Julie, I know people say these kinds of things because I have seen 
this sort of thing on other list.

earlier, JULIE MELTON, wrote:

>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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>2/7/2007 3:33 PM
>>
>>John
>>
>>
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>>2/7/2007 3:33 PM
>
>
>
>
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>2/7/2007 3:33 PM

John


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