It was a lovely morning – a lazy weekend sitting in a local café, drinking fabulous coffee, skimming through the papers and discussing the Amy Winehouse doco we’d seen the night before. The kidlet was still being spoilt by her grandparents, and Aaron and I were making the most of a leisurely breakfast.
We were at one of our favourite cafes in our area. The coffee is consistently excellent, the food is great and the owner is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Being in his café is one of my favourite things to do on the weekend. (Plus they make the most amazing home-made marshmallows. Totally bolus worthy!)
We finished up after sneaking in a second round of coffees, and meandered to the front of the store to pay.
‘They look awesome,’ the guy ahead of us was saying to the barista, pointing at the delicious-looking fudge-y, chocolate brownies on the counter.
‘Yeah; they are really great. So sweet. You get diabetes just looking at them.’
The next noise was the sound of my head spinning and my hair whipping around.
‘No you don’t,’ I said – loudly enough for them both to hear. The customer turned around and the barista looked at me. I was a little terse, but not rude.
‘I mean it. Really, they are so sweet,’ said the barista.
‘Doesn’t matter how sweet they are. You still won’t get diabetes eating them. You really shouldn’t say that. It’s not true.’ I turned to Aaron. ‘I’ll be outside. I’m done here.’
And there it is. Again. The stupid, ignorant, insensitive, offensive, throw away comments about diabetes. Comments that also happen to be untrue.
At Nova the night before, we watched the heartbreakingly sad story of Amy Winehouse in the brilliant, but harrowing, documentary Amy.
This incredibly talented young woman was hounded by the media as she dealt with addiction. And at the moment when she most needed support and help, late-night television show hosts thought it was amusing to make fun of her. They thought it was hilarious to comment on her alcoholism or weight loss or drug abuse. They thought that a vulnerable young woman who was falling apart was a great target for their cheap jokes.
And apparently, diabetes is too.
It is not funny. People who are living with health conditions are not a punch line. Diabetes is not here to use as a material for a cheap joke. The condition that I work so bloody hard to keep in check – every minute of every single day – is not a chance for you to try to be witty (which, incidentally, you are most likely not!).
All of that came flooding to my caffeine-fuelled mind as I stood there, waiting to pay the other morning. ‘Am I overreacting?’ I asked Aaron when he walked out of the cafe. ‘No. Not at all.’
People who are dealing with health issues – no matter what they are – need support. We need people to try to understand what we are doing. We occasionally need to be reminded that we are doing the best we can.
It’s actually quite simple. Diabetes is not a joke. Stop thinking it is.
Amy Winehouse singing The Girl from Ipanema is a thing of beauty. Here it is.
11 comments
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August 3, 2015 at 2:44 pm
helwild
Reblogged this on helwild and commented:
Diabetes is never a joke, and should not be a punchline whenever food is on the menu.
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August 17, 2015 at 5:01 pm
RenzaS
Thanks Helene. And thanks for reblogging too.
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August 3, 2015 at 5:55 pm
paclancy
this needs to be sent to that blond guy on the cooking show atm i have watched the adverts and he has said a similar thing twice now that i have heard and i dont even watch the show Grrrrrrr
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August 17, 2015 at 5:01 pm
RenzaS
I’ve not seen that show…. But I am not surprised. Sadly. Thanks for reading.
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August 4, 2015 at 12:22 am
Molly
God, like there aren’t enough stupid people saying stupid crap already. I once had a chiropractor spot my pump, ask if it was an insulin pump, and then say, “You’re awfully young to have developed diabetes.” I asked him if he knew anything about diabetes, and he admitted he didn’t. Mmmmmkay, so you’re…what? Just calling me fat then?
Tell a cancer joke and watch people (rightly so) lose their minds. But diabetes (and people with diabetes)? Fair game.
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August 4, 2015 at 12:31 am
Molly
Exchange the word “cancer” for diabetes in any of these funny funny jokes and watch people’s heads spin around on their necks (and rightly so.) Why is diabetes funny, but other chronic illnesses aren’t?
Like people aren’t dumb enough already. I once had this exchange with a chiropractor:
Him: “Is that an insulin pump.”
Me: “Yep.”
Him: “You’re pretty young to have developed diabetes.” (I was 36.)
Me: “I am?”
Him: “…”
Me: “Do you have a supervisor?”
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August 17, 2015 at 5:02 pm
RenzaS
Excellent response there. “Do you have a supervisor’ delivered with a killer stare should put everyone back in their place! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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August 4, 2015 at 2:13 am
jules
As a types I diabetic for about 15 years I am completely with you on this one. my pet hate is when there is no distinction made between the types of diabetes and how you get it. Education is the answer, not only for those that are judgmental or pass flippant comments, but also for the huge problem of Type 2 diabetes which is no longer just a ‘first’ world problem.
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August 17, 2015 at 5:02 pm
RenzaS
Thanks for reading.
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August 28, 2015 at 10:36 pm
Joe Barnickel
I hate it when people who know I am diabetic say “should you be eating that?” and my sarcastic response is, “yes and should YOU be eating that?”
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August 31, 2015 at 8:52 pm
RenzaS
I have a selection of responses I call on as required. I’ve also learnt that a killer stare is useful! Thanks for your comment, Joe.
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