Is He Your Dad?
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
March 12, 2017 5:10pm CST
We're on holiday in Spain at the moment and someone in the hotel just pointed at my husband and asked if he was my dad.
My husband is bright as a button mentally, but the sad fact is that his body is wearing out. Consequently I have to push him in a wheelchair sometimes.
What I resented about the woman who asked that question was that she obviously considered him to be mentally deficient as well, just based on the fact that he was in a wheelchair. She talked over him, addressing her question directly to me, as if he wouldn't understand.
Though I couldn't help feeling a tiny bit pleased that she thought it a possibility I might be his daughter, I was afraid his feelings would be hurt. (My husband is 86 and I am 77).
Fortunately he's thick-skinned and we laughed about it afterwards, but I
thought she was rude to ignore my husband and ask that question in his earshot.
Would you have considered it rude?
Photo of us taken a couple of years ago, and my husband does look a bit older now. (But then, I probably do too).
82 people like this
101 responses
@JudyEv (340118)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Mar 17
That's a lovely photo of the two of you. Vince was mistaken for my father once which I thought was pretty funny. He always says she was having a joke and perhaps she was. I see many couples around my age bracket where the women look quite a bit younger than their husbands. Perhaps they look after themselves a bit better. People do tend to equate physical frailty with mental deficiency, particularly in the elderly. It can be hard to combat.
15 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@JudyEv I've noticed the wheelchair thing before when I used to take my paralysed friend out. They'd often ignore her to talk to me, even though she was a lot younger than me.
I think women do perhaps age better than men - I've noticed a lot more elderly women pushing their husbands in wheelchairs, rather than the other way round.
7 people like this
@moffittjc (121596)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Mar 17
I can relate to you in this situation. My girlfriend is substantially younger than me, and on more than one accession I have been asked if she was my daughter! My girlfriend and I always have a good laugh over it, and I appreciate that she has a great sense of humor.
8 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
12 Mar 17
@moffittjc As long as you can laugh about it, it's ok, but I think it's a tactless question.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (121596)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Mar 17
@jaboUK I agree. People always just assume too much, without knowing the facts or details of every person's situation. I have noticed that it is not as bad these days as it used to be years ago, but it still happens nonetheless.
4 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40294)
• Laguna Woods, California
26 Mar 17
@moffittjc - My husband has sometimes taken our daughters out for dinner and been asked if our daughter was his wife! Our daughters are usually the ones who feel insulted when that happens!
2 people like this
@allknowing (136481)
• India
13 Mar 17
These types of remarks are not uncommon but they do affect those who are sensitive but your husband took it well.
So you are in spain and that explains why I do not see you these day.s
4 people like this
@allknowing (136481)
• India
13 Mar 17
@jaboUK I think you do this annually. Have fun and relax Janet.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@allknowing Yes, we're lucky that my husband isn't too sensitive.
We'll be in Spain for another 3 weeks but I still manage to pop in most days. Some days I just get time to deal with my notifications though.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@allknowing Thank you Grace. That's what we're doing -relaxing.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
12 Mar 17
I think it was rude. My husband is four years older than I, and I got gray about 15 years ago. He is just beginning to get a bit of salt in his pepper hair. Once when we were in line at a buffet he told the cashier he was taking his mom out for lunch. I didn't think it was funny. His humor doesn't always consider how the butt of the joke may feel. I've been trying to make him understand that it's not nice to comment on what he notices about others he's talking to, that teenagers may not take his question about a new zit (What's that on your face?) as concern and instead be embarrassed or hurt by it.
7 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
12 Mar 17
@bagarad Oh, that was a big no-no about taking his mom to lunch, and he should have known that you wouldn't find it funny. He obviously didn't mean to be offensive, but perhaps needs to learn a bit of tact, just like the woman who spoke about my husband.
5 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
14 Mar 17
@Lupita234 He has enough good points that I can accept what I can't change.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
13 Mar 17
You never said you were married to Tommy Cooper!!
On a more serious note it really annoys me when people assume someone in a wheelchair is incapable of normal interaction. My Brother-in-law was seriously injured when he was hit by a car and spent the rest of his life in a wheel-chair and had great difficulty speaking. Mentally he was extremely sharp but even after it was established that he was capable of understanding them many people would still address him through me or my wife.
I think a lot of it is down to embarrassment. People don't want to be seen to be insensitive or somehow get it wrong when talking to someone in a wheelchair so try to avoid the interaction wherever possible. Rather ironically this is far more insensitive than just talking normally to them.
4 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
13 Mar 17
That's a wonderful photo of the two of you. I'm very flattered when people think I'm my husband's daughter, and he's only 3 1/2 years older than I.
People can be rather senseless and tackless in those instances. I'd just chalk it up to stupidity and laugh it off.
5 people like this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
14 Mar 17
@workathomefan No, he isn't, but I used to look much younger than I am.
2 people like this
@workathomefan (8957)
• Prairieville, Louisiana
14 Mar 17
Your husband is not old enough to be your dad.
2 people like this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
13 Mar 17
@jaboUK That is a beautiful photo.Good that you are enjoying your visit to Spain.And for that woman,she was very rude and very inconsiderate.It is good that your husband was able to laugh about the question. No body should make assumptions like this about others.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@silvermist Yes, she was rude, more in the manner of asking than the actual question. Just ignoring my husband like that. Thanks for liking the photo.
