[Blindtlk] Best places to live

Thu Oct 31 17:24:44 UTC 2013

Good morning, Julie,

Sing it, my blind sister!
for today, Car08:38 AM 10/31/2013, Gary Wunder wrote:
>Julie, I like this post. Thank you for it.
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 10:30 AM
>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Best places to live
>
>Thank you David!  It is an individual choice and asserting that there is
>some place that is best for all blind people is silly.
>
>Cheryl, I do understand the people have different skills, abilities and
>needs.       I stated in an earlier post that if specialty health care was a
>
>need of mine, I'd be miserable living here.
>
>All I've been trying to say from the beginning is that there is no magic
>answer.  What is right for one person may be a misery for the next.
>Blindness is only one factor among a sea of factors.  I think too often we
>limit ourselves based on what we perceive as necessary or important to all
>blind people.  If a blind person wrote in to the list that he or she wanted
>to become a farmer, I have a hunch that there would be a lot of support,
>because that's what we do...support each other in our career dreams.
>However in order to be a farmer you have to be near the fields.  That means
>living in a rural location.  Sure that presents some challenges, but to that
>person who loves the land and takes pride in the green fields, those
>challenges won't become obstacles.
>
>To the blind Mom who wants her kiddos to grow up with the best educational
>opportunities, access to museums, ballet classes and the availability to
>attend live theater...she's going to choose differently.
>
>To  the college student who values cultural diversity and dreams of travel
>to exotic places...the choice will not be that of the farmer or the Mom.
>
>The farmer, the mother and the exchange student may have blindness in
>common, but they are all very different, unique individuals with dreams and
>goals that will be fulfilled by very different means.  I think we should
>support those dreams and help them work through the unique challenges each
>situation presents.  I say let your dream be your guide and figure out the
>blindness stuff as it comes.  To do otherwise is letting our blindness limit
>us.
>
>Julie
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Hyde, David W. (ESC)
>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 9:35 AM
>To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Best places to live
>
>There is no right answer to this question. I have lived in cities towns and
>rural areas. If you want to, and if you have the resources, one can make
>anything work. I make choices where I live now that I didn't need to mane in
>
>Denver, or for that matter in Portage WI, that had a cab system which
>functioned as the mass transit. In Denver and Portage, transportation was
>easy. Here, busses have a more limited schedule, and cabs are more of a wish
>
>than a reality. So, I choose to limit evening activities. I do use drivers,
>but I am cheap, so I use them reluctantly and sparingly.
>
>The question shouldn't be "the best place to live" but rather "Where do you
>want to live, and what do you want there." With enough work, we can and do
>live anywhere we want to.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 9:27 AM
>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Best places to live
>
>I think the not getting out or traveling on your own happens in larger
>cities too.  If a person has had the opportunity to learn good travel
>skills, those skills can be applied in whatever situation a person finds
>themselves in.  certainly some individuals find travel in an urban setting
>easier, but I hold that is a factor of personal preference more so than
>blindness specifically.
>
>Here in my small town there are things that are a fair bit away.  The middle
>
>school is about a 30 minute brisk walk for me.  I present a program to the
>after school kids once a week or so up there.  It doesn't bother me to walk
>that distance carrying my materials.  It's probably close to 2 miles one
>way.  I find the walk peaceful and pleasant.
>
>Contrast that to when I travel to a large city for meetings or whatever.
>There is a lot of traffic, it's noisy, it feels like everything is piled up
>on top of everything else, the people all seem in a hurry, leaving me
>feeling like I'm constantly running behind and disconnected.  For me, it's
>not a blindness thing.  I can move around in larger cities just fine.  I
>just don't really like it.
>
>Julie
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Sherri
>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 8:51 AM
>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Best places to live
>
>I think as long as you have a way to get where you need to go, whether it be
>
>the ability to walk places or good public transportation, personsl
>preference should count the most. The thing that concerns me are blind
>people who move to rural communities (not necessarily small towns where
>things are within walking distance) and then they can't get anywhere without
>
>the help of a parent or friend. Lots of small towns in Florida are not easy
>to navigate by walking, because of lack of sidewalks and things being widely
>
>spaced from one another.
>
>Sherri
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 8:45 AM
>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Best places to live
>
>
>I think this topic is quite interesting.  The thing that fascinates me the
>most is this concept that there is a best place to live and that somehow
>blindness figures into that equation.   I think individual preferences are a
>much greater predictor of happiness with your living arrangements than some
>survey with scoring based on things that may or may not matter to you.
>
>I live in a very small town, less than 8,000 people.  I am probably the
>happiest I have been in my whole life.  I grew up in a large city of perhaps
>400,000 people and have lived in a tiny town of about 500 people.   There
>have been good points and bad to each.
>
>What I'd suggest to anyone thinking of relocating for whatever reason is to
>list what is really important to you, not what blind people are supposed to
>find important.  Then look at the possibilities that meet your must have's
>and would like to have lists.
>
>I like the ability to walk most everywhere I want to go.  I like fresh air,
>a slow pace, small family owned shops, very low crime and space, lots and
>lots of space.  Things like buses and advanced medical facilities are not
>all that important to me.  If they were, this town would be a misery.
>
>I guess I'm just saying to put more emphasis on what is most important to
>you as a person and less on what someone else has decided should be
>important to you because you're blind.
>
>Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/flmom2006%40gmail.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/julielj%40neb.rr.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/david.hyde%40wcbvi.k12
>.wi.us
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/julielj%40neb.rr.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/gwunder%40earthlink.ne
>t
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>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/carlymih%40comcast.net