[Blindtlk] a question about getting lost

[Steve Jacobson]

Vejas,

There are many aspects to learning and also getting lost.  I felt that the most important thing I 
learned when in travel training was that the world didn't end because I got lost sometimes.  Getting 
lost was always one of my biggest fears about traveling independently, and once I found that it was 
manageable, that fear was gone for me.  

While I agree with what everyone else has said, I would like to add another layer to this subject.  
While getting lost and finding your own way out of that situation is extremely important and part of 
being a good traveler, getting lost is also not always very efficient such as when you go between 
classes.  You don't always have time to get lost and figure out what you did wrong.  Therefore, it is 
also important to try to figure out why you got lost.  For example, if you tend to get lost at the same 
point in a route, it is great that you can recover, but it also is worth trying to figure out why it 
happened and avoid the getting lost and recovering process altogether.  Sometimes the reason you get 
lost at a particular point is obvious once you explore a little.  For example, maybe you listen for a 
vent fan to know when to make a right turn without knowing that the fan isn't always on.  Maybe you know 
you can turn left just after a wide opening on your right without knowing that the opening is really a 
wide doorway with double doors that can be closed at certain times.  In other words, getting lost is not 
a bad thing at all if you are able to recover by reading a room number, for example, but it still 
doesn't hurt to try to examine whether you can more reliably travel that route without needing to look 
at the room number, not because it is wrong but because it uses up what can be precious little time 
between classes.  Obviously, I don't know your aid, but if your aid travels with you a lot perhaps your 
aid could be channeled to help you figure out if there are more efficient ways of navigating the route 
rather than getting on your case because you are using your skills to figure out where you are.  Maybe 
your aid just won't be much help, either, but there is something to be gained by trying to figure out 
what circumstances might cause you to get lost, particularly if it involves routes that are often 
traveled.  The most important thing, though, is to keep trying and don't let someone else's attitude 
discourage you.  Still, while getting lost and recovering is a very good thing, if you can avoid it 
while still traveling alone, you'll reach your destination sooner.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

>-----Original Message----- 
>From: vejas
>Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 8:33 PM
>To: nabs-l at nfbnet.org ; blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [Blindtlk] a question about getting lost

>Hi,
>I am doing a pretty good job navigating my high-school campus.  I
>hardly ever get lost, but I used to more often when I began.
>I had a question: is it a big deal when you get lost, but find
>your way COMPLETELY on your own?
>I'm emphasizing this because my aide used to always get mad at me
>when I got lost, even if I found my way using my skills.  One
>time he got upset because I was checking a room number on a door,
>but I needed to know what the room number was in order to get
>where I was going.  He treats getting lost and finding my own way
>just as badly as getting lost and needing lots of help.  Is this
>right?
>Vejas

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