I've been sick for 11 years and in that time I've experienced some truly mind-boggling reactions from mostly well-meaning people.
A few weekends ago I experienced maybe one of the more awkward reactions. A girl my sister had just met came out with our family for a night and was very curious about my illness. Me being the sharer I am was happy to answer any of her questions. Mostly they were pretty basic and not too odd, though she didn't seem to be truly digesting the idea of it, like it was some eccentric coat I put on for fun and took off when I got bored. She kept literally waving my answers away like pfft that fly is buggin me. But then she became obsessed with how I have sex. And I mean I don't have a problem clarifying the issues that might arise for people with FM but it was a tad strange and maybe a little comical.
I thought very little of it at first, but at some point she decided I was just the saddest most pathetic excuse for a girly she'd ever met and she just needed to intervene on my behalf. We (my family) were going out to dinner later and she invited a guy out to meet me (I did not encourage this at all!) and when he showed up she proceeded to try and sit him right next to me, only I have a severe chemical sensitivity and this guy all but showered in Cologne. She was even aware of my sensitivity, though it must have been one of the gnats buzzing up her nose... So now I've not asked to meet said guy, have no interest in meeting said guy, and look like a complete jerk because I get up from my seat and move to the end of the table without a single exchange. Awkward.
But that is not the end of the story, oh no, there is more!
From there we go to a bar to hang out a little and listen to some music. This is already way above my normal activity level but I'm feeling good, I'm with my family (my dad, sister, cousin, and bestie) and I'm enjoying myself. At some point the girls coax me out to the dance floor and we're having a great time, I've missed dancing so much! and this is when it gets super strange, first she berates me a bit for not reciprocating, to which I'm like; hey, I didn't ask for that and please stop I'm just fine thank you... so her response is to walk guys over to me and put their hands in my hands or on me (my bestie responds by actually bitch-slapping random guy, poor guy) and I'm responding with; what the gory hell is wrong with you? But the weirdest part of that is what was she expecting? Was I supposed to be like; oh hey fam, I know we only get to see each other for a few days, but um I need me some of that strange so... Peace!
uh...
I guess she thought I was just some sad little sex-deprived she-bot who desperately needed a man, any man really... I mean a woman alone! Say it isn't so! Poor girl, bless her heart!
Who knows she may have done that no matter what, but holy wow! It's probably a good thing I was feeling so good because had I been low-e and irritated in the first place I might have socked her in the ovaries. Just kidding, it would have been the neck. Hah. Good times.
People are so strange.