[nabs-l] cane travel trip 2

[Angela fowler]

Jim,
	Just wanted to say congratulations on taking that cane for a test
drive and keeping after it despite the frustrations. Once you get the hang
of it you will find it a big help.
	A couple of points, do you know the general orientation of the
neighborhood in which you live? What I mean is, if I'm walking down X street
and toward X landmark I'm walking south if I have not passed that landmark.
If I walk down my driveway and turn right, I'm walking east. Once you have
that down you can keep your direction easier. I was walking east, and I
turned left, so now I'm walking north. 
	If you get an NFB cane, I think you will have a much easier dime
detecting the change from concrete to asphalt which indicates that you have
drifted into the street. As for large parking lots, I've been using a cane
all my life and I still hate them LOL.
	Once again, good work. The more you use the cane, the more
comfortable you will be with it. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jim Reed
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 12:15 AM
To: MAB List; NABS mail list
Subject: [nabs-l] cane travel trip 2

Hey all,
The mobility part is easy, its the orientation part that is going to be hard
to master. I decided to wear my sunglasses at night to make it more
challenging, I think sunglasses are a good compramize to sleepshades at
night, at least for now while Im trying to learn the basics. With the
sunglasses on,  I got turned around once, and then overshot my house by two
blocks. When I got lost I took off my sunglasses and was able to find my
way. I'm still trying to figure out how I got turned around the first time.
I ended up heading west when I wanted to go east. I realized my mistake when
I was walking past my gym in the wrong direction. If I hadn't passed the
gym, I'd be one county over by now.  Oh, by the way, large parking lots are
a pain as well. As are streets without sidewalks. and very large sidewalks.
and wheel chair accessable curbs that allow you to breeze into the street
without knowing your in the street until you run into the curb on the other
side (I was on quiet residential streets with no traffic at midnight, I was
safe). 

I did get nervous when I heard some people somewhere near me; a cane make
you an awfully big target. I'm a big guy, its not often I feel vulnerable.

Thanks,
Jim

"From compromise and things half done,
Keep me with stern and stubborn pride,
And when at last the fight is won,
... Keep me still unsatisfied." --Louis Untermeyer


      
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