[Blindtlk] blind people being loners
Brian Miller
brianrmiller88 at gmail.com
Mon Jan 28 21:59:51 UTC 2013
There's a Cleveland, Missouri? Yikes.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Gary Wunder
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 3:56 PM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
>
> Hi, Mark. If you have cabs and a bus, you have more than I
> had in Cleveland Missouri. In my town there was no industry,
> no office jobs--it was very much a bedroom community, and
> jobs would have been 30 to 45 minutes away at best.
>
> Warmly,
>
> Gary
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Mark Tardif
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 2:28 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
>
> My experience seems to be more like your experience, Judy. I
> sometimes think I should have moved to the big city to
> maintain independence with issues like transportation and
> shopping. But when our company in Florida went out of
> business last summer, and given serious life and death
> questions about my father's health last year, I determined
> that I would move closer to family so I could at least spend
> more time with my parents and siblings. As a result I live
> in a very small town, and legend has it that there are only
> two seasons here, winter and the Fourth of July. The winter
> here is indeed quite fierce, and transportation options are
> limited. But there are cabs and there is a door-to door bus
> that takes people to one of the larger towns and to Walmart.
> We also have a well-stocked general store here which also
> serves as an inexpensive restaurant with good homemade food,
> and the people kind of get to know you and can't do enough
> for you regarding transportation once they do know you.
> Here, also, people do ride together a lot, whether it
> involves shopping, going to church, whatever. I also happen
> to be fortunate enough to have a neighbor who was a cab
> driver and even though he is retired now, he and his wife
> still carry on their own little ride business for people in
> our building. It's really quite nice, but having said this,
> I have lived in large cities with good bus transportation,
> especially Cleveland, Ohio, and sometimes I wonder if I have
> sacrificed flexibility and independence by no longer living
> in that kind of environment.
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Judy Jones
> Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2013 12:11 AM
> To: gwunder at earthlink.net ; Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
>
> My small town experience years ago was quite different. I
> taught school in a town of 300, and was the only blind person
> in the community. However, everyone did the ride-sharing
> thing, whether it was for getting hair done or buying
> groceries. What really amazed me was that, in such a small
> town, everyone drove everywhere, even if only the five or so
> blocks across town.
> We had a well-stocked general store, but the super market was
> 12 miles away, as was any kind of shopping or commerce.
>
> Now I'm living in a town of about 42 thousand, with limited
> transportation, but, for the size of the town, it works out
> fine. An interesting fact. The bus system here is for
> everyone, disabled or not, and is door-to-door, and has been
> that way for several years. Five to ten miles one way will
> take you across town.
>
> Judy
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 4:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
>
>
> > Hello, Steve. As usual you have written a wonderful response which
> > reflects a great deal of thoughtfulness and life
> experience. I don't
> > find myself disagreeing with anything you say. As much is
> anything I
> > think I would like to see RJ say what he believes and the
> problems he
> > may be having rather than assuming that blindness is the reason for
> > being lonely or alone or whatever he meant.
> >
> > I think that very often blindness in and of itself doesn't cause a
> > problem but that often it can exacerbate problems that are all too
> > common. I think it is more difficult to live as an
> impoverished blind
> > person than it is an impoverished sighted person. I think it is
> > harder to find good counseling if one is depressed and
> blind than if
> > she is simply depressed.
> > Transportation certainly does isolate us, and I think that
> where one
> > chooses to live must be significantly influenced by
> blindness if one
> > is not to find him or herself at the mercy of family and friends.
> >
> > I grew up in a town that had 216 people living in it when I
> was there.
> > It still has less than 1000. When I go home to visit, it
> doesn't take
> > long for me to realize how few options I have in going
> where I want to
> > go and in going when I say I want to go. I need a town with some
> > transportation infrastructure. I need enough money to be
> able to use
> > that transportation.
> >
> >
> > I can't tell you how many people call here who struggle
> with not being
> > able to get an education or find a job, but they will not consider
> > moving because most of the people they know live in their
> little town,
> > or they already have equity in their house, or they would find
> > learning a new area too much of a challenge. It is hard to
> know how
> > to help them.
> >
> > People who have significant medical needs are best served when they
> > lived near a major hospital. This is a physical reality that won't
> > change just because someone says it isn't fair that where one lives
> > can determine the timeliness and effectiveness of the care they can
> > reasonably access. I think the same may be true of being blind. One
> > can live wherever he or she wants, but there are consequences in
> > deciding to live or stay in a small town. I experience some sadness
> > when I go home and realize the visit is over and I live three hours
> > from my family, but I also know that I couldn't live
> independently in
> > that small farming community where every trip to get
> groceries, go to
> > the hardware store, or visit the bank is determined by the
> schedule of
> > another.
> >
> >
> > Gary
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Steve
> > Jacobson
> > Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 11:00 AM
> > To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
> >
> > My guess is that he probably had something in mind when he
> asked this
> > question. While I don't think all blind persons are loners, I
> > definitely think that there are definite barriers to become
> a part of
> > a group of sighted persons. In my case, some of the
> barriers may well
> > be of my own making, I won't claim otherwise, but not all
> of them. I
> > also think that blind kids are often forced to find their
> own way of
> > entertaining themselves unless they are particularly lucky.
> There are
> > many variables involved in looking at what makes each of us what we
> > are, and there are many dangers in drawing conclusions
> based upon one
> > characteristic, but I think it is wrong to deny that blindness can
> > sometimes isolate one even if one is not naturally a loner.
> > Transportation can by itself be a key factor in being
> isolated. While
> > I don't think it makes sense that being isolated is something that
> > should be denied or swept under the rug, I also don't feel
> one should
> > just sit around being isolated and feeling sorry for oneself.
> > There are things that one can do about it. Also, realizing that it
> > simply happens sometimes and not getting all bent out of
> shape about it helps.
> > Finally, I believe strongly that being comfortable with other blind
> > people is not a bad thing. I am not saying that one needs
> to stick to
> > socializing with blind people and forget about those who
> are sighted,
> > but neither should one feel that getting support from
> others who share
> > one's characteristic is a bad thing.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Steve Jacobson
> >
> > On Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:03:15 -0600, Chasity Jackson wrote:
> >
> >>I do not agree with this either.
> >>----- Original Message -----
> >>From: "Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
> >>To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> >>Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 4:00 PM
> >>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
> >
> >
> >>> Hi, RJ. I do not. Do you?
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of RJ
> >>> Sandefur
> >>> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 3:48 PM
> >>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> >>> Subject: [Blindtlk] blind people being loners
> >>>
> >>> Why do you think a lot of blind people are loners? In other words
> >>> isolated?
> >>> RJ _______________________________________________
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> >
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