[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion

[Tami Kinney]

Julie,

Well said! Honestly, the thought of relying on a human sighted guide as
a primary means of mobility makes my hair stand on end, so I have a hard
time understanding why anyone would make that choice...  But that
doesn't invalidate their choice.  They're out and about, living their
lives in a way that works for them. Thus, I see them as independent as I
see myself or anyone else. For that matter, i've never had the spare
cash to justify purchasing some of the cool electronic mobility aids --
including a cane with electronic features I drool for -- that keeping
coming out and improving, but I would love to have one.  A cane that
finds overhead obstacles and alerts to them electronically may cause
others to view me as less independent than they with their good
old-fashioned white canes.  They can think that.  I will see myself as
less likely to be concussed while striding along what I believe to be a
perfectly safe sidewalk the law says should be clear of head banging
obstacles.  /lol/  Hm... I generally wear a baseball cap for the
protection the bill offers when I'm using a cane... Does anyone know if
that makes me unsuitably not dependent?  /evil grin/

Anyway, I do believe that discussing the merits and pros and cons of
various mobility alternatives is a good way to learn more about them in
order for each of us to have information for our own choices.  I prefer
my poodle guide over anything else.  Other guide dog users would prefer
another type of guide, which is probably what they tend to have in a
guide.  My poodle guide -- often for the traits she has in commong with
other poodle guides -- would make them crazy. /lol/ The more mellow type
they prefer wouldn't make me crazy in the same way, since their dog is
probably less busy, more mellow and relaxing, more workmanlike, and
quite a few other things that make them preferable to anyone with any
sense at all.  I do not claim to have any such thing as sense, so I
secretly enjoy my wild and woolly little beast and her zippy guiding
style. Thank heavens poodles are becoming a bit more common and more
accepted right along with their poodliness, so I can expect to listen to
fewer handlers with sensible dogs struggling to find a tactful to 

On Mon, 2011-06-20 at 17:45 -0500, Julie J. wrote:
> I wanted to clarify that I don't think either group cane users or dog 
> users is more or less independent.  My point about motivation is 
> strictly related to a person's initiative to be independent, be that 
> with cane, dog, electronic gadget, human guide or other means.  I think 
> if you want to go and do things, with whatever tool works for you, then 
> you will figure out a way to make that happen.   It's the people that 
> sit at home and wallow in pity, choosing to have others wait on them, 
> that disturb me greatly.
> 
> JMHO
> Julie
> 
> 
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