[Blindtlk] an awkward experience

Wed Oct 9 02:53:28 UTC 2013

RE: Personal Space:

I know we've been talking about blindness, but I was also born with a
Tessier Cleft, which is the reason I'm blind in the first place. In
lay terms my face didn't form properly and that included my eyes. I've
had bone grafts taken from my skull (twice) and my ribs (two rib
bones) and placed into my face  to build up bone structure.
Needless to say, aside from Marte gra, I've had people in other
situations, like at the grocery store, come up and put their hands on
me. Not even in prayer, but just too touch my face or hug me or hang
on me without my permission. People have actually stalked my family,
going so far as to follow us through the department/grocery store and
have even gotten their friends/family to join in and follow us. There
have been some crazy experiences including one in Old Navy where my
sister told the m*****f***** to bust out their ******* camera and take
******* pictures!! Needless to say, not the most Jesus like approach,
but I can understand her frustration as I've gotten that tired of the
surgeries and that tired of answering questions about whether my
parents did drugs or not/whether or not I was burned in a fire.

On 10/8/13, Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com> wrote:
> Oh, she is absolutely wonderful, one of the most giving, caring and aware
> people you would ever want to meet.
>
>
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gloria Whipple
> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 10:29 PM
> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>
> Sounds like a wonderful friend.
>
> That is how I feel about this friend who I wanted to take out to lunch, but
> my prayers were more important to her.
>
> Gloria Whipple
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mark
> Tardif
> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 19:26
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>
> A sighted woman I am still very good friends with in Connecticut and I used
> to go running around a track in a posh, suburban neighborhood.  One day I
> finished ahead of her and went back to her car, and when she got there she
> told me that an older lady had given her compliments, saying things like,
> "Oh, it is so nice that you take that gentleman to get his exercise."  Both
> my friend and I had a laugh, but I kind of felt badly for her that she had
> to handle it all by herself, without my help.  Fortunately, my friend is
> very aware of how I do things, we go back a long way together, and was
> never
>
> afraid to observe, give feedback, and ask questions.
>
>
>
> Mark Tardif
> Nuclear arms will not hold you.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brandon Olivares
> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 8:57 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>
> I had a friend in college who often walked with me to class. One time some
> guy, he may have been a professor though neither of us quite knew, walked
> up
>
> to him and whispered in his ear, so that I would not hear it, something to
> the effect of, "How nice it is that you are doing this." Implying that my
> friend was only doing it because I needed it, not because he was just my
> friend. Boiled both of our blood, but he was so shocked he couldn't say
> anything.
>
> On Oct 8, 2013, at 8:51 PM, "Gloria Whipple" <glowhi at centurylink.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Or another thing is, oh you poor thing, for being the way you are, you do
>> such a good job getting around and taking care of yourself. I just want
>> to
>> cringe!
>>
>> Gloria Whipple
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brandon
>> Olivares
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 17:43
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>
>> OH,I so know how being smothered is. When I was in college, I would be
>> standing 3 feet from the elevator and be asked if I needed help getting
>> there. It was well-intentioned, but still a bit too much.
>>
>> On Oct 8, 2013, at 8:36 PM, "Gloria Whipple" <glowhi at centurylink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Christine,
>>>
>>> First, welcome!
>>>
>>> My name is Gloria Whipple and I am Catholic.
>>>
>>> I also had people try to pray over me and didn't really like it, and
>>> told
>>> them so in a nice way. If God wants me to see, he will make it happen.
>>>
>>> I am also happy with my adaptive technology.
>>>
>>> I have some women in the church who try to smother me because of my
>>> blindness. I try to tell them I can get along without them trying to
>> smother
>>> me. I think I got the point across without being snotty about it.
>>>
>>> Again, welcome to the list.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Gloria Whipple
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>> Christine
>>> Olivares
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 17:10
>>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>> I just joined today, but my husband sent the experience you had,
>>> Michael.
