Whilst I was at the vets on Friday, a gentleman walked in to the waiting room. I know he had cerebral palsy because of his unusual gait. As he approached, we exchanged glances and smiled. I wanted to reach out, I wanted to say something. I wanted to let him know that he wasn’t alone.
I would have love to have chatted with him; I would have loved to have exchanged thoughts and feelings about what we’ve both been through to get to this point. No matter how mild or severe our cerebral palsy was, we we’re the same.
It’s the umbrella term used for a condition that unites us regardless of severity and that’s what makes us unique. For that split second I felt we had a common bond, although he didn't know me.
Usually CP is a visible condition where you can tell someone has it, just by seeing them walk and I think it is good for us to be able to relate to others that are in the same position as us.
With my illnesses I don't know who has it because it's an invisible condition. I love to share with others that are going through the same problems as myself, but how do you tell if someone has it?
Sharing with others helps us deal with the problems we have. We know we are not alone and we can learn how to deal with certain aspects of our illness from others.
In the UK there are groups in the community where we can share our experiences with other like minded individuals who live with what we deal with. I agree with you that it is harder when others can't see what we deal with.
I do believe there are ways of getting round the problem through knowing what goes on in our communities and that's the key.
I understand that common bond feeling from a stranger, It's a good feeling. It would have been nice if you could have captured the moment and shared.
Thanks Tim I agree. it would have been lovely. I hope our paths will cross again.