[blindkid] Awesome!

[Carrie Gilmer]

Hi Carolynn :),
What you describe is in a nutshell why we say that the biggest "problems"
are not from amount of eyesight. Yes sometimes you do smile and "let it go",
sometimes it's the fifth time after other ignorance is shown and one snaps a
bit (or in truth, a lot, lol). I have found that it is rare the opportunity
to both have the time to teach in a situation AND have a person who TRULY
wants to learn. And you can typically think that a person will have often
some epiphany and understand all from one (or even a dozen encounters); some
NEVER get it, some get it like in an epiphany all at once (like YOU). Most
just get embarrassed, or truly don't get it and no matter how nice you say
anything they think YOU have the problem. Pretty much everyone likes to
think they have no ignorance or prejudice :).
At times I have returned with a question, "WHY do you think it is
amazing?"...and in trying to answer they see that they thought it was super
hard (for example) to go on stairs with poor or no vision...and some times
there has been time to elaborate on how they likely already do things
themselves...things they know by touch...
What I do do--ALWAYS if my child heard it...is to discuss with him. Our
children must learn to decipher and pick up on low expectations. What if
this was said during/just before or after a job interview? They need to
understand when and who says things like this might be more important. And
they need to learn to live with this and respond-or not-without being angry
or always assuming...Its a tricky deal. And stuff like this unfortunately
happens everyday, every day to blind adults moving about alone in the big
world. 
We need some phone time lady :).
Always,
Carrie

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Carly B
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 1:31 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
Subject: [blindkid] Awesome!

Hi! I've been meaning to post this question for some time: what do you say
to the well-meaning, kind-hearted, but clueless person who exclaims, "WOW!
That's AMAZING!" when your child walks up or down a set of stairs (or some
other perfectly ordinary thing)? Do you just smile and let it go? Talk to
your child afterwards? Is there an opportunity for education with a quick
and to-the-point comment?

I'm just wondering what you do/say.

Thanks for any helpful advice you may have!

:) Carolynn Barnes
(aka Brian's mom)
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