I'm a cynic and a smartass. I can be cruel and heartless in some of the things I say and do, and especially think to myself. That eased off about six years ago.

Many was the time I'd go to Wal Mart or a grocery store and I'd see a someone who appeared to be completely normal using one of those electric shopping carts. My immediate thought was, "Fat lazy fucker. Too lazy too walk." Well, over the course of my fiftieth year on earth, I began to experience some intense and inexplicable pain throughout my body. I had trouble standing for long periods of time, steps were becoming very difficult to ascend and descend and my hands hurt more and more. Eventually the pain in my legs got bad enough that I went to a doctor. Naturally a series of tests ensued and after a few weeks it was determined that I suffered from psoriatic arthritis. It wasn't bad enough to just have the ugly skin patches...no...now I had to deal with this disease attacking my joints from the inside.

I won't go into a lot of detail, but the arthritis is caused by psoriasis, the famous skin disease of "heartbreak of psoriasis" fame. I had no idea that it causes arthritis too. But it does, and it's painful. Very quickly I changed my tune at stores when I saw people using those carts. I've used one only once in the six years since my diagnosis. I try not to use them because I can lean on the cart for support. However, I've been grocery shopping and finished in a sweat because it took so much effort for me to move.


So I guess my point is that one shouldn't be so quick to make fun. You have no idea what a person is going through. To look at me, you'd never know that I was in pain. You don't know how much effort it takes just to get out of a car. Or to walk up stairs. You'd never know that I can never get comfortable lying in bed because I move my legs so much trying to find a comfortable position.

Take it easy folks. There are a lot of folks out there who suffer in silence. Try saying a prayer for them instead of thinking how lazy they are.