[nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 118- The Mentor

[dmgina]

You know,
If I had a chance to help one person out, that would be the thrill of my 
life.
Now I help my husband out, and it all comes back in return.
I haven't found that person in Montana yet.
Either the rehab here feels they can do it all,
but to have the one to one talk all of the time is grate.
We too need to feel useful.
So if anyone know in Billings where I can be helpful please share.
I had a teacher who showed me many things.
Our first traveling down town, taking a buss.
Of course this was in Denver Colorado.
How to sniff for the different stores.
How to ask directions.
I loved it.
And yes this little girl asked many questions.
My teacher also was blind.
How she learned about the bushes in her yard so she could find her home 
again.
I yes I asked, "what would happen if the bushes were gone?"
Her reply was, that she would have to figure out a new way to find her 
house.
I had never thought of that before.
I learned so much from her.
Thanks for reading.

--Dar
wishing a
backTpack
call me at
406-259-1124
Every Saint has a past,
Every sinner has a future ,
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Leslie Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net>
To: "nfbtalk" <NFB-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 9:43 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] New THOUGHT PROVOKER 118- The Mentor


NFBtalk
RE:  The Mentor

The newest THOUGHT PROVOKER looks at the value of using mentoring.
Specifically this story looks at using young blind persons with much older
newly blind adults.  Check it out.
If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall that I collect
responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn
from and that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info  If you wish to receive
THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-
newmanrl at cox.net

THOUGHT PROVOKER 118
The Mentor

"What does the term mentoring mean?"  Asked the teacher. She was addressing
10 blind students--five high school students who were paired with five
elementary students.

"Mentoring is what happens when you have a more experienced person teaching
a person who has less experience."  Spoke up Bree, a precocious, totally
blind 10-year-old, soft red curls bouncing as she delivered her answer.

"Hee-hee, it can be fun, too!" Volunteered Chelsea, Bree's partner, a tall
dark-haired, partially sighted-15-year-old, who was at an awkward stage in
life (giggles and absent-mindedness).

"Very good you two.  Now class, let us re-visit our goals in terms of
mentoring.  First there is the obvious in how you are paired, one high
school and one elementary student.  Then in regard to our second major
mentoring experience for this program, each of you pairs will be assigned to
mentor an elderly person who is new to blindness."

The next day, Chelsea and Bree arrived at the home of their mentee.  Chelsea
rang the doorbell.  The inner-door was opened by an elderly woman.  "Yes?"
She said through the closed screen door.

"Hi." Answered Chelsea.

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson.  I'm Bree and this is Chelsea.  We are your mentors."
Spoke up Bree.

"Oh yes girls, excuse me.  A person with poor vision can't be too cautious."
Said the woman, unlocking and opening the door.

"If I had been in front, you probably could have seen my white cane and knew
it was us."  Said Bree, trying to be tactfully helpful.

"Possibly, young lady.  Hold still and let me have a look at the two of
you."  Said Mrs. Johnson, stepping close, turning her head to the side using
her peripheral vision.  "Pretty.  Now how about we go into the kitchen, have
tea and get to know one another."

Seated at the table Mrs. Johnson said, "I'm sorry I'm going to have to ask
one of you to pour.  With my vision I'm missing as often as I make it."

"Oh please, let me."  Said Chelsea, jumping up.

"Excuse me, Chelsea!  We are here to teach and here's our first opportunity.
Mrs. Johnson, put your hands on top of mine and I'll show you how I would do
it."  Hands positioned, Bree continued.  "Okay, here's the pot; good it's
not too heavy.  There's my cup.  See how I bring the spout over, feel it
right above the cup?  Then when you tilt the pot, feel it touch the rim and
my finger too?"

"Yes and your finger is poking down into the cup."

"Yes, I'm a little nervous and don't want to overfill it."  Answered Bree,
with a small self-conscious grin.

The three of them talked and talked and had a great visit.

"Okay mentor teams, time to report.  You've had your first visit."  Said the
teacher.

Bree and Chelsea were the third to report.  "We had an awesome visit."  Said
Chelsea.  "We go back next week."

"Mrs. Johnson is 72."  Reported Bree.  "She has macular degeneration, that's
where you lose your central vision and she told us all about it."  Bree went
on to tell of those things she and her partner taught their mentee.  "My
most favorite part was when Mrs. Johnson talked to me about ageing as a
woman."

"What?"  Chelsea interjected in a puzzled tone.

"That was when you took your marathon bathroom break.Anyway, she discussed
how you must change your attitude and do things differently as you get
older.  And, I'm embarrassed to divulge this, but I never knew what age
wrinkles were like.  I mean, my grandparents all died when I was young and
so I never got to know them.  But now I know about wrinkles, Mrs. Johnson
showed me."

"Ee-U!" Said Chelsea, obviously grossed-out.

Turning to her partner, hand on hip Bree said, "I beg your pardon.  In all
due respect to the dignity of Mrs. Johnson, she showed me the wrinkles on
her hands and then the loose and sagging skin of her forearm.  So to sum up,
I mean, we were there to teach Mrs. Johnson about blindness, but she taught
us about ageing, too.  I learned that mentoring can happen both ways."


Robert Leslie Newman
E-Mail- newmanrl at cox.net
Web Site- thoughtprovoker.info




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