Physical Therapy, Rome Versus the United States, and Disabled People Like Me

I figured out something, and what I figured out hurts--if it didn't hurt, I'd either be able to not take things so personally (which, according to Patricia Evans, I shouldn't be doing, anyway--that is, I shouldn't just let things roll off of my back or send messages that I can tolerate that kind of thing) or I'd be tolerating that kind of behavior! While I'm not a hero, anyway,  I'm not a hero even among my "friends" (actual or not) and family because they probably don't like strong disabled people who have a chance to stand for something, know what we stand for, and why we stand as we stand.

Deny as they will, they'd like to see me squared away in a convent or asylum (Maybe that's even part of why some don't like Geraldo Rivera). Maybe, as much as to think that they're mad at Geraldo for keeping those like me out of places like Willowbrook hurts, that's it. If I and other disabled people were their stereotypically-controllable, compliant types, they'd like that!

Furthermore, for the ones who are also getting physical therapy, that they don't want their mind working while their bodies are working is not my fault. Besides, part of why Rome lasted longer than the US is lasting is that every forum was one for civic and social engagement--people cared and talked about issues. Granted that they didn't have physical-therapy centers like we do, but they sure had other public-utilized forums--including private businesses--in and at which people would talk with people.

Also, as the old saying goes, the mind gets working (or at least should get working) when the body does. Even further, many people are in physical therapy because they have preventable conditions which they bring on themselves or pre-existing conditions which they exacerbate by not talking. After all, apathy, bottling up of feelings, or whatever else not talking brings about can bring one down. Great-Grandma Czarnecki learned this the hard way, and she finally broke down after 73-93 years (She got married when she was 20 years old, and something at home must have affected her to be attracted to someone as abusive as Great-Granddad ended up being to her.).

Since Great-Grandma Czarnecki broke down and told Aunt Mary, "No, no; it's okay--I want to talk about it!", perhaps my family, "friends", and fellow physical-therapy patients ought to let me talk and start talking themselves--either that, or they can fall down and let whatever else fall right down with them. Besides, they ought to look no further than the once-great-and-now-late Rome and the increasingly-apathetic United States to see how well shutting up, putting on the fake smiles, and leaving everything at the door of the physical-therapy businesses is working.