I Am That Label

Ignorance is bliss
Or so the saying goes
But ignorance
Is a lack of knowledge
A narrow perspective

I had this blindness
About disability
Not knowing I was disabled myself
It was invisible to me
As it was to others

When my diagnosis came to light
I was already middle aged
My perspective had new eyes
It was a shameful experience
To be confronted by my own ignorance

I followed the crowd
Laughed at inappropriate jokes
Looked at the stereotypes
Believed the label
Presented to the world

Now I am that label
That invisible minority
The but of jokes
This blind man can see
How ignorance is still a learning curve

It’s human nature
A culture nurtured out of misinformation
The stigma of being a burden
Non conformance of genetics
A turd floating on the pool of life