Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".
Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"
And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".
Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.
At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.
So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!
Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!
Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!
Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.
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i like Raphael bg3 but unfortunately i dont think its for the same reasons anyone else does. he swoops in so fucking confident like "hello my baby mice (/derogatory) you wish you could kill me. you fucking wish. anyway sell me your soul or die in an unsexy tentacle explosion."
and then he sort of follows you around for like 3 acts. all quiet. spying on u. hoping youll call him. waiting by the phone. and then when you finally do run into him hes like "haha so, you miserable worms (/derogatory), have you considered i can save you and i have this really cool donkey kong hammer you want? sell me this insanely OP crown and ill give it to you. please. haha it isnt like i need you or anything, baka."
and then you break into raphaels house. hes cucked bc his girl Hope wont get with him, and she looks at you for 2 seconds and decides youre it instead. you run into his sidepiece, who is literally just a horny mirror of himself, and you can either kill or fuck the horny mirror of himself. the pathetic horny mirror of himself will absolutely tell you raphael is shit at sex. you lie to raphaels librarian, kill all his guys, rob his house, break out his girl, steal his head henchman to your side, and then fucking kill him. youre like, four sadboy adventurers with worms in your brains and you were level one like two weeks ago, and you straight up obliterate raphael and leave his house to his angry girlfriend in the will. you steal his fucking diaries. and you dont even die in an unsexy tentacle explosion.
raphael is trying so hard to be cool and hes absolutely not. he sings his little song and stalks around the shadows, but hes so uncool i think im a little obsessed actually.
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Do you think rafe would wear necklace with his girl’s initial?? Like his girl bought it as a present and i’m curious on how rafe would react 😃
"so what i'm hearin' is you got me somethin' with my own money?" rafe asks, looking down at the neatly wrapped box, a pretty white ribbon looped around it. your fingers play with the satin bow, anxious for rafe to open it.
"rafe!" you start with a whine but stop yourself. "it's the thought that counts, okay?" he laughs, taking the gift from your hands.
"sure, kid. whatever you say." he undoes the bow, setting it aside since he knows you'll want to keep it. the wrapping paper gets ripped up and off, while you protest that it could have been reused. he opens the box, looking down at a thin silver chain. there's a little pendant hanging down, the shape of your initial.
he looks up from the chain at you, waiting for his response with big eyes and parted lips. you're playing with your R necklace, the way you always do when you're nervous.
"d-do you like it? i thought we could match," you say quietly, biting you lower lip in anticipation.
"yeah?" he questions, taking the jewelry out of the box and into his hand, feeling the weight of it in his palm.
"only if you like it. you don't have to wear it, i just-"
"just what?" he looks you right in the eyes, wanting your real answer, not just you bouncing around his question from nerves.
"i just wanted to make sure everyone knows you're mine." you lip stings from where you're biting down, rafe look into your eyes.
he opens his arms, and you crawl into his lap, taking the chain from his palm and putting it around his neck, clipping it into place. you smile, pressing a kiss to rafe's cheek, his hands tight on your waist.
"got that right, kid."
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IM SORRY I DIDN'T ANSWER YESTERDAY 😭😭 HOW R U DOING DARLING? hope u have a great day <3
IT CAN BE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME YES, BUT GO OUT LIKE THAT??? W OTHER PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT U?? LIKE WHAT.
