Alike to any other family occasion,
Some unknown relative is having a wedding.
Always not knowing a soul,
But everybody knowing my name,
And everybody thinking that they know my story.
Receptions are always the same:
The adults getting drunk,
The other teenagers sneaking drinks and dancing,
There is always laughter and joy,
And there is always the same words that are said at any other occasion.
But this reception was different.
I wasn't the only teen sitting alone at a table,
Holding onto a soda that is fizzing in a cup.
There was a handsome boy who was sitting alone,
At a table, that is all his own.
I approached him, not worried or intimidated;
He had a quality that allowed me to go right up to him.
I asked if I could sit, and he gave a gentle gesture.
I take the seat and we have small talk for a while.
It turns out that we aren't related at all.
I look at all of the smiling faces out on the dance floor.
"Why aren't you out there?" I ask him.
"I cannot," he replies.
I stand up and invite him to dance with me.
"It will be fun," I say, holding my hand out as an invite.
His answer shocked me because his first answer was no lie.
"I cannot,"
The words come simply out of his mouth.
He then points to a wheelchair that has been next to the table.
I had no idea what was coming next.
"If I could dance with you, I would. I would've asked a long time ago.
A car accident took away my legs two years ago, leaving me like this.
Most people know I am paraplegic, so they back away like I am alien.
You talked to me, and allowed me to have a great time tonight."
He kissed my hand, and I was moved by his words.
The words got me to thinking:
Would I have talked to him if he was sitting in a wheelchair?
Would I have thought he was attractive if I know that he had no use of his legs?
He showed me that it is on the inside that is what matters.
If things can get taken away, it is only something that we take for granted.
You never know a person until you get to talking to them.
You may think that they are weird because they have a different look or appearance,
But sometimes they turn out to be the greatest and sweetest people in the world.
If you talk to somebody you normally wouldn't, it could change your perspective on everything.
Just one conversation could change your life.
