I promise I'm not contagious....and neither are they.
So, I broke my eyebrow bone this weekend.
Face plant into the pavement.
How does this happen you ask? Where were my arms to break my fall?
Good questions. Still trying to figure those out myself.
Here are some pics for your entertainment (Hope you don't have a queasy stomach)
Yeah, my friends like to document this experience, it's casual. It went from a huge knot the first night, to black & blue and swollen the next morning. To a nice pretty wine color today.
Now to the real point of this post.
When I went out in public today, I got one of three reactions from people.
1. Some people stared, gave me funny looks, talked to their friends about my hideous face.
2. Others avoided me like the plague. No one wanted to sit by the girl with the black and blue, swollen shut eye.
3. And the last set of people played the pity card. Being overly nice, holding doors open more than usual.
By the end of the day I just wanted to cry.
No, not for me at all. I can deal with the stares for a few days, knowing this injury is temporary.
I wanted to cry for all those with disabilities that they have no choice but to live with for their entire lives.
The stares. The whispers. The avoidance.
People with disabilities don't want your pity.
They just want to be seen as normal.
To complicate matters more, this week is Career fair at my business school. I am going to be exposed to potential employers through on-campus interviews and other meet-n-greets.
Honestly, I'm scared to death of how they will perceive me. Will they make assumptions? This girl must have gotten in a bar fight. Will they pity me? Will they write me off at first glance based on my unprofessional appearance? There's no way she'll "fit in" at our company
These are things disabled people have to deal with each and every day of their lives. It breaks my heart. While I'll be all healed by the end of the week, they will not.
Bottom line: There is no place for prejudice and discrimination in our society no matter the circumstances. They aren't contagious. It is important to embrace these differences that make us all unique. How boring would it be if we were all exactly the same?
42 comments:
I hope you're on good pains meds. because that looks PAINFUL! It hurts just to tweeze the eyebrows. Good luck with your healing. I'm sorry it's put you in a situation where people are acting horrible to you but it's causing you to be able to see how someone else feels and of course blogging about it stomps out the ignorance just a little more. Good job!
I hope you're on good pains meds. because that looks PAINFUL! It hurts just to tweeze the eyebrows. Good luck with your healing. I'm sorry it's put you in a situation where people are acting horrible to you but it's causing you to be able to see how someone else feels and of course blogging about it stomps out the ignorance just a little more. Good job!
WOW! I didn't even know that was possible!
I hope your ok!
I stifled laugher because i too have tasted the bland grit that is the cement. (except i slightly chipped a tooth.)
This was a GREAT POST!
SO perceptive! LOVED IT!
Holy crap you poor poor poor poor girl! I'm SO SORRY this happened to you! SO GLAD to see you still smiling, though. Stay strong little lady!!! xo
OH MY GOODNESS. Are you kidding me?! I am sorry but you just look so sad, and you have every right to be! Shane I really hope you heal quickly but in the meantime I would totally wear some amazing sunnies. I really hope you feel okay too. Lots of love to you!!
Oh my goodness that looks insanely painful! Hope you heal up quickly! And I think it just shows what a thoughtful and compassionate person you are that you aren't having pity for yourself in this instance, but that you instead are feeling for others who deal with looking "different" every day. Love the message of this post.
First, I do hope that you get better quick. That looks incredibly painful. Ouch.
Thank you for sharing this post. Many, many people don't know how to address disabled people. It's a good reminder for me too.
Holy crap that looks painful - hope you heal up soon! You have a nice way of putting things in perspective though.
aww gosh. I hope it gets better soon. Looks pretty bad :/
OUCH!!! I loved your perspective on this experience. I'm sure you will be fine meeting potential employers. If they can't see past it then its their loss!
Don't feel too bad I was opening my bedroom door and hit myself in the face.. we all have those moments lol!Clearly, my injury is not as bad as yours! Feel better! :)
owwww...
hoping you heal up quick, love!
love the message of this post. People are afraid of what they don't know.
I got some pretty odd looks when I had a broken arm AND a black eye from an accident. I'm sure they thought my bf was beating me up.
Heal up quick!
OMG girl! You got yourself good with that one! Hope it heals up quick for you.
goodg gracious girl! I hope your eye gets better quickly.
And also AMEN. Way to speak the truth.
Boy do I ever agree with you! Thanks for sharing. And I'm sorry about your eye... looks painful!!
Sweet baby jeebus that sucks. And if you were my friend and I was there, I would have laughed until I peed myself. It's how I roll- I don't handle injuries well. Even when my husband almost cut his hand off, I'm standing there LAUGHING as he's bleeding all over my mom's yard. She had to take him to get stitches while I went to get new underwear. True story.
