Sunday, October 18, 2009

A Little Good News

I have been accused, oddly for an optimist, that I focus too much on the negative in my blog. I'm constantly being told, always by non-disabled people interestingly enough, that there are more good people than there are bad people so I should write more about them. And, though I tire of people telling me what I ought to write, what I oughtn't write, what I should say, what I shouldn't say, words I can use and words I can't (when did writing a personal blog become a committee process?) ... they do have a point.

Yesterday began with breakfast with friends and then Joe and I headed downtown. There were a couple of things we wanted to pick up, a couple of things we wanted to check out, and we figured that around noon we'd go to the theatre and catch whatever is playing. For the whole day it seemed like assholes all took a day off, that maybe they were at a convention or something, and only nice people were out on the streets.

Some nice things that happened ...

1) At the movie theatre we arrived to find people sitting in the wheelchair seats. They saw us and immediately got up and apologized and found other seats. One could quibble that they shouldn't have sat in the wheelchair seats but shush, they moved without complaint.

2) I was driving directly into the path of a fellow talking intensely on the phone, he saw me and we both swerved, me to my left, him to his right, which kept us on a collision course, a couple of swerves later we managed to get it right. We both laughed, I said, 'Thanks for the dance.' He said, 'Next time remember, I like to lead.' Nice.

3) Every time, that's every time I had to try and get by a group standing and talking, someone in the group noticed and got people to move. Everyone did without complaint. It was all smiles day.

4) At breakfast there were two of us to be accommodated, one on a scooter, me in my chair. They moved the chairs and tables about, I stuck out a bit, a friend sat at the end of the table, sticking out a bit - and no one made an issue of it. We simply had breakfast, all comfortable in our seats.

5) We bought Ruby a new parka, all soft pink and Sadie a new sweat suit complete with hoodie and when we brought them up to the counter the clerk made a comment that the two little girls were lucky to be getting gifts from 'men with taste' which I think is a euphemism for 'men who are queer as a three dollar bill' but it was nice to be treated as a couple, despite gender and disability issues, and as having family.

So, all in all it was a good day dealing with nice people. So there. I do write about good things and good people. But I appreciate the prompt, it was surely a nice post to write.

15 comments:

Ellen said...

I don't think your blog is too negative. You do come through to me as an optimist. But I really like today's post.

Unknown said...

Now I am going to spend the rest of the day imagining what might go on at an asshole convention. I think they might have been meeting in my neck of the woods yesterday!

wendy said...

I'm glad you two "men with taste" had a good day, free from those who were busy at their convention!

CJ said...

Dave,

Gay men are the only men with taste.

;<)

Gary Miller said...

Glad you two had such a good day, sans assholes!

Anonymous said...

And here is another nice thing for you:

I reviewed your blog. It's crap, BUT I have seen worse.

Unknown said...

wow, a crap blog detective!

Looks like he escaped that asshole convention just in time to read your blog!.

FridaWrites said...

I love days like that, when I can leave someplace and nothing happened, nothing on the basis of wheelchair use at all! Dave, thanks for telling us what happens that's negative too--it makes me feel less alone. I'd think that I were just paranoid or rubbed people wrong or had something really wrong with my personality if I didn't know that hurtful comments, physically pushy people, conflicts happened to other people too. The day I began rolling instead of walking, I noticed an immediate change in the way strangers interacted with me, and not for the most part in a good way, though there were exceptions.

Dave Hingsburger said...

Hello Readers: I ask you a favour. Though you may be tempted to click on 'blog detective' to see the site I ask you not to. I also ask you not to comment on that blog on my behalf. I went there and it's just a statement about the blog being crap ... whatever blog he tags. Then there are all sorts of comments from people attacking him or defending varous blogs. There is no substance here, its attention seeking. We all know that the best thing to do with that particular behaviour is to pay it no heed. Feel free to say what you want here, but please, please, do not visit there, do not comment. It only fuels his sense of importance. Thanks. Dave

Kristin said...

It sounds like a wonderful day. And, I don't think you are negative at all.

Maureen said...

"(when did writing a personal blog become a committee process?) ... " - I love it! You keep on writing how you want to and don't let anyone tell you different. I have been lurking for about a year now and I love your posts!! Your writing is entertaining and informative. You almost always touch a nerve!

Arno said...

Dave, If anyone could take your blogging as focusing too much on the negative, it might be an indicator of real negativism on their own part.

J., I hear you about the asshole convention.
I just spent a day at the Clueless About Disability convention.

I love this blog.

Liz Miller said...

I love that everytime I come here I find out about something you noticed about your day, either positive or negative, and that you describe the thing you noticed in detail, with all the facts of it laid bare and your reaction to it RIGHT THERE for us to appreciate it with you.

Anonymous said...

The relief at hearing great insights, and knowing i am not the only one scared or angry..Thank you Dave, for doing that about the negative things

I don't think negative dominates here, but perhaps negative things come up because we can probably all do ok on our own, dealing with positive things.

The good things don't make me reach out for a word to hold on to.

Cynthia F. said...

In case I haven't mentioned this before, I like you exactly how you are, and your blog exactly how you choose to write it!