"I WAS TOLD IT WAS SELFISH TO BE DISABLED AND HAVE A BABY. I'M GLAD I DIDN'T LISTEN."

‘I was told it was selfish to be disabled and have a baby – I’m glad I didn’t listen’ Amelia Peckham is CEO of Cool Crutches. com Helen Coffey When Amelia Peckham came off a quad bike and broke her spine aged just 19, her life changed in an instant. Becoming a mother seemed a distant and impossible dream. Now mum to two sons and the founder of a thriving company, she tells Helen Coffey why ‘concerned’ onlookers need to mind their own business In October 2005, I was 19 years old and studying at university in Edinburgh. I went away for the weekend to this place in the middle of nowhere in rural Scotland for a friend’s birthday. We weren’t allowed to drive a car because the dirt tracks were too rough, but they offered us a quad bike instead. On the way back, my friend, who’d grown up using quad bikes, asked if I wanted to drive. I was a bit scared, but she told me to just go really slowly. There was a pothole, and she told me to slightly turn into the hill, which I did — and then one of the back wheels slid off the edge of the track. We went into this huge drop that eventually landed in a river at the bottom. I was thrown off first. Amazingly, the other three girls were pretty much fine, other than a broken finger. I was in agony and suspected I might have broken my feet. I thought my legs were stuck in mid-air, and asked my friend if she could take my boots off and check if there were any injuries. “You’re not wearing any boots, and your feet are on the floor,” she said. That’s when I realised that something was really wrong. ‘I had to be airlifted to hospital in Glasgow, where they told me my spine was a mess — it looked like someone had taken a hammer to a meringue’ The best-case scenario was that I might be able to walk with crutches, but whether I’d be able to do two, 10 or 20 steps remained to be seen. The issue of whether or not my accident would impact my chances of motherhood bothered other people more than me at first. My mum was fielding 100 phone calls a day from friends and family asking, “Can she feel her toes? Can she wiggle her toes? Do you think she’ll be able to have children?” I couldn’t even pee on my own at that stage. I just wanted people to lay off the baby question for 10 minutes. I put off addressing “the kids thing” for a long time. But as I got older, I realised I had never got a definitive answer. I eventually asked my urogynaecologist whether it would even be possible for me to have a baby. He said there was no reason why I wouldn’t be able to conceive, but that pregnancy is physically demanding on a healthy person, and I had health conditions that would be affected by it. Giving birth would be a big risk. I felt like I was carrying this awful news around; that there was a high chance I would not be able to have children. When do you bring that up in a relationship? It’s not exactly first date chat. And I dated some absolute monsters. Some guys just assumed I’d snog them because “I wouldn’t have any other offers”. There was one guy who thought going out with a disabled person was some huge badge of honour. He introduced me to all these people as if he were a hero — I was so embarrassed! I was never that optimistic about finding someone and I didn’t really care. I thought, I’ve got enough on my plate as it is, and I’m quite happy looking after myself. The baby issue felt immaterial. Then I met my now-husband, Andrew, at a wedding. And suddenly it was really easy. He never had a problem with my disability. He didn’t charge around, raving about how wonderful he was for going out with someone like me. I thought, “Oh, so this is what it’s like when you find the right person. It’s easy.” Six months in I thought I should probably have the kids conversation. I told him I wasn’t 100pc sure if I could have them; and, even if I could, I wasn’t 100pc sure that I wanted to put my body through it. He just said we’d cross that bridge when we came to it, that he wanted to be with me, no matter what. After we got married, I went to see the doctor. He said I should be able to have a baby — not a natural birth, but a caesarean under general anaesthetic. I decided to take the plunge. I’ve always been very determined, but having a baby was the one thing I secretly thought was never going to happen, the thing I thought I’d lost that stung the most. When I woke up after my caesarean, my husband was sitting next to me with a baby in his arms. I thought, “Oh my God, I’ve done it, and I’m alive.” The health risks were not to the baby but to me — in pregnancy, in birth, and immediately after the birth. I had decided I was fine with that. But people who didn’t know me were immediately concerned about the baby. They were like, “Really, you’re going to have a baby? Will the baby be OK? How are you going to look after it?” Suddenly all these people were asking if it was “fair” for me to have a baby if I wasn’t going to be physically able to parent to the same level as someone without a disability. The worst part was that, in the run up to the birth, I was genuinely worried about everything everybody was saying to me. I questioned whether I was going to be as good a parent. And then when I had my first son, I realised that all of it was absolute crap. People tell you that it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do, that it’s a massive life change and a huge adjustment, but it is for everybody. In fact, I was better prepared for it than any of my friends. I’d had multiple massive operations. I was used to being physically unwell. I knew how to navigate the doctor, the GP, the pharmacy, everything you need for a baby. I’m so annoyed that I listened to all that noise beforehand. When you’ve got a disability, everyone just perceives it as this massive risk and brands you as selfish and questions how potentially damaging it might be to a child. It’s just wrong. My children are completely aware of disability. They’re really positive about it, it’s second nature to them. What comes out of someone else’s mouth is a reflection on them, not you. If someone pipes up with, “Oh, how do you do the school run?” Well, I can drive! They look like the idiot, not me. I can’t worry about what other people think or say or do. All I can do is work my arse off to make sure that no one else is on the receiving end of these comments; to stand here and say, “ta-da!” and prove them wrong. In a way, I’m very lucky that I was 19 when I had my accident, because I’m now 18 years down the line, and I’m only 38 and I’ve got a platform to be able to hopefully help others in a similar position. I’m the CEO of Cool Crutches, a company that I first started with my mum back when I was in hospital. The crutches they issued when I was doing physio gave me really bad blisters on my hands; we just wanted to create a product that was comfortable and quiet, that didn’t slip, that looked good. It was a side project until 2021, when I started working on it full-time. I wouldn’t be who I am without my disability. I wouldn’t be doing what I do. I wouldn’t be as grateful as I am for what I have. I thought I was never going to walk again, date, have kids, get a job. And yet I’ve ended up with a very healthy family and my own business. Parenting has completely changed my whole outlook on what you can and can’t do. I have an enormous amount of purpose. I feel like I’ve never wanted to do more, live better, look after myself more, be healthier. My kids — Rufus is six and Ralph is four — are hilarious. Every day, every month, every year, it gets better and better. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m just so grateful that I did, and that I didn’t listen to other people’s opinions. Read more ‘Small acts of kindness are key’:  

