I went from being a guy on a date to a disabled boy out for dinner
Sat at the end of my bed, I carefully buttoned up my blue striped shirt, pulled on my ‘nice jeans’ and applied some aftershave.
First-date nerves were kicking in but I was positive, and ready to rock and roll.
Anna* and I matched on Tinder and spoke for a week before deciding to meet. It’d gone well thus far – our conversation bounced from family to food with ease and conviction. Therefore, I felt comfortable enough after a few days to tell her I was disabled.
I told her of my sporting exploits, and how I’d played for Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby.
She said there wasn’t a problem and asked about my disability. I explained about my condition, arthrogryposis, and how it meant my joints were bent and my voice was husky.
However, I ensured she knew that I was still completely independent – I just looked and sounded slightly different.
Nothing could have prepared me for the night’s soiree (Picture: Myles Pearson)
Things were heading in the right direction, so I suggested dinner, and a date was set. Normally, I’m an Italian kinda guy, but on this occasion, I thought I’d try something different. We settled on Chinese and, as I drove towards disaster, I can’t explain how confident I felt.
As a former wheelchair rugby Paralympian for Great Britain, I’m used to being ready for anything. But, honestly, nothing could have prepared me for the night’s soiree.
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My first big worry was that the restaurant was empty. It was a Saturday night, and not a soul was in sight. Then it hit me: the staff would have front-row seats to my date.
I composed myself, twiddled my thumbs, and studied the menu.
Myles matched with Anna* on Tinder (Picture: Myles Pearson)
While I decided between duck pancakes and chow mein, my phone lit up with the message: ‘I’m on my way, there was a hold-up at work. I’ll be 10 minutes. Sorry.’ I appreciated the heads-up.
By that stage, she was already 15 minutes late – and the cute boy in the wheelchair was attracting sympathetic looks from the staff.
It’s a strange feeling waiting for someone you’ve never met before. You wonder how the conversation will go; will it flow, or become awkward? You question the aim of the date and whether it’ll be a one-off or lead to more. It’s easy to daydream and contemplate whether this person could be ‘The One’.
As the date wore on, it became clear she wasn’t comfortable with the whole chair situation (Picture: Myles Pearson)
Ten minutes passed and I heard the door open, followed …read more
Source:: Metro
