[nfbwatlk] More Food for Thought

[Alco Canfield]

good thoughts jedi.  i find as i get older i struggle with timeaking the easy route.  actually para transit isn't any easier in the sense that sometimes it can be more time-consuming than the bus.  i found rural america much easier to travel in than  do the city.  you could just walk along the edge of the highway indefinitely.  it was greatthe

i worked with a woman in wenatchee with four children who lost her vision completely quite suddenly.  having four children she did not have the time to sit around and feel sorry for herself.  she was a real trooper and i got very very inspired by her.

when i used to go to new places houses where i needed to work with people i would ask at a garage sale i was passing which house in the block was the one and look for some kind of landmark to use for the next time.  i used to go into apartment buildings and knock on a door on a particular floor and ask.  i don't think that is a safe practice now.

i think encddragement and examle are the oarly ways to get people to stretch and try.  they may or may not.  each of us is responsible to come to terms with how we solve the transportation problem.  those with sighted spouses who drive obviously are not faced with this dilemma in the same way as those of us without that option.

alco

-----Original Message-----
From: Jedi <blindjedi at clearwire.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 10:45 PM
To: 'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List' <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] More Food for Thought

Karl and Others,

I certainly do not advocate that one form of transportation should be the
standard for everyone. Each has their set of conveniences and drawbacks. I'm
concerned by the fact that so many blind people seem not to sway from the
use of para transit. Mind you, I'm not speaking of those blind people with
other disabilities that make travel difficult for them. Karl, you asked
about the "why" rather than the "how." For many blind para transit riders,
the issue isn't a matter of "Oh, this works best for my situation."
Sometimes, and some folks don't always realize it, it's more a matter of
"It's not safe to try anything else." The real question I'm asking is, how
does one balance the concepts of Jernigans "The Nature of Independence" with
the real need for people to stretch out and explore other options which
might help them realize that they actually have them?

Respectfully,
Jedi

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces+blindjedi=clearwire.net at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces+blindjedi=clearwire.net at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 6:21 AM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] More Food for Thought

Good Saturday Morning Lauren and All,
What's more important, the how or the why?
For me it is, Why.
Why do I rise, dress and go into the world each day?
I do so because I believe that I have something of value to share.  Some 
comfort to give.  A helping hand.  Time to listen to someone's story.

If I know who I am and why I go, does it really matter how I do it?
A dog guide, a white travel cane, a ride with a friend, public transit, Para

Transit, my two good legs or a goat cart.  Why on Earth does it matter how 
we go, so long as we know why.

Questioning how we go where we go, may actually be masking our real concern