Last week my dad was punched in the face and given a bloody nose while going for a walk in Cambridge, Mass. He has a Grade IV Glioblastoma and is in the ICU now. We are hoping to take him home on hospice tomorrow so he can have Thanksgiving at home.
He's an amazing man who meditates and knows how to listen thoughtfully. During this last part of his illness, he lost half his visual field. He's on steroids to reduce the inflammation. The side effect of the steroids is that he gets restless. His only solace is going for long walks. But he's a proud man and will not carry a blind person's white cane. I suggested it to him last month, not because I thought he was disabled, but so the general public might be a little more careful around him. He refused.
Last week he was walking as usual, when he got a little disoriented. This happens; it's not just being completely blind on the left side, but difficulty tracking movement. When he sees people or things coming toward him, he stops until they pass him. This time he stopped in front of a black teenager. I think the kid misinterpreted why this frail, thin man stopped in front of him. He reacted by punching my dad in the nose. My dad got his bearings and made his way home covered in blood (I think he was only a block or two away).
I implore you, please think first. If you see someone who is "off", take a moment before reacting. Perhaps they are just trying to get their bearings. Not every disability is immediately recognizable.
