Four days in a chair part 1 day 4

Well today was the last day. Today I tried to keep it as real as possible. I did full transfers in the bathroom (they're a pain in the ass), etc. I got used to it. Instead of almost standing up and walking some where I would automatically just roll there.

I ended the day at 4:30 in the afternoon. Stepping out of the chair I couldn't help but be relieved. Then I though about everyone I know and everyone I don't know who will never step out of the chair. For them it is not just an experiment, it's their life.

Spending time in the Chair taught me a lot. I always thought I was pretty sympathetic. I always considered myself able to relate with others people's lives.

I was wrong.

I can't help but feel bad. Almost like a traitor. For a while I was part of a new culture. A culture of Chair dwellers. They live in and interact with the world of the walking. While they are accommodated they are still different. While their lives are just as full and happy (or empty and sad) as non-disabled people they are different. There is no escaping that difference. No hiding it. I joined that culture, albeit briefly, and then I left.

But I won't forget.