Oh girl I hope you feel better soon!
You make a great point! It must be so hard and frustrating for those who have physical disabilities and such.
And yes that looks so painful. I didn't know yu could break your eyebrow bone! Another funny story to tell your kids one day ;-) get some rest my dear
Ouch poor you!! I hope it's not as painful as it looks and hope it goes down soon!!
http://www.rafflesbizarre.blogspot.com
poor thing, that looks mega painful! Hope you have a speedy recovery!!
Yowzer. That doesn't look like it's much fun. Is it bothering your sinuses? Cause it looks like it would. I hope it gets better soon.
And I can relate to this. From the other side. As an elementary school teacher, every time a kid comes in with some bad bruise or burn or scrape, I get all "OMG" on them and ask a million questions to make sure it wasn't child abuse. Usually it's just "I fell out of a tree" or "the cat scratched me" but it's a bad habit of mine to go worst case scenario.
Feel better soon. You make good points. :)
Okay, that pretty much sucks. And I'm sorry you're having to deal with people's reactions. Hopefully you'll heal fast.
ouch!! I hope you feel better soon. I've never heard of anyone breaking an eyebrow bone before!
Good luck at your career fair. I am positive it will work out for you
:)
Blake
steadythreesixty.com
You poor girl. Thank you for sharing this experience AND helping us think of others!
ouch! that looks like it hurts sooo bad! how sweet are you for still thinking of others! :)
OMG, I am so sorry for your accident!!!
Hope you'll get better soon...
Good luck on career week. Its not how you look but what you have up in that noggin of yours. Be lucky that in America, the rights for the disabled are respected to a certain extent. Sure they get the looks but at least there are laws that protect them. In the country I was born in and am currently living in, the disabled don't even have basic human rights. But anyways, I hope you heal soon, and I hope you feel better. That looks like it hurt a lot. I did not even know one could break a brow bone.
OMG I hope you get better quickly. and so sorry that this is at such a bad time :(
Wow that is quite the black eye. I'm pretty disappointed to hear that nobody asked you if you we're safe/ok. It could have been from domestic violence and you may have needed help!
awwwl nooo so sorry! ouch there, get better!
I am sorry you received these sorts of reactions and treatment. I know some people probably meant well but I understand how it was frustrating for you.
You poor thing!!!!!!!!
I hope you feel better soon, and that the swelling goes down (and it's no longer a wine color). This post really resonated with me. I had a seizure at a store a while back and the looks were so painful and embarrassing. You're right. People just want to be treated fairly. And, honestly? Some folks miss out on truly amazing people (like you!) just because they judge others by their appearance.
xo,
Di
You poor thing! You must have fallen so hard! I hope the business fair goes okay. Just be confident and try to make light of it. Sometimes if you just speak up and say what happened that will break the ice. Hope you heal up soon.
OMG girl, that looks painful! I hope you get better soon! I love this post, not your pain, but your words! Everyone is beautiful and should not be treated any differently, no matter what their condition may be. Very inspirational.
♥ Victoria
Awesome post!!
OH MY GOSH, wow. That looks sooooo painful! Hope you're not in too much pain. Get well soon!
xoxo,
Gayle | Grace for Gayle
oh my gosh sweetie, that is awful. I hope it heals quickly Bug Hugs!!
it's a sick sad world we live in, and no matter what we do we can't change that. there's always gonna be some asshole standing there with a look or a snicker or whatever. all you have to do is hold your head up and do your thing :D
Aw that looks so painful! I know how you feel. I have glaucoma and had to have two eye surgeries to "fix" it. The week after each, I was wearing an eye patch. I got stares and some people were just jerks. A guy on a segway told the rest of his segway tour to move out of the way because I had no depth perception. (a true statement, but I do just fine without it.) I even had a guy tell one of his friends that there was a pirate running around campus. He had no idea that his friend knew me. His friend put him in his place by telling him that I had had surgery and it wasn't nice to make fun of people for their appearances.
I could imagine having to go through that day in and day out. I feel bad for those that have to and I always wish there was some way that I could help.
I would just make a sign to wear around my neck! I refuse to let other people make me feel awkward, so just being honest will have them laughing with you ;) Don't worry pretty girl!
Oh man, that must have hurt! I hope it heals quickly for you. A couple of years ago, my mom fell right on her face while exercising outside and she had a bruised up eye for a while. She went through the same thing - stares, people whispering about her. They thought that it was domestic violence. Of course, it wasn't but you are correct; a black and blue eye will start up the rumor mill.
Keep your spirits up. It will heal soon enough! :) Have a wonderful week.
Julie @ This Gal Cooks
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