This is my 15 minutes of fame. If you check sites such as the People of Walmart or Reddit you will most likely find this photo.
The worst thing about this photo is that people think a fat woman tipped over a cart because she was too lazy to get out of the cart to get the case of soda.
I have a condition in my spine called spondylolisthesis. In spondylolisthesis, one of the bones in your spine — called a vertebra — slips forward and out of place. This may occur anywhere along the spine, but is most common in the lower back (lumbar spine). In some people, this causes no symptoms at all. Others may have back and leg pain that ranges from mild to severe. The most common symptoms in the legs include a feeling of vague weakness associated with prolonged standing or walking. In my case, the longer I stand the more numb and weak my leg become. I have been known to fall because of this condition.
I am also very obese which does not help the situation in my back. I have learned that due to my mental illness – I have used eating as a way to cope. I fight my weight daily and have recently joined a gym. But my weight is still a battle.
So this happened several years ago (around 2011- 2012). I was at a very low point in my mental health. I also was experiencing a lot of pain and weakness that day. I took a cart because I was grocery shopping for my family. I went to get a case of soda for my husband (He drinks this stuff by the gallons) and I turn and tried to grab a case off the shelf and the cart tipped. I thought I saw a flash of light and heard some young girls giggling. I thought nothing of it cause I am used to hearing people make fun of me or saying snide remarks. It was nothing new.
Top Comments
I feel for you. I've NEVER seen this image as amusing, have never laughed at it. Have felt horrified for you. As a morbidly obese person myself who requires a mobility scooter to get around due to having bi-lateral lymphoedema, it terrifies me at the thought of tipping a scooter. I knew there had to be a story behind this, and I remember thinking at the time I wish I knew what that story was. Thank you for clarifying the situation. Having had my own back go out on me (just by sleeping on my bed, which is why I now sleep on my chair 99% of the time), I can only imagine what you must go through with your condition. I also understand your emotional struggle to go out and about to do things. I joke that I'm a loner and that I have a phobia to crowds, but truth is I really don't handle dealing with the general public well due to the verbal abuse I've gotten in the past from strangers on the street. You are so brave to share your story. Thank you too for bringing the awareness to the problem that obesity is never good. It's sad that many do think obesity is due to laziness, when that's not always the case. For many (like you and me), obesity is a side affect from serious conditions that created a domino effect, and I wish many more would understand this.
I am so sorry this was done to you. You were brave to write this, knowing that although ignorant people would use it to continue you mocking you, it would educate and do some good. As a fellow woman with a disability, thank you
To everyone reading this, if someone you know shares a photo of this type, don't just scroll by, be an ally, speak up and tell them why it's not funny or clever to share these hurtful memes.