ThE rOaD nOt TaKeN.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Woke up yesterday with a bad cramp in my neck which resulted in me not being able to turn my head to the left. It hurt so bad that I had to keep my head permanently slanted to the right. It wasn't bad enought to make me cry, but I was definitely feeling uncomfortable, like my neck was being drilled by a jackhammer.
I had to get some analgesic cream from my sister to ease the pain and apply it to my neck. I must have applied it a little too liberally and it started to feel very hot(due to the active ingredients in the cream). Unfortunately, those ingredients also give off an unpleasant smell. I started wondering why these cream manufacturers don't cooperate with the perfume manufacturers to come up with something effective and yet doesn't stink up the room.
Don't get me wrong, I can deal with the smell. However, when I boarded the bus to go home, I couldn't help but notice that the old lady seated behind me was facing ever so slightly away from my direction. The real insult occured when another lady boarded the bus and sat next to me. Less than 5 minutes later, she stood up and changed her seat. Talk about becoming the pariah of society!
It was then that I started to understand how some of us treat the disabled or the old or the sick in society. We shun them, avoid them as if they are infectious and treat them like 2nd class citizens. To me, it was a bad feeling. We all want to be accepted and this kind of discrimination is not something we want in a progressive society. So the next time, you feel like avoiding the old lady sitting next to you because she smells funny, or the man who seems unable to stop shaking his head, think a bit about how you would feel in his or her shoes.
And stop being unfair.
Thanks!
Labels: outcast
