[Nfb-krafters-korner] You don't look blind!

Sat Apr 5 18:38:48 CDT 2008

I think Each person is only what they are at this time.  If a so 
called "sighted" person sees only the blindness that is not a 
reflection on us. It is only what that "sighted" person can see.

I was just at your web site.  The first descriptive words read were 
Totally blind.  We are comfortable with our blindness but not 
comfortable when others aren't as comfortable with blindness.  That 
seems normal to me but we can get past that angry feeling when people 
are amazed with the blindness and forget to see us.  Then we can 
teach them better.

When I talk to school classes, whether it is a group of students 
studying to be doctors or a group of second graders, I do this 
experiment with them.

I take the group to the open window. I ask them what they see.  Then 
I close the blinds or put a piece of paper over the screen. Now what 
so you know about what is in front of you?  I tell them, " I am a 
person who is blind".  It is like putting a piece of paper in from of 
my eyes. That doesn't change the person I am, It changes what I can 
see.  That seems to make a lot of sense to the students.

When I read the email on this list I realize that I am a bumbling 
crafter.  Now, I could say that I am amazed that you "blind" people 
can do so much.  When this one doesn't.  It is all in how one looks 
at things.  We have no control over how others look at things.  We 
only have control over what we give them to look at.  That is why my 
Mom is so concerned about open eyes and a good presentation.  Open 
eyes say I am aware of what is around me and opened to what my 
surroundings have to offer me.  Closed eyes have a tendency to close 
the outside world out to the observer.  That is all I meant.

Oh, I found my eyes closing during church tonight.  I had to work on 
keeping them opened. I wasn't sleepy, just relaxed. But people around 
me could think I was asleep. lol

Henrietta
At 12:44 AM 4/5/2008, you wrote:

>I think some people base what blind people are supposed to look like on
>their first encounter with one, or one they saw on TV that looked a certain
>way.  I used to be annoyed by those that always use the word "amazing" in
>conjunction with me, and hearing that word out of some people's mouth still
>annoys the living "Hello!" out of me.  I know this sweet lady at the
>farmers' market that I always meet with mixed feelings of joy and dread,
>because she just won't stop with the constant fascination with my blindness.
>Bless her heart, but she walked with me to the bathroom, telling everybody
>she knew that she just wanted to see how I do things and that I was blind.
>I was a bit embarrassed, and my blindness usually doesn't embarrass me.  I
>looked at her and said quietly, "As if it wasn't totally obvious that I
>can't see."  Her response was, "Hey, I didn't know at first."  Um, hello?  I
>have a cane that's almost as tall as I am.  What more of a sign does one
>need?  LOL.  She was complimenting me on my faith, because I said it was
>good to see her.  I said, "Francine, it just wouldn't sound good to say that
>it was good to hear you or to feel you."  Bless her heart.  She's a sweet,
>sweet lady, but her doting over me and her fascination with my blindness
>just about drives a sober woman to drink.
>
>I so agree with you about the joy one feels when someone says, "This is my
>friend," rather than stating that they have a blind friend.  Thankfully, I
>find that most people will see you as more than blind the more they get to
>know you, but I've known some that never get over the blindness.
>
>
>http://www.raineemusic.com.
>http://www.myspace.com/raineeperdue
>webead-subscribe at yahoogroups.com.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <Blindhands at aol.com>
>To: <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 9:23 PM
>Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] You don't look blind!
>
>
> > How many times have I heard that statement, "You don't look  blind."   So
> > what does a blind person suppose to look like?
> >
> > This is a statement that really gets to me.
> >
> > Then the amazement that how could you sew, knit, quilt, weave,make
> > candles,pour molds,use a sewing machine etc.  Once they get over that and
> > beyond
> > there, then you can talk to them like "Did you see the sale at the yarn
> > shop! It
> > takes a while before they stop excusing themselves that the sighted
> > person
> > used the word "see".  Heck I use it all the time!  When I tell  my
> > Grandaughters
> > let me see what you have, they come over and put it into my  hands.
> >
> > So acting normal is not something we need to hide, just as sharing the
> > hows
> > with other blind folks here will let others know how we "Look" at things.
> >
> > We do have a few sighted folks on the list that enjoy crafting and work
> > with
> > blind folks.
> >
> > I like when folks introduce me as, "There friend, Joyce."  It took a
> > while
> > for that to happen because they use to say "This is my blind friend,
> > Joyce."
> >
> > OK I am getting off the milk crate that I climbed up on.
> >
> > Joyce
> >
> >
> >
> > **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.
> >
> > 
> (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)
> >
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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> >
>
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Henrietta
~I wish you enough~

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