Picture courtesy of Harshada Rajani
I checked out my wheelchair tucked away within the trunk and took a deep breath as my pal Sethu pulled his SUV out of the driveway. We exchanged wide-eyed smiles, nonetheless in disbelief that this journey was truly taking place. We had been heading to Atlanta for a extremely anticipated, whirlwind women weekend. It will be me the primary A journey by fifteen years with out my mother and father. It began when my brother and sister-in-law someway snagged, for my thirty eighth birthday, essentially the most coveted merchandise of the last decade: ground seats to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Atlanta. And it turned out to be an empowering, disability-friendly women journey made seamless by Atlanta’s accessibility and springtime vibe.
I first heard Swift in 2009 in a chilly and lifeless hospital room. I’m 23 years outdated, a medical scholar, and have simply had a stroke. Straight away, I went from an lively younger future physician to a lifelong, dependent affected person. I used to be destroyed in tears and despair, however my household and pals refused to cease filling my life with love, laughter and music. One night, Setu and a few girlfriends performed me their new favourite track: “Love Story.” The catchy tunes emanating from the hospital’s historical stereo are warming us all up a bit. Now, fifteen years later, I’ve the chance to see Taylor Swift carry out “Love Story” reside just some hours away from my house in Charlotte.
However I am torn. Since my stroke, I’ve by no means traveled anyplace with out my mother and father as a result of I wanted assist preparing and shifting from my wheelchair. I used to be used to dwelling this unusual, grown-up life, which might be unrecognizable within the lives of my friends. Both my mother and father introduced me to occasions and events or I averted them altogether. There’s nothing my mother and father would not do for my happiness, however I felt egocentric dragging them to Atlanta. And I undoubtedly don’t keep away from this. I want I might be regular and simply hang around with my pals.
My pals had all the time provided to assist me previously, however I may by no means permit myself to cross that line with them: it might take them from a pal to a caregiver, irrevocably. They may give me one thing I can by no means repay. All I can provide them is my firm—a sympathetic ear, a welcoming shoulder, and a hearty smile. Simply me. However I’ve to take rather a lot from them. I felt that every one the bags that got here with my companionship was not price it, so I spared my pals my burden. It could scare them, would not it? Nonetheless, I assumed: Would not this live performance be infinitely extra enjoyable with my women?
In the future, Setu talked about that he may drive to Atlanta the weekend I used to be going so we may have a mini-reunion with our different pals who reside there. Earlier than I knew what I used to be doing, I heard myself ask in a small voice, “How come I am coming with you?” It was barely above a whisper. However a smile broke out on his face, and he exclaimed, “We have been ready ten years so that you can ask!”
Picture courtesy of Harshada Rajani
After a number of weeks of butterflies randomly fluttering in my abdomen—and my mother and father’—the bridge and I hit the street for Atlanta. We stayed in midtown, near all of the eating places and sizzling spots we deliberate to hit. We met up with our different girlfriends and spent the afternoon in our accessible resort suite on the Midtown Marriott Suites, sipping margaritas and attempting on one another’s garments. Like again within the day.
They’d no downside caring for me, and surprisingly, I had no downside caring for them. They had been already discussing the place we’d fly to for our subsequent journey. I could not consider how a lot time I had wasted, refusing to allow them to in. Whether or not they had been chopping my meals, giving me my toothbrush or serving to me to the automobile, every little thing felt pure and pure. It felt like love. To commemorate the brand new chapter in our story, we went to Southern Star Tattoo and bought matching tattoos which have all the time been our joint targets.
Every part in Atlanta felt seamless: an enormous rarity in navigating a wheelchair in an unfamiliar metropolis. I haven’t got to fret about lacking curb cut-outs, ramps or accessible bogs. Midtown Atlanta has spent tens of millions on growth and renovations over the previous 25 years, and by regulation, all of those updates adjust to the accessibility requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990. Lots of the cities I’ve visited are outdated and have inconsistent accessibility—obstacles that usually discourage me and different disabled individuals from getting out of our properties and into the group. Atlanta’s funding in accessibility has made it attainable for me to not solely get out into the town, however to really reside my life to the fullest.
We had pre-show drinks and an early dinner at Bulla. Then, carrying numerous glitter, sequins and Swift’s signature crimson lipstick, we joined the ocean of crammed and screaming followers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We beloved each second of it, however sharing the nostalgic, wistful look with my pals when Swift sang our hospital track “Love Story” was the attractive, full-circle second I nearly missed.
Picture courtesy of Harshada Rajani
Picture courtesy of Harshada Rajani
Then, we hit Taco Bell late at night time, became our pajamas and sat right down to gossip and eat. I have not completed such a easy, regular factor in fifteen years. Late night time gossip periods with the women and junk meals—I wished nothing extra.
With my face nonetheless frozen in a smile, I seemed across the room at my pals. Within the track “Peace” Taylor Swift sings, “Will or not it’s sufficient / If I can not provide you with peace?He wonders if he’s sufficient for the person in his life. I let my pals in, they let me assist, they usually weren’t going anyplace. My firm, my presence was well worth the effort. i’m The trouble was price it. I had had sufficient.
Harshada Rajani A former medical student-turned-freelance author, nonprofit co-founder, and incapacity advocate based mostly in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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