Hello, reader. How are you doing? Abled people need to step up. I made some memes about it.
A friend is having a MRSA and needs help. He lives in beloved queer community in a rural area about two hours from here.
MRSA (if you’re lucky enough not to know) is a contagious staph infection that’s resistant to antibiotics. They can be hard to heal, and sometimes lead to big problems including sepsis and death.
Our friend with MRSA is not doing laundry or dishes, and avoiding common spaces, in order to avoid spreading the germs to his landmates. Sounds like a bad scene, as the dirty stuff piles up. The landmates are mostly immunocompromised.
abled people need to step up
“Should we go wear gloves and a mask and do his laundry and wash his dishes?” Ming asked me.
The question was an obvious one: We care, and we have a fierce commitment to community and community health. Ming is a street medic and former nurse. I love radical mental health and radical physical health. There’s so much we can do for each other.
“Well, you’re immunocompromised also,” I said. Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder. I’m sorry Ming’s body is attacking itself, possibly attacking the part that controls sleep. “Isn’t there some abled people who can do it?”
“Eh, he says the others there are immunocompromised,” Ming said.
“Abled people need to step up,” I said. “What the fuck.”
energy
I felt some energy to that sentence and sentiment, which is why I decided to make the memes.
Then I was telling all this to my chosen family member. We were walking on campus, and I mentioned that abled people need to step up.
Then I had a strong feeling in my body. The feeling was overwhelming like I would pass out. Do you ever feel that way, from a strong feeling or idea? Like it’s going to lay you down on the ground.
The strong feeling was something like: Of course disabled people are often the ones caring for other disabled people. We’re the only ones who care.
Wow, that sounds pretty rude. And it’s true that internalized ableism is all over the place. But often disabled people share access intimacy. Often only disabled people understand that disabled people have worth. So we’re the ones keeping each other alive, at the hardest times, even though we need help staying alive ourselves.
side reasons
Not to mention the side reasons: Abled people are busy, often working full time, caring for kids or elders, going to school, or otherwise doing much activities available to abled people. They’re already booked, doing the things, since they can do whatever they want, within the parameters of their other demographics.
Of course disability is a spectrum. Some people can help more than others. Ming and I live below the poverty line, but we have love and many blessings others only dream of. We have big hearts and even bigger vision for a better world. We’re blessed with cuteness also, and brilliant friends.
questions for discussion
How much do you love community, on a scale of 1 to 10?
What’s the most difficult or demanding thing you ever did for community?
Are you afraid of catching MRSA?
How disabled are you?
What parts of love are easy for you?
What parts are difficult?
How much is your well-being and safety tied in with the well-being and safety of others?
Is supporting community part of your identity?
Who would you be if you were deeper in community?
Who would you be if you were removed from community?
Do you feel the capacity to help others?
Do disabled people matter to you?
2 replies on “abled people need to step up”
Abled people need to step up, so disabled people can step back.
I love you !
I love you too, pumps. thank you for caring what I write.