[nabs-l] Feeling Inadequate After National Convention?

Sun Jul 13 20:15:34 UTC 2014

From what you've said, I gather you're dealing with a neurological, intellectual, or psychological issue. The desire to give up can be a strong one. For a time, I didn't think I'd be able to live independently, let alone go to college. I should point out though, that college doesn't equal success. If you are unable, or just don't want to go to school, it doesn't mean that you are a failure. I hope you find a future that makes you happy. 
Best, Alana 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 13, 2014, at 11:31, Rebecca Leon via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hey Elizabeth,
> I really appreciate your courage and openness in starting this thread.
> I am really new within this organization, but simply from attending
> convention I can understand how seeing leaders or members within the
> blind community with such incredible levels of talent or with a life
> which we deem highly successful can serve to raise personal feelings
> of frustration or inadequacy instead of inspiring us.
> I don't necessarily think I have exactly the same problems as you.
> However, I certainly have other issues then blindness including fairly
> major food intolerances and some difficult but more circumstantial
> issues. Obviously, this list isn't really the proper arena to discuss
> all our personal issues in detail, but my point is this:
> We all have stories, and, while blindness may not define us, it is
> part of a long list of traits and circumstances and thoughts which
> really do, although we certainly define them as well. It is easy for
> us to draw up lists of very real issues with which we are struggling
> and compare them with the shorter list which our friends or
> acquaintances seem to have. Believe me, I've done it a lot! However,
> this often isolates us and estranges us from the communities which
> could most empower us. It is very easy to set up the leaders in this
> organization as measuring sticks by which we belittle ourselves, and
> our accomplishments, and our future, when instead they could serve as
> wonderful resources as we chase our dreams! I hope all of this makes
> sense and doesn't sound obnoxiously like I have my life together… I
> definitely don't!
> As for living the life you want despite multiple disabilities or
> issues ontop of blindness, I have a close and trusted friend who I
> believe has experienced many of the same life issues and with whom I
> have had many similar conversations. I think she would make a great
> resource as well as sounding board. I would love to get her in contact
> with you if you are interested. I have already discussed this thread
> with her and asked if she would let me share her contact info with
> you, if you were interested. Shoot me an email if you have any
> questions for me or are interested in getting in touch with my friend.
> My email is:
> becsjoynfb at gmail.com
> Again, good job on speaking up :-)
> Rebecca –
> 
> 
> "The drop of rain maketh a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by
> oft falling."
> -Hugh Latimer
> 
>> On 13/07/2014, at 12:57, Carly Mihalakis via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Good morning, Elizabeth,
>> 
>>       Like RJ, I am not a member of the Federation although I try to see it in terms of the context of the times in which it was conceived, to honor doctors TenBroeks and, later Dr. Maur's gifting blind cohesion and organization.Personally, I became brain damaged 10 years ago, so  I guess I am multipli handicapped, too.
>> for today, Car
>> 
>> 
>>> Dear
>>> Elizabeth, I myself am not a member of the NFB, and like you, I to have a secondary disability. I have CP. If you wish, you may email me off list at:
>>> joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com
>>> Or you may add me to skype at:
>>> smallistbaby1979
>>> RJ
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elizabeth Mohnke via nabs-l" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> To: "'Carly Mihalakis'" <carlymih at comcast.net>; "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2014 12:28 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Feeling Inadequate After National Convention?
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Hello Carly,
>>>> 
>>>> I am honestly not quite sure how my post about feeling defeated and
>>>> inadequate turned into a thread about not being able to become a blind
>>>> parent. My post had absolutely nothing to do with this. The last time I
>>>> checked, this was an email list for blind students and not blind parents. As
>>>> I look around this organization, all I seem to see are leaders who have been
>>>> successful at being a college student. They are either succeeding in their
>>>> classes, are successful college graduates, or have pursued the career of
>>>> their choice. This makes me feel inadequate because there is the possibility
>>>> none of these things will ever happened to me in my own life. And I guess
>>>> learning to embrace this possibility in my life is rather difficult for me.
