Blog > Thoughts > Other's Thoughts > Tom's Thoughts > Meeting with Friend Two
Meeting with Friend Two
Written by Tom on Thursday, July 16, 2009
Here, again, the contact was swiftly established thanks to Friend One’s introduction and it wasn’t long before Friend Two and I talked on the phone. And Friend Two also lives within reach. Funny how things just happen, at times, in life.
This time, I was to do the travelling. I’d meet him where he lives, in a big city where I don’t have that many acquaintances, which means …. Which means I would be able to present with my deformed, useless, gloved left hand. Big thrill. A whole day out, complete with lunch at a local diner.
It was a bright Sunday in April, spring was bursting out with mild air, scents and carnations. A perfect setting. I drove to the city in the morning and stopped at my usual “transformation spot” alongside the road, in the fields. This is where I turn into Tom-the-guy-with-a-funny-hand. I attach the knob to the steering wheel, I bandage and glove my hand, and I suddenly feel the weight on my chest lift up a little. On that day, it was a very special occasion. For the first time ever I was going to meet up with someone who knew the most secret thing about me and to whom I would appear as who I am (this had not been the case with Friend One, since I met him in my home town where I couldn’t present). No lies. No secrets. Just plain being.
Friend Two and I spent the day going places, enjoying the mild weather and talking a great deal. He isn’t much into wheeling, rather into casting. Interestingly, he likes casting different limbs in turn, and sometimes for rather long periods of time. He showed me a number of his casts at his place, as well as his collection of braces and orthopaedic appliances, including a few vintage items dating back to mid twentieth century. The room was filled with this paraphernalia, that was amazing. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Now, meeting those guys was very interesting in the sense that they don’t regard themselves as transabled or BIID victims. Rather, they see their uncommon attraction to casts, wheelchairs and the like as a kind of hobby which they enjoy as often as possible and which they like to share with other like minded people. They actually seem to have a fairly large sized group of friends in France and other European countries with whom they meet to practice their favourite hobby. This is a different view, and a much lighter state of mind than mine and than that of a number of us on this blog. And it felt good to relax and try to take it easy with those friends – no big deal, no big drama, and the freedom to talk about it all.
Tags: BIID
This entry appears in Tom's Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Post your comments
© transabled.org - 1994-2012 - All Rights Reserved.