Which line in All Too Well (10 minute version) I personally think hits the Nordics the most but I’m not providing explanations.
Denmark: “well maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, but maybe this thing was a masterpiece ‘til you tore it all up.”
Finland: “they say ‘all’s well that ends well,’ but I’m in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind.”
Iceland: “you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath; sacred prayer and we’d swear to remember it all too well.”
Norway: “the idea you had of me, who was she? Some never-needy, ever-lovely jewel, who’s shine reflects on you.”
Sweden: “I’m a soldier who’s returning half her weight and did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? Just between us, did the love affair maim you too?”
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.
*if your gender and sexuality brought on different feelings, vote for whichever you want. (whichever feeling was stronger, or first, or however you want to decide).
If you’re comfortable with it, put your sexuality and/or gender identity in the tags along with the feeling you experienced upon discovering it so we can see if any trends appear with correlations between certain identities and feelings!
Gale, speaking loudly, clearly, and with conviction: Only a FOOLISHLY MISGUIDED MAN would put his ambitions BEFORE his heart! *turns to Tav, tenderly frames their face in his hands and gazes adoringly into their eyes* My love. Upon every gossamer strand of the Weave itself, I swear to you: unlike Gortash, I would NEVER get so caught up in the minutia of death cult office politics that I would be too busy to kiss you. *pulls Tav in close, covers their lips with his. Kisses them deeply and with a simmering passion. Audibly moans.*
The entire Coronation audience at Wyrm’s Rock: …
Duke Ulder Ravengard: *holding the Coronation sword over Gortash, lowering it uncertainly* …is it true, sir? *leans in, whispers* You really can’t clear five minutes out of your schedule to kiss?
Palestinian freedom fighters breaking out of Gaza and reclaiming their occupied territories. They’ve taken over israeli tanks and have chased out the settlers that were on that land. They’ve launched rockets everywhere and the iron dome has failed to intercept. This is about to mark a momentous event in history.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.