Magic Words

About a year ago, I hit a wall known as My social Life Sucks. Nothing I tried – and I tried everything short of a personality transplant -- seemed to increase my social connections or generate more emotional intimacy in my life. Enter my fabulous therapist – a fifty-year-old man who somehow gets it. He's made it clear from day one that he knows nothing about disability, yet I felt more understood in my first session than I have with the majority of my friends. When I tell him I think I get ignored in groups because I'm disabled, he not only believes me but understands why it happens. That's valuable in a way words cannot express. We have hit an impasse related to my social interactions with non-disabled people. FabTherapist believes there are a string of words I can say that possess sufficient potency to get people to notice who I am. A carefully crafted handful of sentences have the power to shift perception from "Blind, incapable, weird looking person" to "Smart, funny, intelligent woman." His argument is that people meet someone like me and suddenly don't know their role. For a stranger, the situation is full of unknowns, fears and a general sense of uncertainty. Giving them some context and a function in the social dynamic will allow them to feel comfortable with me, freeing them to notice who I am. I believe words have power. They don't have that much power. Non-disabled people need time and exposure to move past their initial impression. The problem is that most don't take that time and in fact, their subconscious writes me off often without consulting the conscious mind. There are no magic words to subjugate this process. Okay, there is something that has the power to derail things – shock. It's why some women with disabilities dress provocatively -- to shock potential dates out of the "not sexual" mindset. What would I need to do in order to shock people? Would that be in line with my personality? "Yes, I'm blind. Be careful. You don't want that to cause you to underestimate me. That would be a bad idea." The last sentence would be delivered with a slow smile. Not even sure I'm capable of a slow smile on purpose let alone uttering those words. If I could conjure up the MagicWords, I still get stuck on the idea that I should have to say them. It's not my job nor should I take on the task of easing non-disabled people past their prejudice. Disability is not exclusively the responsibility of the disabled. As a society we have created this state of affairs and as a society we should deal with it. Besides, if I noticeably aid people in coping with their discomfort, I've set a precedent. "You made me comfortable, Jen. Now, when it comes to your disability, I expect you to do all the rest of the work too." Do I want to establish such a pattern? Yet, inaction will not change anything. Principles are great, but they don't make you feel loved and valued. Besides, women have needs. And hormones. and needs that go beyond hormones.