[Blindtlk] a question about getting lost

[David Evans]

Dear All,

I Second the suggestion.  I have helped other students to attend the Summer 
programs at the NFB Centers and everyone has come back and thanked me for 
the experience.
I, myself, was very impressed by the travel skills of a young graduate who 
showed me, at a time when I was not open to learning the skills of 
Blindness.
I was at my first Washington Seminar in 1991 and it was my first real 
exposure to the power of the NFB and the things it stands for.
I was teamed with this 21 year old student named Melody, a Deaf/Blind guy 
and a middle aged lady.
The middle aged lady and I were the only ones in the group who had any 
vision at all.  Melody had no vision at all, but she had just graduated the 
NFB center in Ruston .
She had great travel skills from there.
We had an appointment to see a certain Congressman in the Cannon building 
and arrived at the office about 10 minutes early.
Melody , who was leading our group, stuck her head into the office to 
confirm that we were at the right office and we were shocked to find that he 
had just been moved to the Rayburn building the week before.
We now had 10 minutes to get to the Rayburn from the Cannon.
Melody told me to take Joe and lead him and for the other lady to follow and 
try to keep up.
Off we went following Melody and her swinging cane, down the halls, in and 
out of elevators, up and down escalators and through the underground tunnels 
that connect the Congressional office buildings.  The tunnels are numerous 
and tricky enough to drive most gofers crazy.
We made it right on time, huffing and puffing,  for our appointment and I 
was so impressed by what Melody did, and how she did it with such skill and 
composure that I decided that I wanted to be able to be like her and do what 
shee did.
She became a role model to me and the experience changed my mind and 
attitude about how I viewed blindness and myself.
I began to learn from my NFB peers and developed very good cane skills and 
have not been afraid to travel anywhere or at anytime since.
I learned that I am never lost, I am just exploring in a different 
direction.
I would advise any student to try a Summer program at an NFB center.  It 
will make you grow in some many ways.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer
Builder of the Lunar Rovers and the F-117 Stealth Fighter


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] a question about getting lost


> This is sort of beside the point, but have you thought of attending one of 
> the summer programs at one of the NFB training centers? Attending one of 
> these summer programs will improve your travel and problem solving skills, 
> home management skills, and computer and Braille skills and allow you to 
> network with other blind students your age and attend the National 
> Convention.  I attended BLIND Inc the summer between graduating high 
> school and starting college, I only wish I knew about it when I was 
> younger so that I could have attended one of the programs for high school 
> students as well.
>
>
>
> HTH
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
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