Bottled Daydream

What to do:

[ID: Comment from @certifiedcoolkidno1 “animals…..aren’t…….objects…….”]

Service…..animals…..are…..legally…..classified…..as…..assistive…..devices…..

Y’all literally do not care how many disabled people you kill and how many disabled lives you ruin - you want to coo at and pet the cute dog.

ableds: but what if-

disabled people: leave me and my assistive devices alone

ableds: but what if-

[ID: Comment from @82649263429 “I don’t wanna fight a bunch of people but I saw a comment on here where a cashier said she complimented a service dog to its owner. I’m having a hard time understanding how that’s distracting. No more than any other mindless chit chat with a cashier. Does the dog know I’m talking about it? Should I just not talk to any disabled customers? I understand not bothering the dog and the risks, but I’d also say that ‘did you find everything okay? Cool dog! German Shepard? Have a great day!’ isnt bad.”]

For the 3,576th time, don’t mention the fucking dog.

It costs you absolutely nothing to not mention their service dog. There are an endless number of other things you could say to the person. You could talk about their purchases, the weather, their cool coat, literally anything else. Clearly you can talk to people who don’t have service dogs, but a disabled person shows up and suddenly you can’t possibly talk to them unless you can talk about the damn dog.

It’s not the same because I only get a comment on my walking stick once in a blue moon. Most people do NOT comment on it.

Plus the people who do are primarily people who say something like “my mom was looking for a new stick, where did you get yours?”

But the difference between my encounters and those of people with service animals is

1. It happens to me very rarely Vs it happening them several times every time they go out

2. The people bringing up to me generally have a valid reason and are engaging with me Vs ignoring the disabled person because there is a dog (note this doesn’t make it okay to try and get the disabled person to explain how they got their service animal to you. That’s a far cry from “I got it from this shop in town. They’re 20 quid” those aren’t equal discussions)

3. My walking stick isn’t going to be fucking distracted from being a fucking walking stick

**For interacting with strangers and associates–dynamics with friends and family are much more individualized**

Disability Pride Month 07-31-20: finale

[image description below cut]

DID SOMEONE SAY SOFT TOPH?????

(in no particular order)

1. SHE’S BABY, YOUR HONOR 

BADGERMOLE KISSES FOR BABY TOPH!!!!

ONE LITTLE EARTHBENDER BABY FINDING A LOVING AND ACCEPTING FAMILY WITH THE BADGERMOLES!!!!! 

2. This moment was one of the first times we saw Toph be open and vulnerable around one of her new friends-- not hiding behind a veil of sarcasm or hardness, just being vulnerable about something you wouldn’t think she’d care about. She’s not a ‘girly girl’ but we saw in this episode that she had a nice time getting pampered with Katara and she liked being treated, even if she had to gradually get comfortable with it. She likes and trusts Katara enough to go along with it, even if she was hesitant (if you think about it the spa was kind of the perfect metaphor for Toph opening up to and taking a leap of faith for Katara because she was putting herself in an inherently vulnerable position: letting people touch her feet, having people touch her, etc.). 

But at the end of the day, we see some of her fears validated with the girls making fun of her and it does hurt her. She was crying during this scene. And she was comfortable enough around Katara to be that vulnerable, not just brush it off like it didn’t affect her. 

And right here it pays off. Toph’s constantly brushing people off and has put up walls that could rival Ba Sing Se’s, but she takes a leap of faith on these people, a leap of faith on Katara-- and she’s met with love and support and kindness. 

And as someone pointed out once, she knows Katara isn’t lying right here. 

3. Zero to “SOKKA’S COMING!!” real quick after he’d been gone for like 3 days max 

(feat. a “blink and you’ll miss it” hug) 

4. Okay I never see this moment talked about which is a shame because it makes my heart hurt every time. 

The last time Toph thought she was going to see her mom back in Ba Sing Se, it turned out to be a trap and she got captured and put in a metal box. For all she knows, that’s what her parents really wanted for her. She already felt trapped with them for years, but in a moment when she expected her mom to come see her with open arms, she was locked away instead. 

And after all that she’s still angry with them, but she still misses them. She feels guilty over leaving them even after how they treated her. She’s not really dealing with how she feels about it mainly because it’s complicated and she’s rightfully angry with them, but she still loves them. Under all the Greatest Earthbender in the World hardness and through all the walls, Toph’s still sometimes just a kid who wants her mom. Sometimes that’s not an option for one reason or another, and she needs Katara for that reason. 

Katara and Toph’s friendship was so important for Toph because even though they bicker and fight, Toph knows she needs Katara. She knows that Katara grounds her and supports her. Katara’s the person Toph will let her guard down in front of without having to be pushed. There’s this unbreakable, important trust she has for Katara-- one of her first friends in her life and someone she knows accepts her and would do anything for her. 

5. “Sir, this is my emotional support firebender” 

Toph with anyone else: I’m sorry you must be at level 4 friendship to unlock my tragic backstory

Toph with Zuko: I’ve only known Zuko for three weeks, but if anyone hurt him I would kill everyone in this room and then myself