Lyn,

Hahahahahahahahah! I love it!  WHen dealing with sighted folks, a little 
humor often helps.




JulieMelton
visit me at
www.heart-and-music.com
or subscribe to my podcast at
http://feed.feedburner.com/hmradio
Keep smiling!





>From: Lyn Latham <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Electronic Church <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 11:06:18 -0500
>
>Hey, I wanted to share this with all of you.  It's fantastic.  If anyone 
>knows either Greg Braton or Duncan Holmes, you can see this being something 
>they would know about.  Have fun.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Duncan Holmes
>To: gil tolan
>Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:13 AM
>Subject: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>
>
>I really like this.
>
> > I'm blind, but there's no need to talk to my dog
> >
> > By IAN HAMILTON
> > The Herald, Scotland (UK), February 06, 2007
> >
> > I'm utterly exhausted with people constantly asking how I became blind.
> > Considering that I'm 42, and blind since birth, it could be imagined 
>that
> > by
> > now I would be familiar with this question.
> >
> > On the contrary, if anything I'm getting more impatient with the same 
>old
> > questions day after day. "Have you been blind all your life?" To this I
> > always respond: "Not yet".
> >
> > "Your hearing must be so much better than mine?" Answer: "Pardon?" 
>"That's
> > a
> > lovely Labrador you have there." Answer: "Labrador? My dog is a 
>Shepherd."
> >
> > Not original answers, but they always make me and Moss, my black 
>Labrador,
> > chuckle.
> >
> > It always happens when I'm trapped and unable to escape. When I'm on a
> > bus,
> > train or taxi. People are naturally curious; I understand this. But they
> > can't resist going that little bit too far if you show any glimpse of
> > being
> > generous with your responses.
> >
> > "Couldn't you get an operation to get your sight back?" Answer: "No! I
> > like
> > walking into bus stops."
> >
> > "My auntie was blind. She had to stay in bed. You're so brave going out
> > and
> > about." Staying in bed. Umm, now there's an idea. That was one smart
> > auntie.
> >
> > "How do you find your mouth when you eat?" Answer: "In the same way you
> > find
> > your bum when you wipe it."
> >
> > "If I was blind I would have to kill myself." Answer: "Why wait?"
> >
> > These normal questions are the reason I've come up with a fantastic 
>plan.
> > For years, various organisations have been providing Blind Awareness
> > Workshops. In fact, I've had to deliver a few. These workshops show the
> > public how they should respond if they encounter a blind person. Topics
> > such
> > as, don't go up and shout at blind people, they are not deaf.
> >
> > ASK, if they want to cross the road? DON'T drag them across the road by
> > the
> > ears. When you are giving directions, DON'T waggle your finger in some
> > vague
> > direction and say: "It's just over there next to the post office. SEE, 
>you
> > can't miss it." Wanna bet?
> >
> > Many years ago I was waiting for a bus in Union Street in Glasgow, when
> > two
> > little old ladies decided to lift me, from behind, on to the bus. They
> > proceeded to push, heave and shove me. Now, I know I'm not known for my
> > speed, but I was heading in the right direction of the door under my own
> > propulsion. You won't be surprised to hear that they failed miserably.
> > After
> > all, I'm 13 stone and 6ft. To get me safely aboard they caused mayhem:
> > pushing mothers and toddlers aside to get to their prey. The driver had 
>to
> > leave his cab to untangle buggies, shopping and various limbs and 
>walking
> > sticks.
> >
> > I wonder if the ladies survived that day. I know I'm scared.
> >
> > I've decided to call my new training course The Blind Person's Guide to
> > the
> > General Public. Topics such as dealing with people who are giving
> > directions
> > to my dog while ignoring me. This did happen in Glasgow's Central 
>Station
> > by
> > a member of the railway police. I couldn't believe it. Was he having a
> > laugh? No, he really was under the misapprehension that my dog knew what
> > he
> > was on about. Not once did he refer to me at all. Bizarre behaviour!
> >
> > My course will teach blind people how to cope when faced with this kind 
>of
> > attitude. When people come up and say: "You are a lovely boy" - when
> > talking
> > to the dog. Say, "Thank you very much but I'm spoken for."
> >
> > Another tip is always to have a pair of headphones in your pocket. It is
> > awful to be trapped on a train with someone going through all their 
>fears
> > and traumas about being blind. Just say that you are going to listen to 
>an
> > audio book. Pop on the headphones and put the jack in your pocket. 
>They'll
> > never know the difference.
> >
> > When you get caught by someone asking silly questions, the answer is to
> > turn
> > the conversation round at the first opportunity. The one main 
>conversation
> > that everyone likes to talk about is themselves.
> >
> > Now this doesn't just apply to us blindies - the technique can be used 
>by
> > everyone. Let me give you an example. I was travelling on the Glasgow
> > Underground. Sitting opposite was a woman who decided to interrogate me
> > about my then German Shepherd guide dog. "What's its name?" The 
>following
> > questions took that kind of line. Then she started to get a little more
> > probing. "So how did you lose your sight?"
> >
> > Now in the correct circumstance that is a perfectly reasonable question.
> > However, not on the underground when surrounded by ear-wigging 
>passengers.
> > I
> > had a number of options. One is telling her to mind her own business (or
> > words to that effect). I took a different tack. This was the first time 
>I
> > had put the technique into action.
> >
> > It worked a treat.
> >
> > I ignored her question. Then I asked her some questions of my own, such
> > as,
> > "Where are you off to today?". By the time she got off three stops 
>later,
> > I
> > knew that she had just broken up with her boyfriend, she was looking for 
>a
> > flat and was thinking of moving south again! But she left the tube 
>feeling
> > happy. I hadn't been rude, and the only thing she found out about me was
> > the
> > name and age of my dog.
> >
> > A good result, I would say. I'm not a reporter for nothing.
> >
> > Ian Hamilton reports on disability issues for BBC Scotland.
> >
> >
> >
>http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.1173810.0.0.php
>
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.1.411 / Virus Database: 268.17.19/663 - Release Date: 2/1/2007