My badges of honour are quite heavy

Mel Kennedy

Some disabled people treat their problems almost as if they are badges of honour.

Long term "covid" lockdowners who obey SPI-B's manipulation to the last letter are very much from the same ilk. Some peoples sense of importance rises when they have health/psych issues.

- Twitter user

2nd February 2021

It’s often I can’t decide between whether Twitter is a cesspool of negativity and the worst of humanity or just a platform where people share their unfiltered 250-word thoughts that really shouldn’t be shared.

My badges of honour are quite heavy - one could almost say they weigh me down daily with pain and fatigue. Sometimes, these badges are so heavy, so painful, I can’t walk.

But don’t be jealous! You might end up with a badge of honour too - life has a funny way of coming back to us. Of course, that might be my sense of importance talking, you know, the one which makes me fight for the basic right to access society and struggle whilst also trying to make sure my parent is happy and healthy, or that sense of importance which knows that society sees me as a burden, and I have to try and keep my head above water.

These ‘long term covid lockdowners’ are trying to keep safe - they are following the advice to keep YOU and others safe. I’m glad to see the efforts and lives are so appreciated.

Our ‘ilk’ are the people who have been ignored in policy making, who’ve had their right to resuscitation signed away, who can’t access society as you can because of many barriers, but mostly ignorance.

I wear my ‘problems’ as a badge of honour because I know how hard it is to wake up in this body, to live in this body, to keep going when I see ignorance. I wish you can spend a day, a week, in our positions. Maybe then you’d appreciate what you have and why we wear these badges with pride.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go polish my collection. They’re looking a bit worn down by society.