[Blindtlk] Being asked why one is blind

Mike Freeman k7uij at panix.com
Sat May 18 04:00:56 UTC 2013 

Yeah boy!

Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dave Hyde
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 8:11 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: [Blindtlk] Being asked why one is blind

fOk, Mike. Let's take this to the logical end. If, one has reduced blindness
to a characteristic, and then if one is asked about it and nosium, then it
would become as annoying as someone being asked why their hair was so red,
their eyes so blue, or why so tall. This does annoy those who have the
aforementioned characteristics. They tend to give short, and sometimes
unkind answers. Now if we admit that Lou Alcindor (yes, I know his name is
different) or for those younger than you and me, Shakiel O'Neil, get little
grief about giving such answers to questions like "How's the weather up
there?", why should we who have the characteristic of blindness be chastised
for giving the same kind of answer to a question that we get all the time,
and most often, from those who don't really want to know?

Now I try to answer children. That is education. I try, most of the time, to
give responsive answers to adults who I believe want to know. But in the
original case of the question that started this thread, I'd probably go
Socratic. If particularly annoyed, I might ask what made her ask so many
questions.

The bottom line is that this sounds like a fine discussion over a beverage.
See you at national. I'll be sitting behind you Or, you could say, I got
your back. 

-----Original Message-----

From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike
Freeman

Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 8:56 PM

To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'

Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] People How Asking How one Became Blind

You got it! However, we do offer this view with the provisos that if and
only if the blind person has good training and opportunity, his/her
blindness can be reduced to a damned nuisance.

Mike


-----Original Message-----

From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly
Mihalakis

Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 12:35 PM

To: Blind Talk Mailing List; Blind Talk Mailing List

Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] People How Asking How one Became Blind

Good morning, don't organizations such as the Federation teach that
blindness is nothing more than an inconvenience, another personal
characteristic, like eye or hair color? Oughtn't then we also act as such,
while speaking of the condition of our peepers, and how they came to be as
such?Ray Foret Jr wrote:

>Ah, but, aren't we trying to educate the public that it's respectable

>to be blind?  Well, aren't we?  IF not, then you are right.  IF so,

>well, perhaps it's time to see just where or if the rubber truly meats

>the road.

>

>

>Sent from my mac, the only computer with full accessibility for the

>blind built-in!

>Sincerely,

>The Constantly Barefooted Ray

>Still a very proud and happy Mac and Iphone user!

>

>On May 17, 2013, at 12:05 AM, Desiree Oudinot <turtlepower17 at gmail.com>

wrote:

>

> > I understand what you're saying. But would you advocate that

> > everyone should know this person's history? Blindness is an

> > uncomfortable topic for the average person in society to talk about;

> > suicide, or attempted suicide, even more so. Combine the two and you

> > might just send someone running away screaming. Sure, you could

> > claim that they're not worth your time, but the fact remains that

> > discretion is the key in such sensitive situations.

> > As I said, though, something like that is probably the exception

> to the rule.

> >

> > On 5/17/13, Mike Freeman <k7uij at panix.com> wrote:

> >> It came to my mind that syphilis would also be one of those

> >> less-than-savory blindness causes -- but that's rare now.

> >>

> >> Incidentally, Desiree, I also knew a person who tried to commit

> >> suicide; she shot herself, woke up realizing she hadn't done the

> >> job, shot herself

> >> *again* and woke up in the hospital realizing all she'd done was

> >> blind herself. She had been a brilliant mathematician and that

> >> brilliance was gone when she recovered but she was still very

> >> bright -- and blind. She went on to lead a normal life.

> >>

> >> Mike

> >>

> >>

> >> -----Original Message-----

> >> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of

> >> Desiree Oudinot

> >> Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2013 4:47 PM

> >> To: Blind Talk Mailing List

> >> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] People How Asking How one Became Blind

> >>

> >> Hi,

> >> I think there are two angles to consider here. If, for example, you

> >> became blind after trying unsuccessfully to kill yourself (I knew

> >> someone like that, he shot himself in the head, survived, but was

> >> blinded), I can see how one might not want to talk about something

> >> like that with strangers. Even veterans might have this problem if

> >> their war injuries caused them to lose their sight. In other words,

> >> I can see both sides of this. I think you should only tell people

> >> what you're comfortable telling them. If how you became blind is

> >> something highly personal or traumatic, you shouldn't have to

> >> reveal that to everyone you meet. After all, we don't

> normally go around

> >> displaying our emotional baggage for all to see, that's considered

> >> by most to be undignified. But for someone like me, who was born

> >> blind, or for people who have lost their sight to things like

> >> glaucoma or what have you, there's no shame in talking about it.

> >>

> >> On 5/16/13, wogg le4 <woggle4 at gmail.com> wrote:

> >>> Hi, I often people ask what is a personal question when they don't

> >>> know one very well. Why do they feel justified in doing so?

> >>>

> >>> I have no difficulty in discussing the subject but don't always

> >>> think it appropriate in the particular context.

> >>>

> >>> this email was prompted by a girl who remarked that she had

> >>> wondered about this all the time she knew me.

> >>>

> >>> I think she's a bit wierd anyway - it just got me thinking, as I'm

> >>> currently stuck on a train sitting beside this girl, struggling to

> >>> make conversation, which I'm finding particularly difficult - she

> >>> really is an annoying individual.

> >>>

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> >>>

> >>

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>t.net


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