[nabs-l] =?iso-8859-1?q?Why_I_am_a_Federationist=3A_A_Partial=92s?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_Perspective?=

[Karl Martin Adam]

Darian=20and=20All,

I'm=20totally=20blind=20(with=20light=20perception),=20but=20it=20so=20happ=
ens=20that=20
all=20my=20close=20friends=20in=20the=20Federation=20have=20at=20least=20so=
me=20usable=20
vision.=20=20To=20the=20extent=20that=20people=20think=20the=20NFB=20is=20o=
nly=20for=20the=20
totally=20blind,=20I=20think=20that's=20very=20unfortunate.=20=20The=20thin=
gs=20we=20
advocate=20for=20and=20the=20skills=20we=20teach=20help=20all=20the=20blind=
=20whether=20
they=20have=20some=20vision=20or=20not.

Best,
Karl

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Darian=20Smith=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Thu,=202=20Oct=202014=2021:00:57=20-0700
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20Why=20I=20am=20a=20Federationist:=20A=20Partial=92s=20=

Perspective

=20Hi=20all,
=20I=20found=20this=20=20and=20wanted=20to=20get=20people=92s=20thoughts=20=
here.
=20Most=20people=20think=20that=20the=20NFB=20is=20only=20for=20people=20wh=
o=20are=20
totally=20blind.

=20do=20you=20think=20=20it=20to=20be=20true?=20and=20what=20does=20this=20=
piece=20offer=20you=20
once=20you=20read=20it?

=20BEst,
=20=20=20Darian



Why=20I=20am=20a=20Federationist:=20A=20Partial=92s=20Perspective
by=20Meleah=20Jensen

Henry=20David=20Thoreau=20once=20said=20"I=20went=20to=20the=20woods=20beca=
use=20I=20
wished=20to=20live=20deliberately,=20I=20wanted=20to=20live=20deep=20and=20=
suck=20out=20
all=20the=20marrow=20of=20life=20to=20front=20only=20the=20essential=20fact=
s=20of=20life=20
and=20see=20if=20I=20could=20not=20learn=20what=20it=20had=20to=20teach,=20=
and=20that=20when=20
I=20came=20to=20die=20discover=20that=20I=20had=20not=20lived.=94=20Just=20=
as=20Thoreau=20
went=20in=20to=20the=20woods,=20I=20went=20to=20the=20NFB.=20I=20am=20a=20f=
ederationist=20
because=20it=20has=20been=20only=20through=20my=20learning=20about=20and=20=
becoming=20a=20
part=20of=20the=20federation=20that=20I=20have=20truly=20begun=20to=20live=
=20
deliberately,=20and=20suck=20out=20the=20marrow=20of=20life.

When=20I=20was=20growing=20up,=20I=20had=20no=20positive=20blind=20role=20m=
odels,=20nor=20
did=20I=20see=20myself=20as=20being=20blind.=20To=20me=20the=20word=20blind=
=20had=20an=20
extremely=20negative=20connotation,=20and=20was=20definitely=20something=20=
I=20
did=20not=20want=20to=20be.=20It=20wasn=92t=20until=20I=20was=20introduced=
=20to=20the=20NFB=20
that=20I=20gained=20not=20only=20positive=20role=20models,=20but=20also=20a=
=20better=20
understanding=20of=20what=20being=20blind=20truly=20meant.

I=20had=20my=20first=20exposure=20to=20the=20NFB=20during=20my=20freshman=20=
year=20of=20
high=20school=20when=20my=20VI=20teacher=20gave=20me=20a=20letter=20telling=
=20about=20a=20
student=20seminar=20in=20Ruston=20Louisiana.=20My=20first=20thought=20was=20=
where=20
in=20the=20world=20is=20Ruston?

