Yes. What? I know you’re not surprised…
Awkward Encounters 101
Dollar Tree Encounter
I was at Dollar Tree (where NOTHING is a dollar anymore…but that a complaint for another post) when a guy started talking to me in the checkout aisle. Turns out, he had a prosthetic, too. Same leg, same amputation (left BKA, for those in the know). I hadn’t noticed because he had on pants, and pants are sneaky like that. He wasn’t awkward at all; in fact, it was one of the easiest conversations I’ve had in a while.
Meanwhile, the two-meat-legged people in the store were doing that thing where they stare just long enough to make it weird. Funny, isn’t it? The other one-legged guy was fine. The ones with matching OEM legs were the ones acting like they’d just spotted a UFO that landed in the craft aisle.
Why do the people with the so-called ‘default settings’ always look the most confused?
Kids versus Adults
And, as I’ve mentioned before (like here), it’s rarely the kids who can’t handle it. Kids see something, maybe point, ask about it (a little too loudly), then they’re on to the next bag of Skittles. Done. Adults? Nope. Most adults: Lose. Their. Minds.
Meat-Leg Dad Meltdown
So the other one-legged guy at Dollar Tree was fine. Chill. Got it. Simpatico.
But if we’re talking about your average two-meat-legged dad in the wild? Completely different story. If two-meat-legged dad’s kids had asked, “Why does she have a prosthetic leg?” you’d probably hear the gears grinding in his head: NOOOO! Change subject! Pretend the leg doesn’t exist!
The man’s got two meat legs, his kids have two meat legs – how EMBARRASSING having to explain “Well, son… sometimes people don’t roll off the human assembly line exactly like you. Shocking, right?” Would it really break you to just say, ‘Some people are different’? Would the sky fall?
Pearls and Pixar
It’s the same energy as folks clutching pearls over Pixar daring to include two moms. “But kids will see it!” Yeah, lady. And they also saw you scream at a Wendy’s drive-thru worker because they forgot your extra ranch. They’ll survive seeing two moms hold hands in a cartoon. Relax. Seriously, what’s the worst that happens if you just… let your kid see the world as it actually is?
The Down: Meat-Leg Meltdowns
The “Down” is this ridiculous adult embarrassment. Like difference is scandalous (oh my!), and if you acknowledge it out loud, suddenly the earth will somehow implode.
Whispering, stammering, quick subject changes because someone DARED to exist in public without matching their idea of “default settings.”
Newsflash: difference isn’t a glitch. It’s not a bug in the system. It is LITERALLY the system. People walk with prosthetics, roll with wheelchairs, have scars, have two moms, two dads, no hair, lots of hair, or yes—even a “full bush summer.” (Don’t look that up at work, BTW. Or do. I’m not your boss.)
And yet, somehow, adults act like difference is contagious. Like if they admit I’ve got a prosthetic leg, suddenly their own “meat legs” will fall off in protest. Please. If your biggest fear is catching amputation like it’s the flu, do you think maybe you need to see someone about that?
The Up: Kids Get It
Here’s the “Up”: kids aren’t the problem. Kids get it faster than anyone. They ask, you answer, they move on. Simple. No drama, no whispering, no pearl-clutching (unless they raided Grandma’s jewelry box for dress-up). Just, “Okay. Cool. Can I have some gummy worms now?” Done.
Representation Matters (Sort of)
The Up is also that we’re (very, very slowly) starting to see difference reflected in movies, tv shows, and ads. Is the reflection mirror perfect? Nope, not by a long shot. But it beats pretending the world is one giant clone army of straight, cis, non-disabled, perfectly coiffed, identical two-meat-legged people. Spoiler alert: it’s not.
And if you’re worried about the kids? Don’t be. The kids are fine. Why is it the adults who need to sit down with a juice box and some quiet time until they can handle reality?
Walk With Me: Stop Being Shocked
So here’s the walk: stop acting surprised. The world is not a Build-A-Bear. You don’t get to choose all of the parts and clothes and accessories so everyone matches your personal preferences. People are different. Families are different. Bodies are different.
And thank goodness! Would you want to live in a world that was one long aisle of identical plastic storage bins? No variety, no color, no stories. Just a beige wall of sameness straight out of The Giver (one of my favorite books! Yay, Lowis Lowry!), where the architects of society traded away difference on everyone’s behalf. No one even knew what they were missing… except the Giver. And Jonas.
Imagine living in grayscale because someone thought your meat legs couldn’t handle color…
So next time you – or your kids – see something different? Don’t whisper. Don’t freak out. Just answer the question. And if you don’t know the answer? Say, “That’s just how some people are.Every body’s different.” Period. Not complicated. And yes, you (or your kids) can also just ask. Politely.
Because difference isn’t weird.
Pretending difference doesn’t exist? Now that’s weird.
So what about you? what’s the funniest or most awkward “difference reaction” you’ve ever witnessed? Drop it in the comments, and I promise I won’t clutch my pearls!
Up Down Walk with Lisa 