I know. I sometimes feel like there's nothing else to do, andsometimes, I
wish I didn't even have a dog.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Pearson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 3:13 AM
Subject: Re: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
> Yeah, that's sort of what I felt. Coming from GB and having heard many of
> these things said before, I could see the irritation all over the writer's
> face. (Hope I'm not being too hard here.) Some bits were funny though.
>
> --
> Carol - Reading, UK
>
> To you, o Lord, I lift up my soul;
> In You I trust, o my God. . . .." PS25:1-2 NIV.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Schwery" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>
>
>> 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
>
>
> --
> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.411 / Virus Database: 268.17.19/663 - Release Date: 2/1/2007
>
>
|
