Guest guest Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 , Life is not just about looks! Did I ever say I looked like a slob? No!......I said I dress for me ..not others!!! Did I ever say I didn't care about my appearance No!.. Guess what, I feel very good on the inside! I don't have to please others to feel good,,,so I think I'm a head of the game.....for me! If someone does treat me different because of my clothes, my disability, or the way I look because, I don't hide my medical devices,get lost! Again they are nothing ,to me and not worth my time.They are not a friend they are a disrespectful snop...and it is their prob not mine!. If there are others on here that have to hide their disability to look good than that is up to you! That is you choice! What are you going to do when you can no longer hide it....because most of the time CMT is progressive and one has to dress accordingly. Some of us here have CMT worse then others and shouldn't have to live to please others! But are blessed just to make it through each day.do you think I'm going to worry how people will perceive me.no way!!! Would love to be with Tim Gunn in person..just because he said so does it make it a reality? It is a non disabled person talking. Needs to walk in our shoes.....whoops! I can't wrst shoes, I wesr slippers,( I have too). In the store... as I'm driving my purple wheel chair " gasp " ! How gaudy! What ever would Tim the fashion guru do with me! LOL Geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Speaking for myself, I have always had " chicken legs " , so showing them off has never even been a consideration. The very first time I wore my braces with a skirt I felt self-conscious, but can honestly say I haven't since then. I'm not ashamed of or embarassed by my braces. In fact, I look forward to warm weather when I can wear them with shorts. CMT is the most common neuromuscular disease, yet you are fortunate to find just one person who has ever heard of it. I actually welcome the opportunity to educate people about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Good for you , I used to wear my braces with shorts too. Haven't been able to wear them for a long time, need shoes...and I'm in the midst's of healing a sore on my ankle too. I also have chicken legs, and I do what I have to do for me as dressing for comfort. Hard to be a fashion bug! Do the best I can to please myself. Blessings Geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Geri,  I think it’s great that you “dress for yourself†and don’t care what others think.  Actually, I do the same most of the time myself, now that I’m not able to work anymore. I dress for comfort, as you do. For example, frequently I wear Crocs, which many think are very unfashionable. In fact, there are some blogs that even say that Crocs should be banned due to being so unsightly, but they are comfortable for me so I wear them. I’ve even worn them to nice restaurants, since wearing dress shoes causes me significant pain later. I clomp in with my black Crocs and it doesn't bother me, because I’m comfortable with myself, my husband doesn’t mind, and I’m grateful to just be walking. I see people looking at my shoes and I truly don't care at all. I'm doing what's best for me.  So I get what you are saying!  However, I also remember many situations in my life where it wasn’t appropriate for me to simply “dress for myselfâ€. At certain times, I had to give consideration to what others thought.  The business environment is one such place. I had to represent myself and my company in a specific way. To bring home a paycheck I had to make sacrifices like wearing clothes and shoes that weren't as comfortable as weekend wear. At night, I was glad to get home, shed the suit, and get into something more comfortable, but each morning when I got dressed, I was definitely take into consideration who I was going to see and where I was going to be that day. This took priority over what was most comfortable. In the business environment, if a person doesn’t care about what clients or coworkers think, that’s a real problem. It’s considered disrespectful and could be grounds for termination.  The reality is that now that I no longer work or go to school, it’s much easier to “not care†what others think. I also find that the greater my level of pain, the less I care. Other things begin to take greater priority.  But, I also know that we are all in different places in our lives and we all come from different backgrounds. Even though I rarely need to give consideration to what others think about me anymore, I know that others are in situations that are different than mine and it may matter more to them in their space and time.  What bothers me is when people judge each other and assume that their experience is everyone’s experience, i.e. because they were in an unhealthy place at the time in their life when they worried about what people thought, therefore others must be equally unhealthy emotionally when they show concern for what others think. This is a false assumption.  I would like to see people be able to post freely here about their feelings and concerns about their appearance, without judgment or berating from others.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to fit in and be accepted by peers or wanting to look less disabled.  We do, after all, live in a society where the way we present ourselves can make a difference in how we are treated by others as well as the level of success we are able to achieve.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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