An empty wheelchair

I'm rambling, so forgive me.

Someone once told me that an empty wheelchair was a scary sight. I think I understand this. After all, our conception is that people rarely just climb out of their wheelchairs and walk away, so where did the person go? Did they fall and are now trying to get help? Did someone scoop them up? Did the chair roll off on it's own? I should note that this anxiety only seems to be around "personal" wheelchairs. By that I mean, the bank of wheelchairs at the mall or the hospital aren't quite so troubling, maybe because they don't belong to someone.

The truth is that there are many reasons that a wheelchair could be empty. The person might have actually gotten up and walked away, some of us do. There might have been an area that was not accessible by chair and the person was helped to a seat and left the chair behind until it could be brought to them. It might even be set up waiting for it's new owner/borrower.

In the end, I think my own discomfort about this stems from the fact that my chair is such a part of me. I can and do walk regularly. Mainly when I can't get in some place (like an apartment). But leaving it behind is scary. Not having it available makes me feel like part of my body is missing. I miss it, and feel less whole. Which is ironic because most people see me as more whole when I walk.