Using a walker was never something I imagined myself doing at age 22. But living with Mitochondrial myopathy and ataxia, the need for it became a reality. My dad named my walker "Johnnie Walker" and thought it was genius. I tried to embrace the mobility aid, but the truth is, it's a huge adjustment. People of all ages stare because it's obviously highly unusual to see a young person using a walker. They most likely have no malicious intentions and are just genuinely curious, which you can't blame them for, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. This was my second time using my walker, and to say I was feeling awkward is an understatement. I clumsily tried to get by people who were accidentally not giving me enough space to get by. Don't get me wrong, people are generally very kind to me when I'm using my walker. But people can also be very judgmental and uncaring. It's not their problem that I'm struggling to get by and they'd rather just pretend that I'm invisible to them.
So on this day at the pet store that I felt out of place, when a little boy no more than seven years old went out of his way to hold the door open for me, I was taken aback in the best way possible. Knowing that this pure hearted kid who hasn't even experienced much life yet could be so much more considerate and kind than people five times his age brought me a tear to my eye. So though you'll likely never see this, thank you, kind boy, for reminding me to have a little faith in humanity that day. People can be cold, but people can also surprise you in the best ways. Your small gesture touched me more than you'll ever know.
So on this day at the pet store that I felt out of place, when a little boy no more than seven years old went out of his way to hold the door open for me, I was taken aback in the best way possible. Knowing that this pure hearted kid who hasn't even experienced much life yet could be so much more considerate and kind than people five times his age brought me a tear to my eye. So though you'll likely never see this, thank you, kind boy, for reminding me to have a little faith in humanity that day. People can be cold, but people can also surprise you in the best ways. Your small gesture touched me more than you'll ever know.