>> I
>>> may have a different opinion than you guys do, but then again I haven't
>> had
>>> quite the same experience except for once. I was standing in line at
>> Church
>>> waiting to sit down, when this random guy came behind me and turned to
>>> my
>>> left. All of a sudden I felt his left hand on my eyes. He said nothing,
>> but
>>> I new what he was doing. He should have asked me if he could have prayed
>>> over me since I would have said of course.
>>>
>>> I grew up in the Catholic charismatic Renewal, so I do believe in
>>> healing
>> of
>>> all kinds. I have been prayed over many many times for my miracle, and I
>>> believe it will happen. My visual impairment is more medical since I
>>> have
>>> congenital glaucoma and have to go for eye appointments and surgeries
>> often.
>>>
>>> If someone were to come up to me in a store, most likely I would accept
>>> because I grew up with it. However, there must be some tact. I am not a
>>> "poor child" because of my visual impairment, for it is just an
>>> inconvenience. However, that doesn't mean I don't have hope for a
>>> miracle
>>> someday. Until then, I use adaptive technology and am happy with it
>>> until
>>> that day comes.
>>>
>>> Michael, I am sorry for what happened to you. I think this person who
>> prayed
>>> for you should have been a little more tactful. At least she didn't
>>> touch
>>> your eyes. :)
>>>
>>> God bless,
>>> Christine
>>> On Oct 8, 2013, at 7:17 PM, "justin williams"
>>> <justin.williams2 at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> It's not off topic; John 9 is awesome.  Why is it that people forget
>> that.
>>>> Seems like they harcon back to old testament when the blind profit fell
>>> dead
>>>> when he found out that his sons died, or when the man rose from the
>>>> wheelchair after jesus laid hands on him.  Or any number of other
>>> instances.
>>>> The one in John nine seems like that would be the deciding factor as
>>>> that
>>> it
>>>> is in the new testament.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>> Brandon
>>>> Olivares
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 6:58 PM
>>>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>>>
>>>> James,
>>>>
>>>> Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that. As a Catholic, I don't get that kind of
>>>> thing within the Catholic Church, thank God. It brings to mind this
>>> passage:
>>>>
>>>>> As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples
>>>>> asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was
>>>>> born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his
>>>>> parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him."
>>>>> (John 9:1-3 RSVCE)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A bit off topic, but that came to mind.
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 8, 2013, at 6:33 PM, "James Kelm" <jameskelm at earthlink.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello there...
>>>>>
>>>>> I just thought that I would throw my own thoughts into this
>>>>> discussion.
>>>>>
>>>>> As many of you on this list already know, I am a Christian pastor.  I
>>>> have a church, and work fulltime within this position.  I mention this
>>> only
>>>> to say that I have perhaps a bit more familiarity with the Bible than a
>>> lot
>>>> of people, and have a recognized commitment to its teaching.  But this
>>> still
>>>> does not prevent those who are rude, ignorant, or just plain goofy from
>>>> expressing themselves to me on the subject of my blindness.  I don't
>> think
>>>> that this is because they are any particular religion, belief system,
>> etc.
>>> I
>>>> just think that they are rude people, and would be rude regardless of
>>> their
>>>> own justification.
>>>>>
>>>>> A few weeks ago, I had a woman visit my church.  A few days after her
>>>> visit, she came to my home.  After I had answered the door, she
>>>> promptly
>>>> said that she had to talk to me right away, and that it was very
>>> important.
>>>> This is not uncommon for a pastor, so thinking that she had some kind
>>>> of
>> a
>>>> personal emergency, I invited her in.  After we had sat down, she began
>>>> telling me that she really liked our church, and thought that I was a
>> very
>>>> good pastor/teacher.  She then proceeded to tell me that although she
>>> liked
>>>> our church, she could not regularly attend our services because as our
>>>> church's leader, I had so much unrepented sin in my life!  I have dealt
>>> with
>>>> this kind of thing before, so had a good idea where she was going with
>> it.
>>> I
>>>> asked her to please explain herself to me.  She then went on to explain
>> to
>>>> me that unrepented sin was the only reason that I was blind.  I went on
>> to
>>>> gently explain to her that she was not understanding Scripture
>>>> properly.
