[Blindtlk] my friend

Fri Feb 8 10:47:19 CST 2008

Hi Kat and All,

Just chiming in to amen everything Kat has said.  What everyone, blind
and sighted alike need to understand is that all of us, whether blind or
sighted, are people.  We are all fallible.  We all have various
strengths and weaknesses.  It makes me crazy to have folks assuming that
everyone of my shortcomings is due to my blindness, and every and all of
my normal , everyday accomplishments are astonishingly amazing simply
because I am blind.  

It just makes me want to slap them. (smile) I'm just a person, living a
normal, ordinary  life.

One example, just telling on myself a bit here, is that I am not an
overly obsessive housekeeper.  I'm not filthy or anything to that
extreme at all.  I just am not as good at or as worried about an
emasculate home as some people are.

Now some of the factors may be related to blindness, for instance, I
never learned to use a broom really well, so I don't do this very well.
But for the most part, the reasons for my shortcomings in the
housekeeping area are procrastination, energy level, and simply having
other priorities.

But inevitably, those who occasionally make note of this shortcoming of
mine, will assume that the reason for this is because I am blind, and
therefore, it is "understandable, but maybe I should hire someone to
help me."

Just to kind of roll two posts into one here, the barefoot thing is
another issue that I really think is more of a personal thing.

I almost never go barefoot outdoors.  I guess I stepped on one too many
bees as a child.  Incidentally, so did my sighted brothers and sisters.

When I hit the front door of my house, my shoes usually are discarded
pretty much immediately.  But I generally put on footies or slippers.
This isn't because I'm afraid or anything.  I'm just cold natured and I
prefer to have my feet covered.  I generally sleep with footies on too.

Now I do like going barefoot just after I've vacuumed the carpet, and it
is all fresh and clean.  I like that sensation.  But again, I think
these preferences are a personal thing, not a blindness thing.

Just my 2 cents.
Diane Graves
Civil Rights Specialist
Indiana Civil Rights Commission
Alternative Dispute Resolutions Unit
317-232-2647

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."--Winston
Churchill

Confidentiality Notice: This E-mail transmission may contain
confidential and/or legally privileged information intended only for the
individual or entity(ies)
named in the E-mail address. If you are not the intended recipient, be
advised that any unauthorized disclosure, copying, distribution, or
acting in reliance
upon the contents of this E-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have
received this E-mail transmission in error, please reply to sender to
arrange for the return and proper delivery of the transmission.
Subsequently, delete the message from your system immediately.

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Kathleen A. Millhoff
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 5:03 PM
To: Marion & Martin; NFBnet Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] my friend

you're right, but not just that; often a person will make a mistake, do
part
of the task wrong, or make a mess; when chided (often in the most
condescending fashion) for the mishap, they, along with everyone else,
assumes the problem was due to blindness; well, often that's true, but
often
it's not; but too many blind people suppose every little error is
blindness
related; the risk of making more mistakes becomes just too overwhelming.
i know someone on the list will remind themselves or others that sighted
people are well-meaning, and i'm sure there are many who are.
i'll share a tiny example which has nothing to do with grass or steak
but to
me illustrates what i'm thinking.
i'm running to my bus; the driver, in an effort to assist me, stands in
front of the entrance, blocking me, causing me to pause, hesitate, or
swerve
to avoid him/her; then, the driver reacts as if i'm going the wrong way,
correcting me, in the belief that blindness has caused my misstep.
on my part, i should speak up, and remind him/her there's no need to
walk in
front of me.
or, another way to make this a much shorter story - if i had one message
as
an educator it could be, everyone makes mistakes.
best,
kat

-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
Behalf Of Marion & Martin
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:34 AM
To: NFBnet Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] my friend

Dear Dewey,
    Often times blind people impose limitation upon themselves that are
not
necessary because someone may have told them that's what blind people do
or
because they were told they should. For instance, one day I decided I
wanted
to try to cut the grass, a chore my ex-wife always did. Before then, I
never
needed to cut the grass because I lived in an apartment complex. Excited
about my new accomplishment, I called my wife and told her what I had
done.
    "Good!" she exclaimed, "Now it can be your chore!"
    Oops!

Fraternally,
Marion Gwizdala
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 1:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] my friend

> Dewey, blind people like your friend, give blindness a bad nade!  I
_truly
> believe, that, what you did was in the lines of god etiquette.  I
would
> get
> up, too.
>
> I would want my burger or meat loaf cut up, too.  _but, _because the
> establishment _is _a _restaurant, I would let the waiter or waitress
do
> that for me, period, end of discussion.  Why?  This is because I might
> have
> crumbs flying around!
>
> You did not say, if you invited him out, or he, (your friend,) invited
> _you out.  Don't _ever go out with this guy again, you hear me?
>
> Eric
> -
>
> _______________________________________________
> blindtlk mailing list
> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk

_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk

_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk