Why Being In a Wheelchair Doesn't Suck

Part six in a sometimes-weekly series.

Let's face it: there are a lot of times when being in a wheelchair sucks.You can't go fly-fishing in Montana, you can't play hopscotch on the playground, and you can't steal batteries from the smoke detector to put in your remote control when the White Sox are on.

But there are times when being in a wheelchair doesn't suck. One is that you don't have to remove your shoes when you go to somebody's house. Since our shoes don't get dirty, our logical substitute are our wheels...and  how ridiculous does this look?

Imagine trying to take Chris's wheels on and off his 400 pound chair!

Our wheels may be our shoes, but you won't get a very nice reaction if you ask someone to leave their wheelchair at the door.  Just try it! Never having to remove your shoes means that you never have to learn how to tie them, since you don't have to take them off! Shoes last 5-6 years more, since they never wear out, and it saves you a ton of money. You don't have to replace your shoe polish as often, and you'll probably never snap a shoelace.

This has a plethora of advantages. Your feet stay warmer. You don't have to worry about foot odor at a party because you can hide behind your snazzy hightops. In some cases, you don't even have to worry about comfort, so you can buy those Manolo Blahniks that don't come in your size and sacrifice nothing for beauty. You can't track dog or bird poop through the house on the carpet your mom just washed. Puddles cower in your presence, and airport security is a breeze (until you factor in the personal pat-down). Overall, not having to remove your shoes is a benefit not many get to enjoy. Now having all these things happen to your wheels...that's a story for another day...