The dreaded question. I hate answering it in general and I really hate answering it on a first date. Nothing. I live off of your tax-payer dollars! I eat beef jerky paid for with food stamps! I’m not healthy enough to work, but I can still be social and have a good time! No, I’m not working the system. I’m really sick. It’s an invisible disease. I have good days and I have bad days. I have lots of good days! And I’m really fun in spite of my shitty health! Blah blah blah.
I’m not a loser. Really, I’m not. It just looks that way. Really.
I’ve debated signing up for the dating sites that are specifically for disabled individuals. But I don’t like to be defined by my illness. Who the hell does? I’m trying my best not to make my health problems and more of an issue than they already are. Somehow, I think a profile on a disabled dating site would represent me as exactly what I’m trying not to appear to be, which is disabled. I’d rather be considered someone that isn’t able to do as much as others, that’s all.
The advice others have on the message boards is to be honest. I don’t like that option, but I don’t like people thinking I’m lazy and flaky, either. I guess there’s nothing else to do but to just fess up about it all…eventually. There’s a time and place for advocacy. The first time you meet someone isn’t one of them. I guess I know what I need to say when someone asks what I do with my time. I do everything I possibly can.
*This post was originally published elsewhere on September 14, 2009.
