The Lighter Side of: Uncomfortable Situations

Experiencing pain and suffering - either first-hand or through a family member or friend - is always a really tough situation.
Watching a grandparent struggle with mobility and require a wheelchair, watching a friend suffer with inflammation or autoimmune disorders, or watching a parent begin to lose their precious memories, these are all situations we would rather not find ourselves.
They are difficult.
They are disheartening.
They are uncomfortable.

They are also wonderful opportunities to teach young ones about what happens when our bodies fail us, for whatever reason.

People are almost always too uncomfortable to really discuss the realities of our failing bodies. Talking about what happens to people that result in them needing walking aids or special equipment is not something that is done on a regular basis - we like to be blissfully unaware, on purpose, because we do not like to entertain the possibility of it happening to us. We like to keep these difficult concepts at arms-length, away from our own realities, until we absolutely need to face them.

But what happens when we do have these discussions earlier on?

The Lighter Side of uncomfortable situations is how much we can learn from facing them or simply discussing these situations. Maybe if we talked about what it means to use a wheelchair, a walker, or a cane, younger people would be less confused about what kind of people might require them. Maybe if we talk about accessibility with our young ones, they may grow up to make changes that help the world be more accessible to people who do have mobility issues.
Maybe if we discuss all of the different aspects of what special tools and strategies people need to overcome their own limitations, we could have a more inclusive world. Places that are better equipped for those who may have memory issues, attention issues, who suffer from seizures that can worsen with flashing lights, special tools in movie theaters for the blind or the deaf, a way for everyone to experience our wonderful world.
When we are forced to handle uncomfortable conversations head-on, we begin to think about these things - things that we grow up trying to avoid. That is how groups of people or even entire generations of people become forgotten. If we never talk about these types of problems, how are we ever going to understand what they mean?
Maybe it's time to begin having these conversations... like any normal conversation.