[Blindtlk] Adjustment to Blindness Training, NFB Centers or Not?

[David Andrews]

I think the point is that to everyone who regards you as a minority, 
for whatever characteristic, blindness, skin color, ethnic heritage, 
etc., you will be representing everyone with that 
characteristic.  The human tendency is to generalize the individual 
to the group, if you only know one or a few persons in that group.

So, whether or not we want too, each of us represents all blind 
persons, much of the time.

Dave

At 11:01 PM 3/22/2013, you wrote:
>I've been to both NFB and non-NFB training centers. Truthfully, I
>didn't really enjoy either of them. I cook, clean, travel and use my
>computer quite well and have done it my way.
>
>Having said that, and this is kind of veering into the other topic
>discussed here about organizations, their philosophies and such, one
>of my biggest problems with the NFB is that at the particular center I
>was at, and maybe not every NFB'er believes this? was that I was told
>repeatedly that when I stepped outside, I represented ALL blind
>people.
>I'm half Mexican and half white. I won't be representing ALL Mexicans
>or ALL white folks any time soon. I was born with a Tessier Cleft. I
>was one of eight when I was born in the entire world with it, now I'm
>one of between 50  and 56 people. I won't be representing every person
>with a Tessier Cleft either. Do I represent ALL NIRVANA fans? ALL
>NONPOINT fans?  ALL SEETHER fans? No. Why? Because I'm one person, an
>individual. I represent my beliefs, my ideas, my thoughts, feelings,
>emotions, my experiences, not my Dad's or my sister's or anybody
>else's on this list. So how can I possibly represent ALL blind people?
>
>As I said, this is what I learned. Correct me or explain the NFB
>definition of representing ALL blind people if I'm off base and there
>is one.
>Michelle