[nagdu] Critical blind people

Mon Aug 2 04:22:22 UTC 2010

Hey Jodie,
Sure, Tweet away!  I'm an old fart who doesn't understand "tweeting" except 
for what a bird does! LOL!!  Yeah, I like my quote as well. Ya know, life's 
too short...  I've noticed that the folks who have nothing to do but to make 
others miserable, well, they're not happy people who are content with 
themselves.  Yeah, I certainly have my issues and problems but how are these 
helped by making others feel bad.  So, I count my blessings and do things to 
help myself and others.

I'm Lyn and I'm working with my eighth dog, Landon. He is a red Lab/Golden 
cross from The Seeing Eye and he's almost 5 years old.  We live in sunny - 
well, not so sunny lately - San Diego.  Landon and I work as pet therapists 
at a local military hospital and our local Humane Society.  So, Landon is a 
certified Pet Therapy Dog and he has his vest he wears for that job.  Of 
course, he wears his harness for his main job of guiding me around to my 
many busy activities! (grin!)

I've been on this list for a few years now and was active in NFB when we had 
a chapter here.  I do belong to the local ACB chapter here and do some 
things with them to stay in the loop on blindness issues.  I also spend time 
with my LGBT activities and my local Democratic club along with my work.

Glad you're back on the list.  there's alot of great folks on it and people 
are supportive of one another for the most part.

Take care and tell us about you and your pup.

Cheers,

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jodie and Xandir" <pisces at asmodean.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2010 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Critical blind people

> Lyn, I love this quote! "Hang out with the people who like you for who you
> are and blow off the rest." May I have your permission to tweet it?
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Linda Gwizdak
> Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2010 12:30 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Critical blind people
>
> Cathryn,
> Lots of people teach their dogs all kinds of things when we get home from
> guide dog school.  Everyone has different abilities and skills sets.  the
> important thing is that you get your butt out there everyday and live your
> life!  Who can ask for more!!
>
> As far as blind people being critical of other blind people - well, I call
> this marginal grooup behavior.  Take any minority group and you'll see 
> them
> doing it to the others in that group!  How do I handle it?  I know the
> dynamics of this so I just develop a thick skin and blow the behavior off.
> Hang out with the people who like you for who you are and blow off the 
> rest.
>
> There's people at our blind center who don't care too much for me because 
> I
> don't take part in the gossip.  I am a masculine LGBT person and am not in
> the closet.  I am an independent thinker who has progressive, left 
> politics.
>
> BUT... I am respectful to all and kind to all. I have plenty of friends 
> who
> like and value me for the good, decent person that I am.  I've also seen
> this dynamic among mothers and their kids!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Cathryn Bonnette" <cathrynisfinally at verizon.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 4:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Critical blind people
>
>
>> Hi Rox,
>>
>> As soon as I brought Abby home from SE, I started teaching her the "find"
>> command. I was also told it was unreasonable to expect her to find things
>> like elevators and exits for me. Well, I don't have a hearing problem, 
>> but
>
>> I
>> had problems with special orientation and getting lost easily even when I
>> could see. When I lost my sight a few years ago, my ability to get lost
>> improved dramatically! /smile/ If my guide dog can't find the escalator,
>> or
>> elevator, or office door etc., we might never find it, but she actually
>> learned the new command and now does exactly what I need.  I struggle to
>> comprehend why the rudeness you experienced is so common among blind
>> people.
>> Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I am doing at least some
>> of
>> the same things that you are to get oriented, and I wish you hadn't had
>> those experiences. As for a long term answer- I'm still working it out. 
>> It
>> seems that if I hang around with other blind folks, I am very likely to 
>> be
>> criticized fairly frequently just for living! On the other hand, as I
>> experience increasing distance from other social groups I don't much care
>> for the Hermit lifestyle either. Ah so. Maybe I'll figure that out
>> tomorrow-/smile/
>> Your thoughts?
>>
>> Be well-
>>
>> Cathryn (& Abby)
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of The Pawpower Pack
>> Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 7:14 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Critical blind people
>>
>> Hi Dan,
>> Oh yes, I get judged quite a bit because I can't use my ears to orient
>> to my environment.  I went to an NFB convention in 2006 which was held
>> at the hotel in Dallas.  I got lost quite a bit and every time I'd ask
>> someone for assistance, they'd invariably say, "Listen to the
>> fountain, where you want to go, that's left of the fountain."
>> I couldn't hear the fountain at all and when I said that I was deaf, I
>> got quite a few nasty comments, the most polite of which was, "well I
>> can't help you, then."
>> Also when I ask a person for directions, and they snap their fingers
>> or tap on a chair/table and say "Over here!" and then they get
>> frustrated because I can't figure out where over here is, exactly.  I
>> can hear people speaking if we're in a quiet place, but I can't tell
>> where the person is because like you, I can't localize sound.
>> I've also been chastised by other blind people and guide dog program
>> employees for expecting my dog to help me in convention settings by
>> finding things such as the elevator, or the door outside.  I spend a
>> great deal of time training this skill and I would say that my dogs
>> are far more fluent in the "find" cue than most guide dogs because
>> it's a necessity for them to be.  For many blind people, the find cue
>> is just an added bonus.  I've been told that it is too much to expect
>> my dog to find elevators or whatever and that I am going to stress my
>> dog out, that I'm not taking responsibility for my part in the team
>> and that my dog can't be expected to just take me where I want to go.
>> I do have very good O&M skills, but I'm also deaf so my needs are
>> different than for most guide dog handlers who are blind only.
>> I get frustrated sometimes because I don't know why we can't just
>> appreciate the one another's differences instead of getting upset when
>> someone can't or chooses not to, do things like the majority.
>>
>> Rox and the Herbal HenchHounds
>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>> "It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point
>> out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-
>> wit, and the emperor remains an emperor."-- Neil Gaiman
>> http://www.pawpowercreations.com/retreat.html
>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>> AIM: Brissysgirl
>>
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