https://m.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/i-was-told-it-was-selfish-to-be-disabled-and-have-a-baby-im-glad-i-didnt-listen/a203269187.html 

25 MOST AWKWARD DINNER SCENES IN MOVIES

Entertainment Weekly

 

The 25 most awkward dinner scenes in movies

Be glad when your group dinner isn't nearly as uncomfortable as these movie moments.

By Dylan Kickham and Kevin Jacobsen  Published on August 27, 2024 12:08PM EDT

 

Sure, the food is great, and getting together with the family is nice, but it's rare to get through a big family dinner without at least a little bit of awkwardness — it just comes with the territory. Whether it be an unwanted guest, inappropriate comments from ignorant relatives, or a poorly cooked meal, these are the dinners you want to be done with as soon as possible.

 

Movies are littered with these kinds of awkward dinner scenes that we can (thankfully) laugh at from afar, if not cringe in recognition. Ahead, 25 of the most painful shared meals in film.

 

01

of 25

Hereditary (2018)

Toni Collette in 'Hereditary'

 

A family grappling with impossible grief attempts to get through a dinner in one piece. They're unsuccessful in doing so, as Annie (Toni Collette) unleashes her fury on her son, Peter (Alex Wolff), for not taking responsibility for a tragic accident. While Hereditary has plenty of scares, this centerpiece dinner scene haunts us the most.

 

02

of 25

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Chevy Chase in 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'

 

The Griswold family is known for turning every situation into a mess, and that's exactly what they do to their Christmas Eve dinner. After an elderly relative leads the family in the Pledge of Allegiance instead of grace, Clark (Chevy Chase) begins to carve the turkey, only to witness it burst in a puff of smoke as he cuts into it.

 

03

of 25

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Paul Schneider, Emily Mortimer, and Ryan Gosling in 'Lars and the Real Girl'

 

Having dinner with your brother's new girlfriend might be a bit awkward. Imagine how much more awkward it becomes when you see that said girlfriend is clearly a sex doll, whom your brother believes to be a real woman. Yeah...

