[nfbwatlk] Food for Thought

[Frederick Driver]

Hi Rebekah,

Here is what the Canadian Federation of the Blind F.A.Q. page says on
that.

Rick

[quote]

Are blind people's other senses better because they are blind?

Blind people's senses, hearing, touch, taste and smell, are not
innately or biologically different from anyone else's. We use our
other senses; thus, we become adept at taking in information in these
ways. The key word is use; the more one uses something, the more
fine-tuned it becomes.

[end quote]

http://www.cfb.ca


On Tue, 22 Jan 2008, Rebekah Jakeman wrote:

> Good thoughts.  Along the lines of educating people--my friend's daughter is
> doing a science project on how blind people's other senses are greatly
> enhanced or super powered.  I told her that this is not true nor has it been
> my own experience.  But she wants more info.  Does any one have an
> experience they can share or know of more info I can give her?  She's coming
> today to ask me about it.
>
> Thanks so much,
> Rebekah
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jedi" <blindjedi at clearwire.net>
> To: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 11:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Food for Thought
>
>
> > Karl,
> >
> > I've always marveled at the fact that we never mourn the loss of a
> > caterpillar's ability to be a caterpillar. Instead, we stand in awe of its
> > becoming a beautiful butterfly. In that vein, it makes sense that we
> > should
> > say we become blind rather than that we lost our sight just as we say that
> > a
> > caterpillar becomes a butterfly. After all, blindness opens doors to new
> > experiences that we may not have had otherwise. And I'm not talking about
> > the actual experience of sightlessness. Rather, it occurs to me that had I
> > not been blind, I wouldn't know anyone here on this list. In any case...
> >
> > Respectfully,
> > Jedi
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> > Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
> > Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 1:39 PM
> > To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] Food for Thought
> >
> > How long must we endure?  Just as long as the Media reports blindness as
> > an
> > affliction, reporting that we suffer from blindness, the tragic loss of
> > our
> > precious sight, stricken blind. If Grandpa suffered with cancer and had to
> > go to a nursing home to wait to die, then what do children think when they
> > learn that Grandma is suffering from blindness?
> > When I am out and about in the world do people see me, the capable blind
> > man?  Or do they see all of the negative adjectives associated with
> > blindness?
> > Although I consider myself to be a fairly mellow, flexible guy, over the
> > years I have become much more rigid in one area.  I refuse to say, "I lost
> > my sight".  In fact, I no longer tell folks that I went blind.  I always
> > say, "I Became blind".  While it sounds like a small thing, I believe that
> > it helps set a more positive tone.  I became a husband.  I became a
> > father.
> > I became self-employed.  I became blind.
> > I want people to see me as I am today.  Help them to focus on the positive
> > aspects of my life, not on my loss.  Once you say, "I lost my sight",
> > people
> >
> > are caught up in the tragedy of what you once had.  Or in some cases, of
> > what you never had.  They are seeing only the negative.
> > I became a blind man in 1965, and my life has been a wild and wonderful
> > ride.  I have never held better jobs.  I met and married a beautiful,
> > bright, generous woman.  I look forward to each new day, and the
> > excitement
> > that it brings.
> > When, from time to time someone insists, "but you lost your sight.  That
> > is
> > terribly depressing".  I tell them, "I also lost my youth.  I lost my
> > teeth.
> >
> > I lost 20 dollars.  I lost a job.  My life is full of losses.  But the
> > great
> >
> > secret of Life is that all my losses are behind me.  I am today a blind
> > man.
> >
> > And tomorrow, when the Sun rises, I will become involved in living Life to
> > the fullest.  I have no time to wallow in loss.
> >
> > Carl Jarvis
> >
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> >
> >
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