More Button Experiances

I'm starting to feel like Eva, although I don't have a camera hidden on my chair :-)

It's a weird feeling to realize that someone is staring at you without actually staring at you. I'll get used to it one of these days. Yesterday in the elevator at the mall I noticed a group of adults with intellectual disabilities being herded around (link to Ashley's Mom, and oddly enough in my case as well the caretakers were african american women). We all squished into the elevator to go down from the 3rd to 2nd floor. All of a sudden I noticed a caretaker that was next to me staring at my lap. OH! MY BUTTONS! I realized. I moved my arm so she could get a better look. Logically that's what I do now when someone's staring at my lap. I move my left arm out of the way and/or readjust my purse so that the person can get a better look. This person didn't ask any questions or make any remarks. We got out of the elevator and I went on my way.

I rearranged my flair after I got a new button at the Action Annapolis meeting Tuesday. It's yellow and black and says "HUMAN RIGHTS in MENTAL HEALTH." This evening I was fumbling with my purse looking for my debit card so I could pay for my groceries and the cashier says "I like that button; human rights in mental health."

So I told her about the rally and we briefly spoke about the budget cuts. Then I had to sign my receipt and she says ever so randomly "You know they used to beat people who were left handed." [fun fact for the day, 90-something percent of all people with CP are left handed] I replied that they used to tie that hand behind your back, and then asked her if she was a psych major. Who else would be that engaged? "That," she said "and I have both personal and professional experience." I don't remember if I said anything but I gave her an 'I hear ya sista' nod. As she was handing me my bags she said "It's so expensive, and I even have insurance." That of course got another nod from me as well as a "yeah..." in an 'I hear ya sista' tone. As I rolled away I told her the date and time of the rally, but really, how many people are getting up that early to schlep to Annapolis? She told me to tell her how it goes, and hopefully our paths will cross again so that I can. I don't know her shifts. But if we do, I think I'll invite her to On Our Own.

It's nice to really connect with people, and who knew all you needed was a button (or 6)? A guy even stopped me in the lobby on the way back up here...