Irony

Call me strange, but the oddest things give me a chuckle.

Fella down the road visited for a chat and to use our phone. I stood up to make him a cuppa.

Quick as a flash, he was on his feet, leaned over, holding me up with one hand while bending down and swivelling up my foot rests. They have these pegs on the back that once, before the dog chewed them, held sturdy straps meant to prevent my feet slipping off the footrests. Now, there's only the metal pegs.

Mr T was worried I'd catch my trousers on the pegs. True. I have done before.

Mr. T is 62, a widower with an 18 year old daughter. He's had a heredity gout problem since a teenager. He's had two replacement knee caps, and he's on higher rate Disability Living Allowance Mobility, Pension Credits, and he'll never work again. He'd just received a leaflet from the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) explaining he could be entitled a Motability adapted car and the infamous Blue Badge.

It's £49 per week. That would pay for any car. Assuming he could raise the £2000 deposit, and a way of paying the extra two quid to bring it up to at least £52.

He gets around to the pub and walks his dogs, with difficulty. The bloke can't even afford a phone.

And there he is, trying to stop me, who's on Lower Rate Mobility DLA, from tripping over my wheel chair, bless him.

Crazy, ironic, and in an odd way, deeply funny. Guess you'd have to be me.