thank you SO MUCH IM. CRYING. PLEASE YOU R TOO CUTE AND LOVELY AND SKWBHXH im feeling better today, i think its going to be a good day yk,,, and im gonna see my friend there, so it'll be nice to chat w him a little !! but oh my god. im still not used to someone being so gentle to me plss. will put you in my pocket and take care of u !! hehe
LEONA AND HER FRIENDS R ADORABLE BUT SO ARE YOU. ur accent is so pretty, i loved it 😓
BOOGER TRYING TO BE PART OF THE FAMILY OMG SJWNSHXB SUCH A BABIE. YESS I AGREE THEY CAN DO EVERYTHING BUT IN THE END THERE'S NO PROBLEM !! they are babies, innocent babies :3
MY PLANTS R WELL, AND I JUST REMEMBERED THAT I DIDN'T RESPONDED WHAT THEIR NAME WAS IM SO SORRY FOR THIS 😭😭 i usually call them by cute nicknames that i dont use w anyone, at least not at home or at school. when i water them, i tell them to grow nice and strong bc i just love them sm and i even talk in a sweeter baby voice skwnxhh pls,,, im embarrassed to say all this, but its true !! do you talk to yours? its good to do this, i feel rlly happy. ARE YOURS OKAY TOO?
I HAVEN'T DRAWED YET, BUT WHEN I DO ILL SHOW YOU <3 if you dont mind it, ofc !
btw, i wanted to ask if u dont feel uncomfy w me talking a lot and being clingy,,, if so, ill try to moderate it, no problem ! (niks being insecure again helpp
i didn't do much yesterday, just talked to some friends of mine and stayed w my cat in bed :3
WBU ??
also, i was checking my bag before leaving home and i found a very cute plush bunny 😭 HES SO TINY. JUST LOOK AT THIS
HELLO MY SWEET NIK!! DON'T WORRY AT ALL, TAKE ALL TIME YOU NEED ALWAYS :D <3 I AM A BIT TIRED BUT I AM OKAY, HOW ARE YOU DOING? :) <3
AND YES!! HE CAME OUT TODAY TOO SJSJS BUT IT WAS RAINING SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS HE THINKING BUT SLAY I GUESS ???
i am so happy and proud of you for keeping up positive attitude and i hope you had great time with your friend and that your day was amazing :) <3 JSJSS YOU ARE SO CUTE!! I WILL PROTECT YOU AND KEEP YOU IN MY POCKET <3
SKKSKSS I AM HAPPY YOU LIKED MY ACCENT PLEASE, I AM ALL SHY NOW :") <3 ALSO!! THEY ARE THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR COMPLIMENTS AND BOOGER IS A FAMILY, I JUST CAN'T KEEP HER INSIDE :3 SHE CHILLS ON WINDOW THOUGH :3 <3
AND THAT'S NOT EMBARRASSING!! IT'S GOOD FOR PLANTS TO BE TALKED TO AND I FIND IT REALLY ADORABLE THAT YOU DO AND THE WAY THAT YOU DO!! YOU ARE ADORABLE :3 <3 MINE ARE DOING WELL TOO!! I DON'T TALK TO THEM SINCE THEY ARE IN MY YARD AND PEOPLE GO AROUND ALL THE TIME SKSKS SO I TRY TO POUR MY LOVE OUT WHEN I POUR WATER OUT :D <3
THAT'S OKAY MY LOVE!! FEEL FREE TO SHOW ME WHENEVER YOU MAKE SOMETHING NEW AND FEEL LIKE IT :D <3 I KNOW EVERYTHING THAT YOU MAKE WILL BE AMAZING :D <3
baby I don't mind at all!! talk all you want about anything, i will always answer you as soon as i can and it's okay to be insecure and unsure, but!! stay reassured, i am completely fine :3 i just apologize if it takes me longer to answer at the times, but do not take that personally my sweet Nik!! :) <3
also i am happy to hear you mostly enjoyed your day yesterday, i was mostly chilling as well :D <3
OOOOOOO LOOK AT THAT BABY!!! I SMILED SO HARD WHEN I SAW IT, IT'S SO CUTE!!!! DID YOU NAME IT YET? :D <3
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I cant stop thinking about Yor Forger, THEE character of all time. she's the country's greatest assassin. she's a dumbass. she has a drinking problem. she does parkour. she's married to a complete stud. she has never kissed. she can't cook for shit. she loves her daughter more than anything. she will kill again.
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