[Blindtlk] the meaning of confidence

[Kelby Carlson]

How does one go about finding a bathroom? I've never been good at 
that (although, as I've said before, being in high school and not 
having access to transportation I'm usually with people.) Is it 
just a matter of asking where it is? Especially in abigger place, 
I wouldn't want to wander around getting hopelessly lost 
(especially if I really needed to use the bathroom!) Maybe it's 
just that I'm unfamiliar with the particulars of the structure 
discovery method, but it seems to be similar in part to how I 
travel.  I'm just not sure, since my training hasn't come 
directly from the NFB.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Gary Wunder" <GWunder at earthlink.net
>To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:07:23 -0600 (CST)
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] the meaning of confidence

>Hi Julie.  I like your post--the humor and the serious parts.

>For me confidence is composed of two parts--having the belief in 
myself to
>try, and practicing what I find difficult enough that it becomes 
less
>difficult and hence more doable.  An earthy example if you will 
permit it: I
>hate trying to find bathrooms in a public place and used to take 
foolish
>pride in my bladder--how long I could go without going.  Well, 
it's wonderful
>that God blessed me with a good bladder, but it is more 
productive to
>address my tension at having to practice structured discovery and 
just go
>find a bathroom.  Age has helped me along with this issue, not 
only because I
>believe more in myself, but my bladder doesn't let me ignore it 
for eight or
>ten hours at a time.  I've also found that I'm more uncomfortable 
being
>physically uncomfortable than I was being mentally uncomfortable.

>Confidence may be an overused word on this list, but for me it 
really
>represents two very important areas of growth: knowing I can 
safely venture
>forth, and making that trip a minor event rather than something I 
would
>ponder exhaustively before taking it.






>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Julie J
>Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 8:03 AM
>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>Subject: [Blindtlk] the meaning of confidence

>I've noticed that often we toss out the word "confidence" in our
>discussions, but I often wonder what exactly is "confidence"?

>I've read promotional material for guide dog schools that tell 
you if you
>get a guide dog you'll increase your confidence and independence.  
I've seen
>claims that if you have good blindness skills, you'll be 
confident.  Jeeze,
>I've even seen deodorant commercials claiming increased 
confidence if you
>use their product.  *smile*

>But if it was that easy wouldn't we all be confident people?  We 
aren't and
>even those who claim a strong level of confidence still have 
moments of
>insecurity.  What then is confidence and where does it come from?

>I would assert that confidence comes from within.  It isn't based 
on a cane
>or a dog or a certain number of skills attained.  I believe it is 
an
>attitude, an inner knowing.  It is being comfortable in your own 
skin.   I
>don't think there is anything or anyone that can give us 
confidence.  I
>believe that it is something we must claim for ourselves.

>Certainly there are extrinsic circumstances that assist us on the 
road to
>claiming confidence for ourselves, like good cane skills or a 
guide dog, but
>I do not believe that those things *give* us anything, except for 
perhaps
>the opportunity for self discovery.

>Thoughts?
>Julie
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