I=20went=20to=20the=20seminar=20not=20exactly=20sure=20of=20what=20to=20exp=
ect;=20little=20
did=20I=20know=20that=20not=20only=20was=20I=20opening=20the=20door=20to=20=
great=20future=20
opportunities,=20but=20I=20was=20also=20laying=20the=20bricks=20of=20my=20f=
oundation=20
towards=20a=20positive=20attitude=20about=20blindness.=20I=20came=20away=20=
from=20
that=20weekend=20amazed=20by=20what=20I=20had=20seen.=20I=20will=20always=20=
remember=20
many=20of=20the=20events=20of=20the=20weekend=20but=20there=20is=20one=20th=
at=20will=20
stand=20out=20in=20my=20mind=20the=20most.=20On=20that=20Saturday=20afterno=
on=20we=20were=20
sent=20on=20a=20scavenger=20hunt.=20We=20were=20divided=20up=20into=20group=
s=20and=20
given=20a=20list=20of=20things=20to=20locate=20and=20bring=20back=20from=20=
various=20
spots=20in=20town=20(for=20those=20of=20you=20who=20don=92t=20know,=20Rusto=
n=20is=20small=20
enough=20to=20permit=20this=20to=20be=20done=20easily).=20The=20leader=20of=
=20my=20group=20
was=20totally=20blind;=20I=20had=20absolutely=20no=20idea=20how=20we=20woul=
d=20go=20about=20
doing=20this=20since=20she=20seemed=20to=20be=20the=20only=20one=20who=20su=
pposedly=20
knew=20her=20way=20around=20Ruston.=20We=20set=20out=20on=20our=20journey=20=
around=20
town.=20I=20was=20utterly=20amazed=20how=20well=20she=20knew=20the=20town.=
=20No=20blind=20
person=20I=20had=20met=20before=20could=20walk=20around=20a=20room=20withou=
t=20
assistance=20much=20less=20a=20whole=20town.=20It=20was=20during=20that=20e=
xperience=20
that=20I=20realized=20that=20there=20actually=20were=20blind=20people=20who=
=20could=20
function=20independently.

Over=20the=20next=20couple=20of=20years,=20I=20continued=20to=20build=20my=
=20philosophy=20
through=20attending=20student=20seminars,=20and=20talking=20with=20positive=
=20
blind=20people.=20In=201998=20I=20attended=20the=20Summer=20Training=20and=
=20
Employment=20Project=20(STEP)=20at=20the=20Louisiana=20Center=20for=20the=20=
Blind.=20
While=20in=20the=20STEP=20program=20I=20was=20taut=20Braille,=20cane=20trav=
el,=20and=20
many=20other=20important=20skills.=20I=20was=20also=20given=20the=20opportu=
nity=20to=20
attend=20my=20first=20national=20convention.=20In=20addition=20to=20all=20o=
f=20this=20
the=20STEP=20program=20is=20where=20I=20began=20to=20shape=20my=20philosoph=
y=20into=20
what=20it=20is=20today.=20It=20made=20me=20start=20to=20realize=20just=20wh=
y=20it=20was=20
important=20to=20be=20a=20part=20of=20the=20federation.=20For=20the=20first=
=20time=20I=20
realized=20that=20I=20was=20not=20alone.=20I=20had=20a=20network=20of=20peo=
ple=20just=20
like=20me.=20They=20not=20only=20understood,=20but=20also=20lived=20and=20o=
vercame=20
some=20of=20the=20very=20same=20issues=20I=20had=20been=20struggling=20with=
=20every=20
day.

