[Blindtlk] How do You Find your Interactions with Sighted People?

[Michelle Medina]

I read back over my post and am not sure that I said exactly what I meant.
I got angry at the term and because of that didn't necessarily put in
cement what my point was.
I'm not against the NFB, and the NFB is helpful. I don't deny that one bit.
What gets me is when anyone is discriminated against. Blind, sighted,
black, white, you get the point.
I've experienced tons of discrimination because I was born blind due
to an extremely rare birthdefect called a Tessier Cleft. I've had 66
reconstructive surgeries to close my face, build up the bone structure
therein so it wouldn't collapse in on itself as I grew and then to
fill it out.
So I've been punched,  kicked, spit on, and had people follow me and
my family around like I was part of a freak show. Been there done
that.
My Dad is Mexican and has been pulled over and yanked out of his car
and held at gunpoint and accused of running drugs simply because we
were driving through Texas *coming home from visiting my Grandma*.
When the ordeal was over they cited him for "a cracked windshield" his
windshield was not cracked and even if it had been, they couldn't have
seen it when going down the express way at 75 or whatever the posted
speed limit was at the time.
So my point is, I get it, and I am greatful that the NFB is there to
sue when people won't abide by the law, or create a car that blind
people can drive so we can get around on our own.
I'll be the first one trying to buy that thing when it comes out and
I'll probably hug and kiss it for good measure! Lol.
I just also grew up around sighted people, so it angers me to see them
be called crappy names, just like it angered me to be called names and
worse, manhandled for simply being who I am.
I call bull crap  no matter what the circumstances on that.
Everybody deserves to be safe.
And, I would like to note here, I did attend meetings when I was in
middle and high school, my cane teacher used to drive me. I just
didn't like what was going on RE: the reception I felt our sighted
drivers received at said meetings and that turned me off.
Conversely, it wasn't right for me to make a flipant statement about
the NFB as a whole, because I wouldn't have wanted it done to me., so
my apologies for that.

On 11/14/12, Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com> wrote:
> I think, Judy, that this is very true, and as I said in my previous post, my
>
> sense is that there are a lot of people who choose to separate their work
> life from their social life outside of work.  Also, what I forgot to mention
>
> in my work-related comments is that while in Florida, I was part of a church
>
> in which I certainly had sighted friends, and we still keep in touch.  This
>
> was a very warm, welcoming church environment anyway, but I think the fact
> that I chose to make the effort and participate in church life beyond simply
>
> showing up on Sunday mornings probably didn't hurt.  For example, I
> enthusiastically joined the choir and took part in church social events, not
>
> only by showing up but by contributing food or work to make them successful.
>
> Making the effort can make a major difference in acceptance by both sighted
>
> and blind folks.
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Judy Jones
> Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 8:22 AM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] How do You Find your Interactions with
> SightedPeople?
>
> I understand from studies that, sighted or blind, people have many
> acquaintances but few really close friends.  I imagine it's in the numbers
> and taking advantage of social opportunities.
>
> Judy
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "wogg le4" <woggle4 at gmail.com>
> To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2012 4:54 PM
> Subject: [Blindtlk] How do You Find your Interactions with Sighted People?
>
>
>> Hi all
>>
>> I realize it's probably a strange one but how do you find your
>> relationships with sighted people?
>>
>> I often find that, while I meet plenty of people through work and so
>> on and get to know them quickly, I make very few real friends, more
>> aquaintances.
>>
>> I was wondering why this is - perhaps it's the nature of my work -
>> perhaps my personality and I wondered what the experiences of others
>> were?
>>
>> W
>>
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