1 person likes this
@workathomefan (8957)
• Prairieville, Louisiana
14 Mar 17
I have never been to Spain or anywhere outside the United States.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51240)
• Canada
12 Mar 17
I think that is a great picture, but you obviously look like a couple, not a parent and child.
I think that the person doing the asking was not exercising the greatest tactfulness in how she asked, nor was it something that anyone should ask really.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (471547)
• Switzerland
13 Mar 17
Yes, I would consider this question very rude, especially the way she ignored your husband and asked to you. I remember last year someone pointed at my niece and asked if she was my sister. We later laughed because I told her that I do not believe to look so much younger, so I suppose she looks older. I did because I know that it's not true.
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
13 Mar 17
I am not one to respond/talk to stranges...so if that comment was made to me I probably would just have given the person a 'look' and moved on. And since my husband's hearing isn't what it used to be he probably would not have heard the comment.
Great photo - you guys look wonderful together!
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@AbbyGreenhill Yes, the 'look' might have been a good idea in these circumstances. Thanks for liking the photo
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
13 Mar 17
My husband would have thought so, I'm a little slow considering those things. Hopefully no one would think the same of us in ten years time for either way. He's five years my junior.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@MarshaMusselman People can think what they like, but they really should consider what they are saying before voicing it.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
13 Mar 17
@jaboUK I see a lot of people shopping together. Some I wonder about silently and others I'll ask whether it's a sister or daughter. I have to figure out the best way to say it so that if I'm wrong they'll feel good about it, but sometimes that backfires too.
With women there can be a ten or more year difference in ages and if the older one had a hard life the younger one could look more like a daughter than a sister. I used to wait on two older ladies and the one that looked older was actually younger, but I didn't guess it that way unless they prodded me to guess. They just laughed about it since it was common.
One gal that came in was the sil of a good friend of mine from years ago. When I used to see her, the sil, I'd think it was my friend's mom. The sil would be offended. I think the brother was a bit older than my friend, but not twenty years older.
Sometimes I'll get out of a situation by reminding people that if they had a child when they were under eighteen the ages could fit. Sometimes I just remember to keep my mouth shut.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
12 Mar 17
Nice to see you both! Aw, it's a compliment for you, but unfortunately not so much for your husband. Maybe she just thought it more proper to speak to you instead of him... she may not have thought him to be mentally handicapped... I am happy to hear he wasn't too offended. I would have in that case rather she'd not said it though. It was an unthinking thing to say.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
12 Mar 17
@FayeHazel Yes, I suppose I should just consider her unthinking rather than rude.Thanks.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
13 Mar 17
@jaboUK Sometimes I find people to be well meaning, but unthinking about how they come across - which can be quite rude but unintended ... :-)
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8763)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
You do look a lot younger than him (that is a compliment to you, not an insult to him :) ). I would have found that lady rude too. Unfortunately, I don't think that kind of person is unusual. I haven't had it with an adult but I have had people ask me what my child said, even though they spoke perfectly clearly. I think some people just see a wheelchair or a pushchair and assume that the occupant is mentally challenged.
As for the age mistake, I was once asked if my partner was my son. Now, the other way round, you might accept - the younger partner assumed to be the child - but he is almost 10 years older than me! Not that he looks it. He looks about half his age, which means he looks closer to 10 years younger than 10 years older. I still don't think he looks young enough to be my son, though, unless I look considerably older (which I know I don't as I've been told I look anything from 19 to 35. I'm 36).
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@pumpkinjam I can understand you being a bit miffed at that person who asked if your partner was your son - sheesh! You are quite right about the wheelchair/pushchair thing. (Thanks for the compliment).
2 people like this
@Namelesss (3365)
• United States
13 Mar 17
I think you both look really great for your ages. I get how you felt, I used to deal with that all the time when I was taking care of blind people. They were blind not stupid. I finally came to the conclusion that it isn't that people want or intend to be rude. They are uncertain most of time. The sad truth is when you see someone in a wheelchair or 'being helped' you most often don't know if their condition is mental, physical or both. so forgive people when they appear rude, they just don't know.
You're both so lucky. My husband and I aren't quite as old as you two but already I am having to push mine around in a wheelchair. He's been in the hospital most all of 2017 so far. He went in 2 days after Christmas. At this point I have no idea when he will be home again or how well he'll be able to manage.
I see a LOT of humor in your husband's eyes. Get the feeling you two spark off each other just fine.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 17
@Namelesss Yes, I do realise that it's ignorance most of the time when people don't know how to treat those in wheelchairs, that's why we were able to laugh about this incident. (And yes, we do laugh a lot!)
I'm sorry to hear about your husband Elaine, I hope that he'll soon be well enough to be home with you again.
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
4 Apr 17
@jaboUK If my husband was offended then I would be hurt for him being hurt. But if all is well, then we shall have a laugh about it.
But someone acting like someone can't handle answering a question on their own would annoy me. Or people speaking rude in general bugs me.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Apr 17
@VivaLaDani13 @Daljinder I see you are both in agreement with me on this issue
2 people like this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
5 Apr 17
@Daljinder Exactly! Actually Sara used to get that a lot in school. They would ask me a question about her even though she was standing right next to me. It was weird. I wonder if Sara remembers that.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23236)
• Bangalore, India
4 Apr 17
@VivaLaDani13 Its always a bad manners to talk about third person to second person in their presence. Why not ask them directly? They are sitting right there.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
13 Mar 17
That is kind of rude, by the way.
3 people like this