Stop Assuming!

I am here to tell you something today – stop assuming! That’s right – you!

Every day it is an adventure for me! I always get random comments, unsolicited compliments and uncomfortable questions! But one thing that always bothers me is when people assume things! You know what they say when you assume…

So here are some of the most common things that people assume when they see me! Enjoy!

My prosthetic running legs are making me faster! Wrooong! No really, you are absolutely wrong! Even though blades give me a spring, and I can jump pretty high with them, they can’t make me faster! I do all the work! Think about it. I am missing a knee, calf, ankle, foot, you know, muscle and bones. Instead, I am using my hip flexors and glutes twice as hard to pick up my prosthetic running leg when I run. It’s not as easy as you think – trust me!

I am a veteran – I get lots of thanks for my service! Friends, I am not even a US citizen! No, I am not a veteran. I appreciate your thoughts, though. I am going to tell you a secret (shhh) – there are so many ways to lose a limb. Cancer, diabetes, and several other diseases are major factors in limb loss and amputation, as well as car accidents or anything that could severely damage your limb. And don’t forget, you can be born that way, like me! Just ask me instead of assuming. ..or in my case when I tell them that I am not a veteran, awkwardly leave – true story!!

Oh I must be used to having no legs! It shouldn’t bother me that much! Again, wrooong! I actually hear this statement quite often! Just because I was born with missing limbs, doesn’t mean I’ve just gotten used to it. It always bothers me. It bothers me when my friends are able to go do things that I am physically limited at. It bothers me when you stare and secretly whisper to your friends. It bothers me that the first impression that someone has of me is my “legs.” It bothers me that you don’t think to ask about how I’m doing, because you think I’m “used to it.” Being physically and visibly different than the vast majority of people I am around is something I’ll never get used to. I get over it and cope, but guess what… sometimes it still sucks.

Moral of the story, stop assuming and mind your own business on your two legs!

Bye-bye!