 

04

of 25

Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

The cast of 'Dinner for Schmucks'

 

A dinner party couldn't get any more chaotic if you purposefully packed it full of eccentrics — and that's exactly what the malicious businessmen in Dinner for Schmucks do. The meal is brought to an end after a fire breaks out and an important Swiss investor loses his finger to a bird. So, all in all, not great.

 

05

of 25

Beetlejuice (1988)

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, and Glenn Shadix in 'Beetlejuice'

 

Being possessed and forced to sing a famous Jamaican folk song is definitely out of the ordinary for most dinner parties, but not the one in Beetlejuice. To try to scare the Deetz family out of their home, the recently deceased Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) possess them and their dinner guests to involuntarily perform Harry Belafonte's definitive version of "Day-O," much to their confusion.

 

06

of 25

August: Osage County (2013)

Meryl Streep, Julianne Nicholson, and Juliette Lewis in 'August: Osage County'

 

The sweltering Oklahoma sun is an apt symbol for the flaring tempers of the Weston family when their patriarch dies. After assembling for dinner, matriarch Violet (Meryl Streep) goes on a "true-telling" tear, insulting her family members in such a way that it leads to a knock-out, drag-out fight.

 

07

of 25

Meet the Parents (2000)

Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in 'Meet the Parents'

 

Greg's (Ben Stiller) desperation to impress his girlfriend's parents sets the bar for awkward dinner scenes in modern comedies. Greg does everything wrong: He tries to pass off the lyrics to "Day by Day" from Godspell as a prayer, claims that he milks cats, and tops it all off by destroying the urn that held the ashes of his girlfriend's beloved grandmother.

 

08

of 25

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Robert Oliveri, Dianne Wiest, and Alan Arkin in 'Edward Scissorhands'

 

Happy-go-lucky Avon saleswoman Peg (Dianne Wiest) may be trying her best to keep this family dinner pleasant, but the pale man with sharp blades for fingers that she invited over can't help but make things pretty awkward as he constantly tries and fails to pick up even a single pea. Her son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) won't stop staring, and her husband Bill (Alan Arkin) insists on calling their guest Ed instead of Edward.

 

09

of 25

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams in 'Wedding Crashers'

 

When the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury invites wedding crashers John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn) to dinner, the two accept so John can spend more time with the man's daughter. But the dysfunction is evident right away, as a homophobic grandma, an emotionally sensitive son, some drugged wine, and an under-the-table sexual act make this dinner one that nobody will forget.

 

10

of 25

Back to the Future (1985)

Lea Thompson and Michael J. Fox in 'Back to the Future'

 

It's hard to imagine anything being more awkward than eating dinner next to your mom while she hits on you. Understandably, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) darts out of his grandparents' 1955 dinner when his mother touches his leg after suggesting he stay in her room that night.

 

11

of 25

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Julia Roberts and Rupert Everett in 'My Best Friend's Wedding'

 

That awkward moment when your fake fiancé turns an equally fake story at lunch into a full performance of a classic song. Everyone at the table gets into singing their parts of Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer" in the middle of the restaurant.

 

12

of 25

Pineapple Express (2008)

Seth Rogen in 'Pineapple Express'

 

A 25-year-old stoner showing up late and bloody to meet his high school-aged girlfriend's parents is already a setup for a disastrous dinner. From there, things only get worse, as Dale (Seth Rogen) rambles on about a murder plot and his girlfriend's father responds by telling him to leave before he gets his gun. Guess he's not staying for dessert...

 

13

of 25

American History X (1998)

Edward Norton in 'American History X'

 

A discussion about police brutality at the dinner table is bound to be pretty heated, but it gets downright scary when it's between a young neo-Nazi and a liberal Jewish professor who is dating his mom. After going on a racist diatribe, Derek (Edward Norton) nearly suffocates his sister, screams obscenities at his mom's boyfriend, and shows him his swastika tattoo before kicking him out of the house.

 

14

of 25

The Menu (2022)

Nicholas Hoult and Anya Taylor-Joy in 'The Menu'

 

Celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) gathers a select group of patrons at his island restaurant. While the dinner guests are eager for a five-course meal, the evening quickly takes a dark turn as Julian unveils a series of stunts fueled by revenge, putting a whole new meaning to "dinner theater."

