[Ct-nfb] In Reply To: Learning about Personal Relationshi

Tue May 5 14:26:42 UTC 2015

Hi Rich,

Good blindness training has a lot to offer you whether or not you get your cataract removed. You deserve it, so I don’t want you to let it go that easily.

Good blindness training will give a person alternative techniques, yes, and those are important. That’s not where it ends, though. Good blindness training will focus on building confidence, problem-solving skills, and the real understanding that you belong in the world just as much as sighted people. We need the confidence to be willing to put ourselves into any given arena and to stand tall when we face the onslaught of well-intended custodialism or maybe blatant disrespect. We also need the skills to back up that confidence. They go hand-in-hand.

Can you learn to mow the lawn? Sure. I actually know for a fact that lawn-mowing is taught at BLIND, Inc., in Minneapolis. Can you learn JAWS? Yes, of course. Since Window-Eyes is now free as part of Microsoft Office, the possibilities have opened right up to blind people. If you want to, maybe, become a vendor or do something else that can justify JAWS as a job-related need, it’s possible that BESB can buy you JAWS, too. Don’t give up on that.

Nobody is a perfect traveler or Braille reader. Nobody is perfect at anything, for that matter, but we can always try to better ourselves. You owe it to yourself, man, and so do so many blind people everywhere. I put it off for a while and told myself I couldn’t justify taking time away to go to training, and every day since training has been better because of training. I don’t live your life or anyone else’s, but it is such a great thing, and I don’t want anyone to have to miss out.

Have a good one,

Justin

Justin Salisbury - Running Thunder Phoenix
Graduate Student
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
Twitter: @SalisburyJustin

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

From: Richard McGaffin [mailto:rmcgaffin at snet.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 3:24 AM
To: Richard McGaffin; Justin Salisbury; NFB of Connecticut Mailing List
Cc: kimberlytindallct at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Ct-nfb] In Reply To: Learning about Personal Relationshi

Good morning Justin & everyone;

I appreciate your offer, and should the cataract no be able to be removed, I will most likely take up your offer. I will agree there are things I may be able to do better with the proper training, in fact I'm writing a book about some of my miss adventures and life events.

But at my age and marital status, I don't think I need to do this. I am 55 years old now, and I believe my working career is on the downside. True, I don't know how to use Jaws, but I can't afford it so it really doesn't matter. The only true, skill I believe would benefit from is learning to read Braille, I did attempt to teach myself, but lost interest.

I can cook, do my own wash, my mobility is some times adventurist, but I do get to where I need to go.

I like to write stories about my miss adventures, because they're funny to me. Or at least they're funny once I've made it too my destination.

I will ask you this? Could the LCB teach me how to mow the lawn straight, because that my be something I'd like to learn. Yesterday I started out mowing the lawn, but soon gave the job to Janet, and she not only fixed my mistakes, she did a fine job.

Now you see if I could mow the lawn without her help she'd have never had the chance to try it. She would've never attempted to learn something new.

I will admit that helping others is cool, I once wrote a letter for a blind relative who moved to CT. from the South, (can't remember the state) anyway one of her sisters' who she was staying with said that she couldn't get her SSI because the sister needed it. I of course told her that was dumb, and I typed a letter to the Social security department. Explaining that she had moved, and needed a change of address, from her previous state to CT. She signed her name to it, and she got her payments on time, without missing a check.

I've also helped a sighted friend who was an apt. dweller his whole life. He needed to knock down a chicken coup that was attached to his garage, I was in shock when he told me he was going to pay some one to do this for him. Of course it was a small building, so it was no big deal.

Thank you all the same but I'll pass on the LCB for now.

Rich

P.S. although I may bitch whine and moan from time to time, life is no fun if you can't or don't struggle from time to time. what most folks call unfortunate events. I call adventures.

On Monday, May 4, 2015 10:28 AM, Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu<mailto:PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>> wrote:

Hey Rich,

I wasn't exactly thinking of it as a matter of building social skills, but it's good to know how you think of me LOL.

Getting disoriented is a natural part of traveling, and storms make it easier. It has happened to all of us, but it is not a natural consequence of blindness. It's a consequence of being human.

I know that you still have great potential to be a productive worker, which would qualify you to come down here to Louisiana for training like many of us have done. It's a great thing, and it generally leads to a more pleasant and confident traveling experience. If you ever decide that you want to take the plunge, let me know, and I'll be happy to help get the ball rolling. That's one of the most rewarding things I ever do is a federationist: helping people get to training.

Have a good one,

Justin
Sent from the iPhone of

Justin Salisbury - Running Thunder Phoenix
Graduate Student
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness
Louisiana Tech University
Email: President at Alumni.ECU.edu<mailto:President at Alumni.ECU.edu>
Twitter: @SalisburyJustin

 First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Martin Niemöller

On May 4, 2015, at 5:11 AM, Richard McGaffin via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
Good morning friends;

Justin, I am happy that you're enjoying your fellowship, with other federation members, it's never a bad thing to improve your social skills.

As for me, I prefer the peace of working in the back yard, taking a walk. Or on ocation working with computer issues, for friends, sighted or visually impaired.

In fact today's project will be mowing the lawn. Should be interesting I'll be teaching my wife how to use our lawn mower. Although, it's been some time since I've purchased something I also enjoy buying cabinets, bookshelves and assembling them. Of course it's easy enough, if you can follow the directions, which of course I seldom do, because I can't always see to read them.

Have you folks ever wondered down the street, during a storm, and get lost on the block that extends from your own, I have it's not always fun, but it's an experience worth having especially when you finally reach your destination. Either by receiving verbal instructions from a passer by, or regonizing a landmark through the haze of the little usable sight, or finding with your cane. I know know this doesn't work with dog guides, because they're much too smart to get lost. Try it sometime.

I realize this isn't very impressive, or even notable, but since we were talking about socializing and interaction I had to stick my 2 cents in.

Be safe my friends, and have great day, I'm off to mow the lawn today

Rich

On Sunday, May 3, 2015 4:31 PM, Kimberly Tindall via Ct-nfb <ct-nfb at nfbnet.org<mailto:ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

Thank you for reminding us to have some fun and enjoy life.  I must admit,  that sometimes I am guilty of that.
So glad that you tried something new and had a great time at Roland and Pam's house.

Have a great day!

Respectfully yours,

Miss Kim
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