; sometimes when I try to talk to them they walk away. I mean PEOPLE?!!… I know I was talking to you and you know I was talking to you. The least that people can do is address the individual with disabilities and acknowledge them. If you are in the service industry and it is your JOB to address my needs. It is not enough to just talk to my attendant. I am the customer and if you take the time to talk with me you’ll find out that I am not all that different from you.

Other people treat me like a child or buffoon. This reaction is hilarious to me. Some days I think that I should wear a shirt that says, “Yes I understand everything you say and no you don’t have to use a loud voice or talk slowly when speaking to me.”   I mean come on PEOPLE! I went to college and graduate school and I understand what you are saying. I will now give you free license to talk to me normally.

My favorite adult reaction has to be the over interested bystander. I mean come on y’all – my life cannot be that foreign and exotic. I grew up in Lafayette in the heart of California suburbia. I went to school, got a job, and have a social life. Yes interested bystander, I have a social life. One woman asked who I called on and I said my mom.  She dropped the subject believing I didn’t know what I was talking about. Yes, I knew that she was asking about the people I call on my phone, but who I call is really none of her business. Again, I’m just like any other man.  I like to date attractive women.  Women who are both attractive and open-minded enough to give me their number to arrange a future date.  I welcome the attention from these women and I am happy to answer their questions because these women respect me and see me as a person.  Plus they are young and attractive and I like their company more than other people for obvious reasons.