 

15

of 25

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Pierce Brosnan, Robin Williams, Lisa Jakub, and Matthew Lawrence in 'Mrs. Doubtfire'

 

It's no ordinary dinner when you find out your ex-husband has been disguising himself as an older female nanny. Daniel (Robin Williams) is forced to jump between two important meals, one as himself for his job, and another as the nanny Mrs. Doubtfire for the birthday celebration organized by his ex-wife Miranda's (Sally Field) new guy Stuart (Pierce Brosnan). Of course, things go wrong, as Daniel's facial prosthetics fall off in front of his ex-wife. As expected, she doesn't take it well.

 

16

of 25

Hannibal (2001)

Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta in 'Hannibal'

 

It's pretty safe to assume any dinner with Hannibal Lecter would be far from typical. In the follow-up film to The Silence of the Lambs, Agent Starling (Julianne Moore) wakes up drugged at a dinner table as Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) removes the scalp of a Justice Department official (Ray Liotta), cuts out a piece of his brain, and feeds it to him. Not the most appetizing main course...

 

17

of 25

Legally Blonde (2001)

Matthew Davis and Reese Witherspoon in 'Legally Blonde'

 

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) goes on a romantic dinner date with her boyfriend, Warner (Matthew Davis), expecting that this will be the night he proposes. She jumps the gun and excitedly says "I do" before realizing that he's actually breaking up with her. Understandably, Elle is upset when Warner tells her she wouldn't make a respectable senator's wife, and begins to sob.

 

18

of 25

Django Unchained (2012)

Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Django Unchained'

 

Dinner is a bit bizarre when a plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) insists on examining the skull of an enslaved person at the table. However, it gets much worse when his henchmen pull guns on Django (Jamie Foxx) and Schultz (Christoph Waltz) and he rubs his bloody hand over the face of Django's wife (Kerry Washington) while threatening to kill her.

 

19

of 25

The Break-Up (2006)

Jennifer Aniston in 'The Break-Up'

 

A big dinner with your ex and her family is already awkward enough, but it becomes downright cringeworthy when her brother talks passionately about his a cappella group and then tries to make you sing with him.

 

20

of 25

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Richard O'Brien, Tim Curry, and Patricia Quinn in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'

 

There are always some surprises at Dr. Frank-N-Furter's (Tim Curry) mansion, and dinnertime is no exception. Frank reveals that the meat they've all eaten has been made from the body of his ex-lover, Eddie. Hands down, the worst meatloaf dinner ever.

 

21

of 25

American Beauty (1999)

Kevin Spacey in 'American Beauty'

 

Asparagus has never been so scary. What should've been simply an uneventful family dinner in suburbia becomes a sarcastic yelling match after Lester (Kevin Spacey) quits his job and blackmails his boss. As his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) berates him, he throws a plate of asparagus against the wall and tells her that he's going to do what he wants from now on.

 

22

of 25

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell in 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'

 

Before the Bobby family can dive into their feast of Domino's, KFC, and Taco Bell, Ricky (Will Ferrell) begins saying grace to baby Jesus, which frustrates his wife Carley (Leslie Bibb) and father-in-law Chip (Ted Manson) who remind him that Jesus grew up. After the prayer, Ricky's sons Walker (Houston Tumlin) and Texas Ranger (Grayson Russell) threaten their grandpa. When Ricky encourages the insults, Carley gets turned on and they decide to use the dinner table in place of a bed.

 

23

of 25

The Birdcage (1996)

Nathan Lane in 'The Birdcage'

 

Can a drag club owner and his partner/drag star get through a dinner with a highly conservative family without revealing their stereotypically "nontraditional" lifestyle? Albert (Nathan Lane) is able to convince the couple he's a woman for a while, but it doesn't last. That — on top of the homoerotic dinner plates and a soup full of hard-boiled eggs — turns dinner into an awkward mess.

