[Blindtlk] People How Asking How one Became Blind

Desiree Oudinot turtlepower17 at gmail.com
Sat May 18 04:05:30 UTC 2013 

That's an interesting point. I've often wondered how different I would
have been if I had grown up sighted. And, undoubtedly, for those who
have lost their vision later in life, things drastically changed for
them. The adjustment they had to go through would almost have had to
change their entire perspective on life. Whether they grew from it or
simply crawled into a corner, depending, of course, on how active or
inactive the formerly sighted person was to begin with, it would have
to spark massive changes.
I've known people who have lost their sight later. Some embraced the
challenge of learning how to do things in a new way, and were very
aggressive in making sure they got the right tools and services that
they needed so they could go back to being productive. I dated a guy,
on the other hand, who never quite got over losing his sight. He was
one of the most bitter, controlling people I've ever met. How much of
this was due to his loss of sight I can't say, which brings me full
circle. How much of one's personality is established by their
disability? Perhaps the more appropriate question would be, how much
should be?

On 5/17/13, Kelby Carlson <kelbycarlson at gmail.com> wrote:
> Something about this sentiment has always vaguely bothered me.
> It's not as if I want to say that my blindness is something that
> constantly brings horrible suffering insmy life, but simply
> describing it as "a nuissance" seems pretty reductionistic, as
> does saying that it's "just a characteristic." Both things are
> true, but blindness affects me in more contexts and in far more
> ways
> than, say, having brown hair does.  It also tends to shape my
> outlook on life, the world and events-consciously and
> subconsciously-a lot more than other "minor" characteristic.  It
> would be hard to try and rank it on a scale along with other
> things like personality, religious convictions and the like, but
> I think a disability can have a pretty important relationship to
> how one forms one's identity and I don't necessarily see anything
> wrong with that.
> Kelby
>
>
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com
> To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Fri, 17 May 2013 18:56:15 -0700
> 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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