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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