 

24

of 25

Eraserhead (1977)

Jack Nance in 'Eraserhead'

 

Nothing conventional happens in David Lynch's feature film debut Eraserhead, and that includes the dinner scene in which Henry (Jack Nance) sits down with his girlfriend and her parents. He's given a miniature chicken to carve, but it begins moving and bleeding when he sticks his fork into it. Then, his girlfriend's mother convulses and leaves the table screaming. Maybe they should just order a pizza?

 

25

of 25

Beatriz at Dinner (2017)

Salma Hayek and Jay Duplass in 'Beatriz at Dinner'

 

Beatriz (Salma Hayek) is a Mexican immigrant working as a masseuse in California. After a wealthy client (Connie Britton) invites her to an important dinner, the guests' out-of-touch conversations lead to more than a few awkward confrontations as Beatriz attempts to offer her alternative perspectives, unafraid of committing social faux pas.

DEEP-FRIED RANCH A BIG HIT AT MINNESOTA STATE FAIR

Fox News

 

Deep-fried ranch a big hit at Minnesota State Fair: 'I wanted to hate it'

Fair favorite converts skeptics as one TikTok foodie calls it 'not bad at all'

By Christine Rousselle Fox News

Published August 29, 2024 5:00am EDT

 

With the Minnesota State Fair in full swing, one particular food item has proven to be a hit: deep-fried ranch.

 

Served at Lulu's Public House, the deep-fried ranch has drawn lines hundreds of people deep, as customers – perhaps out of curiosity – wait for the fair dish that has gotten everyone talking.

 

Described by the Minnesota State Fair as "ranch dressing filling made with ranch seasoning, buttermilk and cream cheese in a panko shell, deep-fried and dusted with ranch powder," deep-fried ranch is accompanied by "a side of hot honey sauce crafted with Cry Baby Craig's hot sauce."

 

A sign on Lulu's Public House indicates the item is made of Hidden Valley Ranch and ranch flavorings.

 

"People in Minnesota love their ranch dressing," Charlie Burrows, co-owner of Lulu's, told Fox News Digital in an email in July, noting that "diners will ask for a side of ranch with almost everything."

 

Burrows worked on the concept of deep-frying ranch dressing for more than a year and a half, he told Fox News Digital in July.

 

Despite the unusual nature of the dish, Burrows predicted that people were going to love it, saying he was "really excited."

 

"We wouldn't have done it if we didn't think it tasted great," he said.

 

As it turns out, Burrows was correct. He told Fox News Digital that just two days after the fair opened on Aug. 22, he had to place an order for 150% of what he'd originally planned.

 

The item has been described by Lulu's marketing team this way: It's as if "Hidden Valley Ranch and a cheese wonton had a baby." But Burrows told Fox News Digital that he likened his dish to a fried ravioli tossed in panko breadcrumbs.

 

The dish has been tasted – and enjoyed – by ordinary fair-goers as well as politicians and celebrities.

 

Olympic gymnast Suni Lee, a native of Minnesota, posted a video recap of her trip to the fair on Aug. 26, when she tried various food items.

 

Her first taste of deep-fried ranch left her wide-eyed and saying, "Oh my God."

 

One of her security guards can be heard in the background saying, "Deep-fried ranch was awesome."

 

Country singer Blake Shelton also enjoyed deep-fried ranch, even giving it a shoutout during his Sunday night concert at the fairgrounds.

 

"I ate it and it's awesome," Shelton said. "I mean, look at – What is wrong with us? I loved it."

 

Shelton added that a person has "gotta be a hillbilly" to like something like that.

 

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., who had previously referred to ranch as "the Midwest's most sacred condiment," also sampled deep-fried ranch.

 

"It's really good," she said. "The hot honey makes it."

 

"Ranch is a condiment for pretty much everything, but this might be its best execution yet," she said.

 

Kelly Morrison, a congressional candidate for Minnesota's 3rd District, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that "LuLu's deep-fried ranch dressing was even better than advertised," along with a picture of herself holding a half-eaten triangle.

 

"Chef Reactions," a TikTok food creator with more than 3 million followers, also found himself among deep-fried ranch's fans – even if a bit unwillingly.

 

"I just had deep-fried ranch and I must begrudgingly admit it was not bad at all. I wanted to hate it. But I don't," he said in an Aug. 23 post on X.

 

The Minnesota State Fair runs through Labor Day.

 

Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.