[BlindTlk] visually impaired people not caring about personal hygiene..

[Gary Wunder]

When I was growing up, we had only one bathroom, one bathtub, and much of
the time or water came from a well or a cistern. There were times when we
had to haul it using a flatbed truck and a 500 gallon tank. Without trying
to exaggerate, this meant that one was expected to be clean, but a bath was
something of a luxury. Not having a bath was no excuse for not having clean
teeth, clean hair, and washing any area that could generate unpleasant
odors. 

I don't live in those low-water conditions now. I enjoy a shower because I
don't like having oily hair, and it moistens my face enough that it is easy
to shave with the blade. I like a hot bath because I enjoy what it does for
the relaxation of my muscles. Both give me an extra chance to read an audio
book, and extra reading time is always nice. 

Though there are days that some would refer to as pajama days, most of the
time I adhere to the same grooming: shaving, washing my hair, and enjoying a
shower. Seldom is this condition on whether or not I expect to go out. I
never know who's going to come to my door or who will call on the spur of
the moment and ask if they can come over or if I would like to go out. I
like being prepared for these things, so incorporating a shower and a bath,
brushing teeth, and using deodorant are just part of the regular routine. I
deserve to feel good about the way I look, and mice spouse deserves to live
with someone who knows that she is cared enough about that I am willing to
give her my best self. This is quite subjective, but I feel better when I
believe I look shipshape, and this even goes to what it feels like to make
the bed in the morning and to turn down the covers at night.

I have just one comment about blindness. Given that it can cause some
difficulty in social interaction, I don't want to make the task of getting
along in the world any harder than it needs to be. I want to enjoy getting
along in the world, so I try to meet the expectations of that world to the
extent that I can. And, given that I really am part of the world, why should
many of those expectations not be my own? If I don't want my interaction
with others to be memorable because of their bad breath or body odor, I
should do my utmost to ensure that that is not their reaction when they meet
me. I think I should also be careful to attribute to blindness those
problems that come from it and attribute other problems to their real
source.

Warmly,

Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Madison Martin via
BlindTlk
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2023 11:49 AM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Madison Martin <madison.martin2000 at outlook.com>
Subject: [BlindTlk] visually impaired people not caring about personal
hygine..

Hi all,
I was complaining to a sighted family friend about how my parents bugging me
about showering etc. and she said that from what she's heard it's common for
visually impaired people to not care about their appearance; is this true? I
don't want any greef/judgement only an answer to my question; I have very
oily
hair but I've been known to go more then a week without showering simply
because
I hardly ever go anywhere and so I really don't care what I look like/if I
smell. Look forward to your answers,
Madison
 
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