Kids Say The Funniest Things

I am an amputee as well as someone living with Multiple Sclerosis. On good days, when my leg remains infection free, I walk with the help of a prosthetic leg and crutch. On bad days, when my leg is bothering me or the MS is, you'll find me getting around either on crutches or in a wheelchair. I know many people who are self conscious about their disabilities but I am definitely NOT one of those people. I choose to not only use it as a learning opportunity for others but I also am a big fan of finding the humor in things.

As a person with disabilities that are visible I often get noticed because it is human nature to notice that which is different. I personally prefer to be noticed by and talk to children and young people than adults. Adults have this notion that they must be politically correct and that somehow it's better to stare and decide my story in their own minds rather than simply ask. Younger people, especially kids, just come right out with whatever questions or comments they have without giving any thought to how it may sound which quite often mortifies their parents but personally, I love it. The following is just a small sampling of the many funny, awesome, interesting, and favorite questions asked or comments made by kids to or about me...

A young boy behind me in line asked a few questions about my leg which I did my best to answer before turning forward again. I heard him sharing the "blanket logic" with his mother a few moments later and at the tail end it dawned on him that he'd JUST been talking to me, the girl with ONE leg so instead of the last word of it being "perfect" this is what I heard..... "Blanket On...too hot! Blanket Off...too cold! One Leg Uncovered...perf...OMG AWKWARDEST AWKWARD EVER!!"

While in the elevator at my sister's condo building I tried not to laugh at the kid who was trying desperately and very sincerely to "find" my leg. He circled me several times, looked in my empty shorts leg, and looked me up and down. As I hopped out of the elevator when it hit my sister's floor he called out, "I don't know how you did it but that is the coolest Halloween costume EVER! You totally win!" 

While at the store one day a little boy walked up to me and said, "My dad says when he takes something of mine away from me it's cuz I have a valuable lesson to learn. You must have had a huge like totally ginormous lesson to learn or they wouldn't have took your leg!"

I also had the awesome opportunity to spend time at the elementary school where my sister teaches talking to various classes about disabilities. I have to give kudos to the classroom teachers who sat at their desks and covered their smiles with their hands and covered their laughter with coughs at some of the things the kids had to say. It was several years ago and yet when I am at the school now or around any of the teachers whose classes I talked to, you'd think I'd been in their rooms just yesterday by the way they laugh at memories of the kids' reactions to me! Here is just a small sampling of some of the things that were said and asked during my time "teaching..."

"Why didn't they just do magic to make it better? Like, you know, doctor magic?" 

"When my grandpa died they burned him up and put him in a box thingy that my uncle has on top of his fireplace. Did they do that to your leg?"

"So you get older but your leg stays 23."

Kid: "OMG! They took your right leg! But that's your kicking leg!" 

Me: "I just have to learn to kick with my left leg." 

Kid: "But everyone knows you kick better with your right leg! That's why it's there!"

"Did they just pop your leg right off? Like kinda how I do with my sister's barbie heads? Like...well like... POP!"

And then there is the very first question I was asked by a child about a week after the amputation of my right leg...

"How come you only got one leg?"

(while I took the question in stride, the kid's mother was absolutely mortified)

Hopefully this post has made you smile if not actually laugh.