I have to get something off my chest, and I don't care if I offend anyone. Being fat is not a disability worthy of receiving special treatment. Allow me to explain. I took the family out to see some fireworks last night that were pushed back a week due to weather. The fireworks were staged across from a Walmart so that was where the parking was the best. We got to Walmart about an hour early and walked around a bit in search of a few items we needed. I have witnessed the following phenomenon several times but never with as much regularity as last night. I counted three seperate instances of obese people using the motor carts meant for the handicapped/elderly/disabled. There wer two men and one woman, all around 25-35 years of age. I have always been bad with guessing someone's weight, but they appeared to fall in the 300-450 range. One guy was definitely smaller than me.
I can't explain how crazy this makes me. It always has. Even before I started this journey to lose weight, this got under my skin. I see these people walk into the store and get one of these carts to do their shopping. These carts are for people that cannot get around without them! They are not for those of us have a harder than usual time getting around. My goodness, if you are to the point that you think you need to ride around in a cart because doing your grocery shopping under your own power is too taxing, you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror at what you have become. I just want to yell at these people to get off their fat ass and walk a little. Maybe if they put one foot in front of the other more often, they wouldn't be in that situation. Personally, I would be too embarrased to ever ride in one of those carts unless I was packing crutches with me. I have hurt my ankle before to the point that I would have enjoyed riding around in one, but my pride would not let me. I just couldn't have people thinking that I was just being lazy. Now, I know that some of these people may be dealing with injuries cecause of their weight, but the majority are just taking the easy road. If I (at 405 lbs) still walked around the store, then so could these people.
I often wish more more opportunities to walk. I like going to Walmart and the grocery store because it affords me the chance to park on the edge of the lot and clock some steps and I move up and down the aisles. I just get so angry at these people. I just want to tell them that it doesn't have to be like that. I apologize for this long-winded rant, but these are the things that drive me crazy.
Yesterday's Steps: 11,181
PS - Here is a pic of new bike.
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8 comments:
Wow, you are full of compassion, aren't you?! You never know if people have some other underlying condition (like rheumatoid arthritis or heart problems) that necessitate use of a cart. Unless you know for sure what someone's medical issues are, maybe you shouldn't judge.
I'm sure that some people have a legitimate health issue. Maybe those issues would be improved with a little walking.
You seem kind of young, I can't tell how old you are. I have a friend who's been very obese pretty much his entire adulthood. He's about 37 now and I don't know if it's entirely because of his weight or there were other mitigating factors, but his knees are shot, he can barely walk, it's tough to see him in such pain walking from the handicapped parking spot to the ticket booth at the cinema. Of course, his pain and effort is obvious when he walks. If you couldn't see any struggle in these people before they got to their carts, you may be right. Who knows.
I have lupus. I used to use those carts from time to time. And I usually left my crutches or walker in the car, because even though it took me a heck of a long time and a lot of pain to cross the parking lot without them, there wasn't any place to put them in the motor carts.
When I was less mobile, I gained weight faster. Before my knees went shortly after college, I played soccer, was on the synchronized swim team, and rode my bike all over. After the deterioration of my joints started, I did next to nothing.
It's been a hard road increasing my mobility, and yeah, it's true, some of it has been helped by weight loss and clean eating... but not all of it. Yesterday someone offered me a wheelchair while I was picking up my family's groceries. I'd hate to think if I'd taken it that people like you would have been judging me... or have been judging me for all those years.
You can't always see when someone is disabled. I have friends with MS who look fine some days, other days have severe problems. They aren't likely to be "packing crutches" so that they aren't embarrassed to get help.
It's dehumanizing and demeaning to constantly have to justify yourself to others who are so judgmental, and so sure that they know what's going on inside the lives of others.
I think the people who left the comments forgot that this is your blog and you are pretty much able to say what you want to say here. If they disagree about it, I think they should respect that this is your thoughts and feelings and your blog. They can choose to read it and not comment or not read it, but it is your blog and your opinion. I'm really terrible about judging people; I would be thinking the same thoughts you thought but there could be more behind what I see as is obvious with the people who negatively commented.
In most cases, not all cases, obesity is something a person can control by choosing to eat healtier and exercise more. There are those cases that people have a disability that makes them take medicine that causes weight gain and increases appetite, etc., but for the majority of overweight people, it is poor eating habits and no exercising (and that is my opinion, I don't know if I could back this up with any type of scientific statistics)
that being said, cool bike!
betty
I must admit that, at my highest weight (272.5), I developed plantar fasciitis which made it excruciatingly painful to do any walking. I never used those carts though despite my husband suggesting it, even when I was pregnant and suffering from severe hip/pelvic pain too, and now that I've lost the weight (109 lbs lost so far), I no longer suffer from any of those pains.
Telling you about the pain I suffered at my high weight was to illustrate that sometimes using those cart is for medical reasons that can't be easily seen.
I'll show you love even if others refuse. You're looking good buddy. Keep up the good work. I know the long road you've traveled and the determination and dedication it takes.
I feel your pain. I see people with handicapped stickers park right next to the store and then go trotting into the store. It's easy to judge and ask yourself what qualifies that person as a person with a disability. If there is no obvious ailment, I guess laziness. It would be naive to say there are not lazy people who take advantage of the system. I know it's not everyone, but that percentage makes it difficult for anyone with legitimate health problems.
If people want to get their panties in a bunch over your comments, that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, if they want to fix the problem, they either need to stop being lazy or start harassing those who are simply lazy and not in true need of assistance.
My two cents.
Keep it real.
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