>>>> 
>>>> Warm regards,
>>>> Elizabeth
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly Mihalakis
>>>> via nabs-l
>>>> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2014 10:13 AM
>>>> To: tyler at tysdomain.com; National Association of Blind Students mailing
>>>> list; Beth Taurasi; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Feeling Inadequate After National Convention?
>>>> 
>>>> Good morning, Elizabeth,
>>>> 
>>>> Personally, I was bienucleated (had both ocular organs surgically
>>>> removed) after having retinal blastoma as an infant. And, I have come into a
>>>> realization that,  without so much as a shaddow of a doubt, I want no part
>>>> of synthetic means of artificially tweeking with nature, such that I, too,
>>>> can proliferate this genetic cespool of mine, just so someone with genes ill
>>>> fit for proliferation, can conceive of  and then carry to term their own
>>>> kid! Personally, I think I have come to realize that, the universe doesn't
>>>> mean for me to prolifferate my genetics and I accept this. For, the world
>>>> seems to becoming strange, beyond my wildest dreams and seems not to be a
>>>> welcoming place for any creature, let alone a fruit of my corrupt loins.
>>>> Just some meditation on the question for people to take, or leave, as they
>>>> see fit.
>>>> for today, Car
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> perportion and made the thread all about you, again. I don't think that was
>>>> the point, just that the speeches and people doing so much makes people feel
>>>> like they're not doing enough, or as much as they could. How much one can
>>>> actually accomplish is up to someone, and only -you- know if you've not done
>>>> enough.
>>>>>> On 7/12/2014 8:25 PM, Beth Taurasi via nabs-l wrote:
>>>>>> I feel the same way as you, Liz.  I have some other disabling factors
>>>>>> due to parental misconnduct or psychological abuse and I was devalued
>>>>>> at home, at school, and in some work settings in Florida and Colorado.
>>>>>> It's easy for the NFB people to feel like blindness is the only
>>>>>> people's disabling factor they can serve, but they fail to recognize
>>>>>> that mental illnesses, chronic health issues due to abuse, and so on
>>>>>> also play a huge role in how the people act, interact, and so on.  I'm
>>>>>> worried as heck about my own future because the NFB says a lot about
>>>>>> blind parents, but whuat about multidisabled intelligent beings who
>>>>>> want to bring children in to this world?  80% of psychiatrically ill
>>>>>> mothers have their babies removed from her. s Anyone heard of Buck V.
>>>>>> Bell?  Carrie Buck had her kid removed from her all because she was
>>>>>> epileptic and even though she was not blind, a disability was present
>>>>>> anyway.  Then, she was sterilized.  I will not tolerate such actions
>>>>>> to be taken against me or any person with or without multiple
>>>>>> disabilities.
>>>>>> I side with you on this,
>>>>>> Beth
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: Elizabeth Mohnke via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'"
>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>> Date sent: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 17:29:51 -0400
>>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Feeling Inadequate After National Convention?
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hello All,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I hope everyone who attended the national convention this year had a
>>>>>> great time in Orlando. I understand attending a national convention
>>>>>> can be a rather inspiring event in the life of someone who is blind.
>>>>>> However, as I was listening to the online stream of the national
>>>>>> convention this year, I found myself feeling the complete opposite.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Instead of feeling inspired and hopeful for the future, I found myself
>>>>>> feeling rather defeated and inadequate. As I was listening to the
>>>>>> speaches from various leaders within the NFB, I found myself thinking
>>>>>> how lucky they must be that the only disability they have to deal with
>>>>>> in their lives was there blindness. I was thinking about how easy it
>>>>>> must be fore someone who is only blind, and how more difficult it is
>>>>>> for someone who has another disability in addition to being blind.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Now perhaps this may be a bit too personal to post to the email list,
>>>>>> but I was just curious if anyone else has ever felt this way, and if
>>>>>> so, what did you do to deal with these kinds of feelings? I would
>>>>>> greatly appreciate hearing from anyone who has ever dealt with this kind
>>>> of issue before.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> Elizabeth
>>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> Take care,
>>>>> Ty
>>>>> http://tds-solutions.net
>>>>> He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he
>>>>> that dares not reason is a slave.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>>>> 
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>>> 
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>> 
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