[nagdu] just a couple of additional comments about the 9-year-oldboy and his guide dog

[Tracy Carcione]

Sure Tami, "real" guide dogs *never* get excited when they meet another
guide dog!  (Gee, how many corrections did I give Ben when we first got to
the Seeing Eye reunion? Luckily he settled down after a few minutes.)
Tracy

> Charlene,
>
> Wow!  Thank goodness for those changes!  I'm sure the Seeing Eye has grown
> with the rest of us. /smile/  In some respects, they helped lead the way
> through their dogs and graduates.
>
> So now it seems shocking that the very thought of providing a blind child
> the means to travel independently would raise such an uproar.  I am glad
> for
> Tim that his parents supported him as they did and that their heretical
> approach turned out so well for them all.
>
> It always seems odd now to encounter those last vestiges of the old
> attitudes toward blindness.  With owner training, it's "they let you do
> that?"  Or, better yet, "I can't believe they would let you do that!"
> Time
> for patient education from me.  /smile/
>
> And the old standby, "How does she know when to cross the street, since
> dogs
> are color blind and she can't see when the light is green."  Whoever hear
> hasn't heard some version of that one, please raise your hand.  /lol/
>
> Awhile back, I did spend some time answering a serious of questions like,
> "Do let you people cook for yourselves?"  and the like.  I guess I'm used
> to
> that sort of thing now, so I just answered them as best I could while
> attempting to subtly emphasize that we people don't need permission from
> the
> notorious They.  I did have to stifle the giggles a few times as the
> questions continued, though.  The poor guy asking them was genuinely
> curious
> and, by his tone and what I could catch of his body language, trying to
> hard
> to be tactful in how he asked them.  His inquisitiveness has enabled him
> to
> learn, at the very least, that They let Us People do all sorts of things
> that he found very surprising.
>
> Actually, there are some Theys hereabouts would rather not let Us People
> train our own dogs and have been known to inform evil renegades like
> myself
> just how many crimes I am committing by doing so!  How is it that, while
> the
> majority of our society has come so very far, while so many people who are
> employed in some facet of better enabling us to live up to our new status
> as
> almost citizens are so far behind.  It's baffling.  I'm curious to see
> what
> happens around here when the old guard in VR begins to retire and a new
> generation takes their place.  I think that's already begun to happen at
> GDB
> here, probably from before I moved into their neighborhood and started
> going
> about with my unauthorized dog.  /smile/  They're still officially  not
> keen
> on owner-training, which makes sense to me from their point of view.  But
> I
> do think that when I get around to going out there for a visit just so I
> can
> see what's what, I'm not terribly likely to be stoned when I blurt out my
> confession.  /grin/
>
> Whether I will take the evidence of my life of crime with me, I haven't
> decided yet.  It probably depends on how many more successful encounters
> we
> have with other guide dogs in our regular travels and activities.  I want
> to
> be very sure Mitzi is comfortable with the notion that another guide dog
> team is nothing to get excited about before I take her into a big group of
> trainees!  /smile/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Charlene Ota
> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 11:55 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: [nagdu] just a couple of additional comments about the
> 9-year-oldboy and his guide dog
>
> After seeing some of the comments, I just wanted to add a couple of things
> about this situation that might be interesting and might clarify.
>
> When I spoke with Tim about this experience, I could sense that it was a
> very important part of his growing up years and is a very vond memory.
> It's
> kind of like he speaks of it with great pride and fondness. It meant a lot
> to him that I asked about it and wanted to share it with the list.
>
> I think for much of this country, the philosophy about kids traveling
> independently, whether with a cane or a dog was very different 50 years
> ago.
> I hessitated to add one of Tim's comments, but decided to share it because
> it just shows how different philosophy was at that time, not to start any
> arguments or offend anyone. When Tim's Mom was looking into getting Tim
> the
> dog, she called The Seeing Eye for their suggestions or feedback and they
> told her she should basically be put away for even allowing her child to
> travel independently. I just share this to say that we have come a long
> way
> today, I don't share it as an example of Seeing Eye's current philosophy.
>
> Tim is a unique person with a unique experience that I feels hould be a
> part
> of the history of traveling with guide dogs. It's not really about whether
> kids should have dogs as I also agree it's probably not something for most
> kids but it was very visionary of this Dr. Ford to have thought about it
> and
> given it a try and much more so back in the 50's. It's a good thing that
> we
> always have people who are thinking outside the box and trying new things
> and going in new directions. somethings they're successful, somethings
> it's
> just a learning experience and even then sometimes someone still benefits
> from it.
>
> ALoha,
> Charlene
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
> .net
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net
>