>>> I
>>>> was actually quite shocked when she then told me, "I don't care what
>>>> the
>>>> Bible says...  I know what I know, and God has revealed things to me
>>>> directly".  She went on to explain to me that I shouldn't be allowed to
>>> lead
>>>> a congregation, until I addressed the sin that was obviously within my
>> own
>>>> life!
>>>>> So I guess the moral of my story is, that some people are just stupid,
>>>> and sometimes even our Lord's teaching can't help stupid!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Respectfully,
>>>>> Pastor James Kelm
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: o
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 5:07 PM
>>>>> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh Marion - you have made my day!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: National Association of Guide Dog Users <blind411 at verizon.net>
>>>>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List' <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tue, Oct 8, 2013 5:04 pm
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Michael,
>>>>> I once went to my local grocery store and the person assigned to help
>>>>> me shop asked me if I believed in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
>>>>> I replied that I did, but probably not with the same understanding he
>>>>> has. He told me that, if I believed, I could be healed. I replied that
>>>>> I had already been healed of the false perceptions of blindness and
>>>>> that my blindness was actually a source of healing for others as I
>>>>> share my philosophy of independence and self-determination. He became
>>>>> a little indignant and said he was referring to me getting my sight
>>>>> back. I asked him why he thought that was important and he told me
>>>>> blindness wasn't normal. I asked him when he was going to be healed.
>>>>> He became a little puzzled and asked me what I meant. I told him that
>>>>> he was shorter than normal and black, not something that is normal in
>>>>> our town, so, given his logic and definition, he needed healing! Was
>>>>> Jesus going to heal him of his shortness and blackness? He told me I
>>>>> didn't understand what he was saying. I told him it was more that he
>>>>> did not understand what I was saying. He said, "God bless you!' and I
>>>> replied, "She does!" The conversation ended quite abruptly!
>>>>>
>>>>> Peace!
>>>>> Marion
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>>>>> Michael
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 9:24 AM
>>>>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>>> Subject: [Blindtlk] an awkward experience
>>>>>
>>>>> Good morning folks,  I lost my sight six years ago and went through a
>>>>> very dark time for a couple of years and eventually became comfortable
>>>>> with who I am and have since then gone on to do most of what I did
>>> before.
>>>>>
>>>>> But I had an experience yesterday that I didn't know how to handle.  I
>>>>> was at the gym and had just completed an hour of cardio.  I was
>>>>> sitting at a table located in the center of the gym floor cooling down
>>>>> when a woman began a conversation with me.  She said that she was
>>>>> sitting at the table also (which I
>>>>> doubt) and that God had put her there to talk to me and that she was
>>>>> an
>>>>> evangelist.   She asked if she could talk to me.  When I answered in
>>>>> the
>>>>> affirmative she stood next to me, took my hand in both of her hands,
>>>>> and began praying over me.  She asked God to help this poor  child,
>>>>> saying that Jesus had healed the sick, cured the blind, and raised the
>>>>> dead.  She prayed for over a minute (at least it felt like), using
>>>>> verbage that I only hear on Sunday morning.  Then she finished and
>>>>> left me sitting there.  I was shocked and didn't know what to say.  I
>>>>> let her do her thing thinking that I had probably made her feel
>>>>> positive about herself by helping "this poor child".  Understand that
>>>>> I am a christian but have never had such an embarrassing display since
>>>>> losing my sight.  Has this happened to others, and how did you handle
>>> such
>>>> a display?
>>>>>
>>>>> Michael
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blindtlk:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/blind411%40veriz
>>>>> on.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blindtlk:
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blindtlk:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/jameskelm%40eart
>>>>> hlink.net
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Respectfully Yours in Christ,
>>>>> Pastor James Kelm
>>>>> True Hope Church of Duluth
>>>>> Phone: (218) 727-4186
>>>>> Church Office E-mail: office at thcduluth.org Pastor's Direct E-mail:
>>>>> jameskelm at thcduluth.org Web Site: www.thcduluth.org
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> blindtlk mailing list
>>>>> blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> blindtlk:
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>>>>> 0gmail.com
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>> il.com
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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>>>
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