[nagdu] those comments from the public

[Sherry Gomes via nagdu]

On the subject of the public and their comments, good or bad. I had the
strangest conversation once, strangest I ever had. I was out shopping with a
friend who was a GDB puppy raiser. at the time, I was quite involved with a
local puppy raising club, and she and I had decided to do some shopping at a
local mall. I was with my then guide Bianca. Bianca was doing her job
beautifully, when suddenly this woman I was with stuck her arm out in front
of me, like you do with kids in a car when you come to an abrupt stop. 

"stop, there's a planter in front of you," she cried.

I looked at her in bewilderment. GDB puppy raisers have lots of
opportunities to interact with handlers if they both want to, and having me
and my best friend around the club a lot had given all of them reasons to
see guides in action. So, I just answered that she needed to let Bianca do
her job, and that Bianca would lead me around the planter. which of course
she did. So, this woman then said,

"You mean, you actually trust her to do that?"

:Of course I do."

"You even go out on the street and cross streets, even busy streets on your
own? Just you and your dog?"

"Of course I do," I said again, "Why else do you think I have the dog? What
do you think she does?"

She didn't really have an answer for that. I guess she just thought Bianca
acted as a pet or emotional support animal or something, in spite of having
seen her in action several times before. It sure was weird.

Sherry