[nagdu] accepting help was Watch Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness

Sat Mar 13 13:19:38 UTC 2010

Tami's statement about buffets got me to thinking.  Scary, I know, but I 
promise it won't be as bad as you think! LOL

I always use sighted assistance at a buffet.  This is how I was taught when 
I went through blindness skill training.  I have figured out no other good 
way to handle a buffet.  I still scoop my own food onto my plate, but no 
matter how much I stir the food around, poke it with the spoon and guess 
what it is, I am wrong the vast majority of the time.  Of course this is 
just one example of accepting sighted assistance.

I think it's very important to learn all the skills and techniques that you 
possibly can.  It's imperative that you have confidence in your own 
abilities.  It's crucial that you are consistent in using your skills 
instead of constantly relying on others to do for you what you can do for 
yourself.

But all that said, I don't think we need to try to be superheroes.   It 
reminds me of the "Nature of Independence".   Excellent read!  If you 
haven't read it recently it's definitely worth the time.  Every time I read 
it, I get something new out of it.  We are constantly growing, changing, 
becoming...the learning is never done.

JMHO
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 11:12 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: Watch Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness

> Jewel,
>
> Welcome!  And good points.  Learning to dine gracefully, especially in
> public, was uncomfortable at first, although like you, I learned by going
> out and doing things with friends who just didn't get uptight and insist 
> on
> helping me.  So I could think my way through things.  I was also a 
> Rotarian
> as my central vision really started fading out, so I got to face the
> challenge of the buffet bar and of trying to pretend I was still cool and
> stuff around people I wanted to impress.  /smile/  I put more pressure on
> myself there, but it was still easy to figure out.
>
> I've been "blind" as far as the loss of my central vision for about 4 
> years
> now.  You make me feel like and old hand!  But continuing one's life while
> learning the adaptive skills you need is a good way to go.  Keep it up!
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Jewel S.
> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 3:04 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: Watch Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness
>
> The article was not as bad as the video. I couldn't see it, of course,
> but it sounded like a lot of sighted people blundering around and
> almost sounded like making fun of blindness. Then there was the man
> saying that you had to use at least one hand, because you had to feel
> the food. This is a horrible thing to say, and will only make people
> think that's all right for blind people to eat with their hands, the
> poor dears. They don't realize that by touching the food with the
> fork, blind people can tell the texture of the food, and where it is,
> and can be sure of what it is by the smell. We don't, and shouldn't,
> eat with even one hand! What a horrible comment!
>
> And the people blundering around the table for the wineglass. Hello?
> Why didn't they ask the waiter? Or have each person look "slow and
> low" to find the bottle. It's because they weren't taught how to look
> for the bottle, of course! I have been blind only about two years, and
> finding things on the table is the simplest thing these days. I go to
> a friend's house. She is almost totally blind, her daughter is totally
> blind, and I have 3/350 vision in one eye only. We prepare dinner, set
> the table, sit and eat, then make coffee with dessert, all without any
> help from anyone sighted. It's not difficult, and these Dining in the
> Dark fundraisers make it look like it is.
>
> I don't like it one bit.
>
> ~Jewel
>
> On 3/11/10, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Here is the link to the video cut and paste the link don't have to find
>> start button.
>>
>> Cheryl Echevarria
>> Treasurer, Greater Long Island Chapter of the NFB
>>
>> Independent Travel Consultant
>> http://Echevarriatravel.com
>> 1-866-580-5574
>>
>> http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
>> Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
>> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
> CST-1018299-10
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
>> To: <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
>> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 12:48 PM
>> Subject: Watch Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness
>>
>>
>>> Watch Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness
>>>
>>>
>>> cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com wants to share this video with you:
>>>
>>> Dining in the dark, experiencing blindness
>>>
>>> Video:
>>> (Mar. 10, 2010) [Joseph Garnett Jr. | tampabay.com] The Foundation
>>> Fighting Blindness hosted Dining in the Dark as a sensory awareness
>>> experience that creates a world without sight as participants dine in
>>> complete darkness.
>>
>>>
> http://www.tampabay.com/video/?bcpid=28597115001&bclid=0&bctid=71120980001
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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