Through=20this=20shared=20understanding=20it=20became=20more=20and=20more=20=

apparent=20to=20me=20that=20I=20was=20in=20fact=20blind.=20Since=20these=20=

federationists=20were=20normal=20and=20shared=20many=20of=20my=20experience=
s,=20it=20
slowly=20became=20ok=20for=20me=20to=20admit=20that=20I=20too=20was=20blind=
.=20
Unfortunately,=20this=20process=20didn't=20occur=20over=20night.=20I=20was=
=20a=20
little=20resistant=20at=20first=20it=20took=20a=20few=20years=20for=20me=20=
to=20fully=20
understand=20just=20what=20being=20in=20the=20federation=20could=20truly=20=
be=20
about.=20During=20my=20freshman=20year=20of=20college=20I=20began=20to=20re=
alize=20that=20
the=20quote=20sighted=20way=94=20of=20doing=20things=20would=20not=20always=
=20work=20well=20
for=20me.=20I=20had=20been=20able=20to=20depend=20on=20my=20sight=20for=20s=
o=20long=20that=20it=20
took=20me=20a=20while=20to=20accept=20that=20it=20no=20longer=20was=20the=20=
most=20
efficient=20way=20to=20accomplish=20things.=20Unfortunately=20by=20the=20ti=
me=20I=20
had=20realized=20this=20I=20had=20to=20struggle=20through=20many=20tough=20=
situations=20
such=20as=20trying=20to=20take=20print=20notes=20in=20a=20dark=20classroom.=
=20After=20I=20
would=20return=20from=20class=20I=20would=20look=20at=20my=20notes=20and=20=
see=20that=20I=20
had=20to=20rewrite=20them=20because=20they=20were=20extremely=20sloppy.=20I=
=20also=20
had=20problems=20traveling=20around=20at=20night.=20I=20walked=20slowly,=20=
and=20I=20
found=20it=20hard=20to=20keep=20up=20with=20my=20friends.=20I=20still=20wen=
t=20out=20at=20
night,=20but=20I=20found=20myself=20looking=20really=20awkward.=20Actually=
=20I=20
found=20myself=20looking=20awkward=20in=20a=20lot=20of=20areas=20because=20=
of=20my=20lack=20
of=20skills.=20Once=20I=20knew=20and=20accepted=20that=20I=20needed=20the=20=
skills=20of=20
blindness=20in=20order=20to=20be=20successful=20I=20made=20the=20decision=20=
to=20attend=20
the=20centers=20adult=20training=20program.=20It=20was=20during=20my=20time=
=20at=20the=20
center=20that=20my=20transformation=20was=20completed.=20I=20not=20only=20g=
rew=20in=20
my=20attitudes=20towards=20blindness,=20but=20in=20my=20skills=20and=20conf=
idence=20
in=20my=20self=20as=20well.

Since=20completing=20my=20training=20I=20have=20returned=20to=20school.=20I=
=20have=20
compared=20my=20experiences=20then=20and=20now=20and=20they=20are=20like=20=
night=20and=20
day!=20I=20still=20have=20things=20that=20I=20have=20problems=20accomplishi=
ng=20in=20
the=20course=20of=20a=20day,=20but=20now=20I=20can=20say=20that=20I=20have=
=20those=20problems=20
simply=20because=20there=20aren=92t=20enough=20hours=20in=20the=20day,=20no=
t=20because=20
of=20my=20blindness=20getting=20in=20the=20way;=20but=20what=20college=20st=
udent=20
sighted=20or=20blind=20doesn=92t=20have=20these=20issues?

Through=20all=20of=20these=20experiences,=20I=20too=20have=20become=20a=20
federationist.=20I=20am=20now=20a=20part=20of=20that=20network=20of=20blind=
=20people=20
that=20has=20come=20to=20mean=20so=20much=20to=20me=20throughout=20many=20a=
spects=20of=20my=20
life.=20I=20am=20so=20glad=20to=20be=20able=20to=20be=20a=20part=20of=20an=
=20organization=20
like=20the=20NFB.=20Now=20that=20I=20have=20finally=20recognized=20that=20I=
=20am=20blind=20
and=20that=20it=20is=20truly=20respectable=20to=20be=20blind=20I=20have=20t=
he=20chance,=20
through=20this=20organization,=20to=20share=20my=20knowledge=20and=20experi=
ences=20
with=20others..

It=20is=20so=20important=20for=20us=20as=20blind=20people=20to=20work=20tog=
ether=20in=20the=20
federation=20to=20live=20our=20movement=20each=20day=20and=20share=20our=20=
philosophy=20
with=20others.=20By=20doing=20this=20we=20will=20all=20be=20able=20to=20liv=
e=20
deliberately=20and=20suck=20out=20all=20the=20marrow=20of=20life.



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