What I Don’t Miss

A lot of posts about quarantine and lockdowns focus on what people miss the most: seeing friends in person, eating out, family gatherings. But not too many focus on what people don’t miss. For me, it’s been over a year and a half since someone has asked me “why” or “how long” I’ve been in a wheelchair.

I guess that’s one advantage of video calls for folks like me: most wheelchair users look like everybody else from the waste up. I think the only give away is if I get up during a call to close my door and somebody notices me “float” away from the camera. No more inquires about my level or lack of functionality. No more awkward commiserations with my apparent “situation”

And let me tell ya’, it’s been amazing. I get to do interviews, onboard new team members, and go to virtual happy hours where not once does someone try to start a conversation by asking about my body or medical history. This must be how able‐bodied folks feel all the time. So jealous.