[Blindtlk] Refusal To Use A Cane

[Gary Wunder]

Hello, Diane.  One of the unfortunate consequences of becoming an adult and
then adding years or decades to this momentous transition is that sometimes
we get defensive.  We have clear rules about how adults are to be treated;
sometimes we adopt an attitude that anything worth learning we have already
learned.  This makes us bristle a bit when people present things in a new
way.  I sometimes find myself thinking "I am 57 years old.  What in the
world are you doing trying to tell me this?" In my case this comes from
embarrassment--how did I go so long without knowing this. It is easy to get
defensive and harder to be open to the change.

I think this helps in understanding why people don't seem to appreciate good
techniques.  While we may publicly reject the idea that you can't teach an
old dog new tricks, I do think we become too comfortable with the idea that
my way works just fine.  When I teach, I try to employ subtlety, patience,
and respect for the fact that a person shouldn't have to sacrifice his
dignity in order to learn what I have to teach.

Warmly,

Gary