honestly, John!  Do you think he said half those things in reality?  The 
only thing I recall that he really did was to change subjects when the woman 
got too personal.   sometimes that has to be done.

Maybe it would help to take these kinds of things with a grain of salt 
rather than in such a literal fashion.



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





>From: John Schwery <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Electronic Church <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 12:46:15 -0500
>
>Although I understand the humor and frustrations, I don't agree wit the 
>approach.  Our speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt.
>
>earlier, JULIE MELTON, wrote:
>
>>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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 2/7/2007 
>>3:33 PM
>
>John
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this outgoing message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 2/7/2007 
>3:33 PM