Some Privacy Needed

          I was grocery shopping yesterday at a local grocery store. I was checking out my items at a self check out and a man approaches me. He looks down at Duchess and comments on her patches that say Do Not Pet. He comes over in a very stern voice and says to me what does the dog do. I said she is a medical alert dog and her replies for what medical condition. When I'm not really in the mood to discuss what Duchess does for me most of the time I reply that she helps alert me to low or high blood sugars. He then has a puzzled look on his face. He then asks why would you need a dog for that. I am getting rather annoyed at this point because his tone during the conversation has been very intrusive and I am not in the most social mood. I had two bad lows that morning and was trying to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible. I reply back that I can no longer sense when I am low or high and he responds I'm a type 2 diabetic for several years and have never heard of there being dogs for that. I told him that the diabetic alert dogs have been around for several years but have recently become a more popular option. He then says thank you and walks away.

                                 

            I love to educate but it really depends on how people approach me. If I feel like they are being judgmental I will end the conversation quickly with an excuse or that I'm running late. I sometimes feel like they are requesting way too much personal information. I don't go around asking people why the limp or why they use canes but why do people think that because I have a service animal I automatically need to share with them my whole medical history. I have found that when people approach me with a judgement responses it usually results in them insulting me in some way. I have been told I stole my dog from a child who would need it more than I would. It's funny if a kid needs as dog it's okay but not for me apparently. I find those interactions are hard for me to take.

                             

            I recently helped a student out at the University of Texas with a project. It was a month in photographs. She followed me around for a month from lunches, happy hours, work, exercise and other activities which was much harder than I thought it would be. I found that It made me some what uncomfortable on one hand but on another I wanted people to see how I live a normal life just like everyone else does. I am realizing I am comfortable with sharing some aspects of my life depending on how it is asked for and what purpose it is serving. The longer I have had Duchess the more sensitive I am to the inquiries by the general public because you never know in some ways how it is going to affect you or your future in some aspects. I know Kerri Sparling does not reveal her daughter's real name and I am now really realizing why in some ways it can be good to not disclose everything but what is just necessary. I try to be open but when you get insulting responses it makes disclosure much more difficult.