Have you ever caught yourself staring at someone because you were curious about them and/or their situation? What did you do after they caught your attention? Did you introduce yourself and start a conversation? Or, did you just continue to stare?
One might say that I tend to stand out in the crowd because of my visible tattoos and the fact that I drive a rather large pink power wheelchair. I have gotten used to people taking second glances as I roll past them. It’s a natural human reaction to stare at something or someone who peaks your curiosity. I’ll admit that there are times when I catch myself staring at someone that catches my attention. Once I realize it, I might briefly smile, and keep on going or I will take the time to stop and introduce myself and talk with them.
From my perspective, staring only leads to wondering. The person staring wonders about the circumstances of the person that caught their attention. While the person being stared at is probably wondering why that person keeps looking at them.
“Are they staring at my wheelchair?”
“Do they like what they see?”
“Maybe they recognize me from somewhere.”
“They must like my tattoos.”
“Hell, they’re staring so hard, they must be jealous.”
Children’s curiosity is always intriguing to me. It always makes me smile to see a cute little face looking my way. I usually go out of my way to say hi and show them all the cool things my chair can do. Showing kids my wheelchair usually gets the kids interested and they start asking questions. I then get to educate future generations on how a person with a disability is just like they are. We just might do certain things a little differently.
The next time you are out and about, and you catch yourself staring at someone that catches your attention, I challenge you to go up and introduce yourself! You never know what could happen.
Thanks to Whitney Bailey for this original submission on her experience with and advice on staring. Whitney is a motivational speaker/blogger who was born with cerebral palsy. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services and a master’s degree in special education. Utilizing her education and personal experiences, she advocates for people with disabilities, and shares her stories to motivate others to live life to the best of their capabilities.