I have Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that attacks my nervous system, which makes walking difficult, causes extreme fatigue, and affects my balance, so I almost always feel like I’m at sea.
But, believe it or not, having MS has some advantages.
Like the preferred parking my handicap placard provides, the buzz I get from the massive dose of Benadryl that accompanies my twice-a-year Ocrevus infusions, and the time I lied to my boss when I called in sick telling her that “my legs didn’t work.” (My legs were working pretty well that day.)
And I never miss an opportunity to “play the MS card” so I can get a nice dose of pity, especially when I use my cane!
One day, I was clip-clopping along through the airport, using my cane to its full potential, allowing me to hop to the front of every line (Thanks, MS!) when a young woman who was about to go into the metal detector before me, turned to the TSA agent and said, “It’s going to go off because I have an artificial leg.”
The TSA agent and I quickly looked down at the young woman’s legs. She was wearing a skirt that went down just below her knee, so bother her legs were visible, but neither of us could tell which of her legs were fake!
Trying to salvage at least a shred of pity from the situation, I jokingly said in an old man-type voice, “Oh! You’re just trying to one-up my cane!”
Then the TSA agent joins in by saying, “I’ve got a glass eye!” as he points to his right eye (or where his right eye used to be) and moves closer so the young woman and I can get a better look.
Then all three of us shrugged our shoulders, nodded and smiled, and went about our days.
As I walked through the metal detector, I thought, “Welp. Everybody’s got something.” And we all do.
So the best we can do as we all trip and stumble through life is to be kind to each other and help each other out when we can.
Because we all have something going on in our lives that nobody knows anything about, and we’re all doing our best at all times.
I love you, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
