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

Wed Nov 21 01:39:39 UTC 2012

No problem. Smile.

On 11/20/12, Gary Wunder <gwunder at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi Michelle. Your post gives me more understanding. Thank you ma'am.
>
> Warmly,
>
> Gary
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michelle
> Medina
> Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 1:54 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] How do You Find your Interactions with Sighted
> People?
>
> 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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>>
>>
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>>
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>
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