When people find out I use a wheelchair for mobility, the conversation following usually starts either one of two ways:
Person #1: Oh, I’m so sorry you are confined to a wheelchair. It must be so hard not being able to walk. I can’t even imagine. You poor thing.”
OR
Person #2: “You are so lucky that you don’t have to walk! Where can I get one of those?!”
Spoiler alert: both people annoy me.
To Person #1:
You’re right. There are days where it does get very frustrating to be confined to a 400 pound piece of equipment that can’t go everywhere and function like a normal human body. Before I go anywhere new, I need to make sure there are adequate ramps, sidewalks, and elevators for me to get around. I can’t take an Uber because I can’t put my wheelchair in a vehicle that’s not equipped to handle it. I can’t go mountain climbing or dirt biking or play a game of soccer. I can’t be out in the rain for fear of shorting out the piece of me that costs $78K and needs specialty parts.
But you make a mistake in implying that my life is somehow worse than most because I require a wheelchair for movement. There are actually a lot of things I get to do because of my wheelchair, and even more that I do in spite of my wheelchair. Even though I work at home, those of you that also run your own businesses know that it’s a full time job and there’s not a lot of extra down time to sit around and watch TV or twiddle your thumbs. I’m lucky to have great friends and family that I try and see and go out with on a regular basis. When I’m not at home working, I’m usually out of town attending a concert and forgetting about reality for a little while. Yes, I have to factor the logistics of my wheelchair into everything I do, but I’ve never known any different. Everyone has challenges, and this is just one of mine. Relatively speaking, it’s probably no lesser or greater than the obstacles you face in your life.
To Person #2:
Quite honestly, I have no idea if I’m lucky to be unable to walk because walking has never been an option for me. I have nothing to which to compare being unable to walk. Yes, it’s convenient to not be able to walk when I break my leg, but then again, the reason I can’t walk is probably the same reason that I broke my leg, which hurts and is very inconvenient. There are moments where it is nice to have my chair, particularly for the large backpack and the fact that I can charge my phone at any time. And even though actually driving my wheelchair has become second nature (I barely even think about it anymore), there are still times where it’s fun to drive it. The parking isn’t bad either.
As far as where you can get one, all I can say is good luck. Actually attaining a wheelchair like this one comes with more red tape than you can imagine. A wheelchair like this is not a toy. Besides the fact that they are extremely expensive, the amount of paperwork needed to secure one is ridiculous. I have a clear physical reason to have one, and it still takes close to a year from the time I start the process for me to actually get one. Also, having a wheelchair is like having a car. You have to keep them running, get them checked yearly, and replace parts like tires and batteries on a regular basis. It gets expensive and can be somewhat of a pain.
Let me make myself clear. To have a wheelchair of this caliber is a privilege. My situation would be much worse without it, and I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I do if I didn’t have it. I know that I am lucky to be able to get one when there are lots of other people in the world who need them and can’t. Yes, there are certainly times when I wish I didn’t need it, but with my physical condition, there is never a time that I wish I didn’t have it. Like any electronic, it is frustrating when they break, but I am also lucky to have a great team that fixes any problem that arises quickly and in the most cost-effective way possible. I wouldn’t necessarily wish being confined to a wheelchair on anyone (unless you are parking in handicap spots without needing them—then I hope one day you actually need them), but for me, it’s just the way my life is and there’s nothing I can do to change it. I figure I might as well make the best of it, because what other choice do I have?