[nabs-l] learning independent living

[Len Burns]

This is an interesting topic; and yes, it is important to remember that 
nobody, sighted or blind, necessarily knows how to care for a household 
or their lives.

As for me, it has been a few years, but this is how it went.

The summer after I graduated from high school, I went to a 6 week summer 
program in beautiful, boiling hot Sacramento California.  It was a mix 
of a lot of activities; mostly I was usually in trouble because I 
thought for myself too much and was even more outspoken than I am now.

I had fun, but I cannot say I learned much that was useful.  Upon my 
return, I received a letter stating how incapable I was and how much I 
would have to learn before living on my own.  About a year later my 
mother unceremoniously kicked me out of her house.  I learned later that 
she figured I would be back shortly begging for a place to live.  She 
should have known me better.

I got an apartment, taught myself to cook over a period of time, and 
taught myself the basics of taking care of my apartment.

When I was at home, I had chores, although they never involved preparing 
the evening meal.  I baked, and still do bake, a heck of a good loaf of 
bread, and could more or less cook a meat patty.  From there, I was 
pretty much self taught.

There are many paths to acquiring life skills, no one of them correct 
for all of us.  I belong to neither NFB nor ACB, and have no desire to 
do so.  I find some value in the contributions of each, but could not in 
good faith follow the party line of either organization.  I have been 
living the change for which I advocate personally and professionally all 
of my life.  I need no organization to instruct me in this matter.

-Len

Sarah J. Blake wrote:
> Ashley,
> 
> What are your siblings doing to learnindependent living skills now? 
> (See, sighted people often need to learn skills as much as we do. They 
> just don't go about it so systematically.)
> 
> I had chores around the house but was rarely in the kitchen for cooking. 
> I took a cookking class during a summer session at the school for the 
> blind. (I attended regular school during the year.) I refused to go away 
> to learn this, so my parents were placed in the very awkward position of 
> being forced to learn to teach me before I went away to college. They 
> rose to the challenge. I was capable of doing more than they imagined. 
> One reason why I am troubled by the term "NFB philosophy" is that for me 
> this was just part of everyday life; and I never did join the NFB. I 
> don't need to call it "NFB philosophy..."
> 
> Later on, I enlisted assistance from older blind friends who had lived 
> on their own to help me in learning some additional skills that I wanted 
> to learn when I got my first apartment. I don't prepare gourmet meals; 
> but I don't eat them either. If I needed to fix one, I would learn to do 
> it from someone in the community--my local resources include numerous 
> retired ladies who love to learn how I work in the house and think up 
> solutions to problems. I think there is a time and place for using 
> certified personnel; but in my life is not it since I have enough skill 
> level to build on and work with volunteers when I need an occasional bit 
> of  assistance.
> 
> Sarah J. Blake
> Personal email: sjblake at growingstrong.org
> http://www.growingstrong.org
> 
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