[nagdu] Fwd: 5 Reasons Why Guide Dogs Are a Terrible Idea!

[Craig Heaps]

I have no objection to this article, except that it is narrow in scope.  It 
presents one side without the balancing factors.

Everything in life is a trade off. If I commit to one woman for a liftetime, 
I do so to the exclusion of romantic relationships with all the others. If I 
choose one career path, I must eschew others, at least while I pursue the 
one I've chosen. . If I order one item on the menu, I must avoide gluttony 
and not pick other entrees to go with it.

I thought long and hard before I got a guide dog. At the beginning, I was 
just as likely to choose not to have one. I recognized every one of the five 
things on that list. But as I weighed the benefits for having a dog, I 
decided it was worth the price of admission, as it were.

Others might come to a different conclusion. And I respect that. But just as 
having a guide dog is a terrible idea, it is also a wonderful idea. The two 
are not mutually exclusive. I put up with the terrible every day because I 
so benefit from the wonderful.

I will make one small confession.  Even as I walked away from graduation, I 
wasn't 100% sure.  I told my wife I would commit to a year and then 
reevaluate. There were times in that first year that I considered delivering 
Chase back to GDB. But on the whole, he was such a boost that I journeyed 
on. And I'm glad I did.

A little analagous secret: raising children is a terrible idea too. But it's 
also a wonderful idea. I did that one as well and have two kids, both of 
whom are wonderful adults.

So I'm glad I bought into the terrible idea of having a guide dog and the 
terrible idea of having children. Both have had wonderful results.

Craig and Chase, who is ... well ... wondrufl (and very occasionally, 
terrible)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aleeha Dudley via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 6:51 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Fwd: 5 Reasons Why Guide Dogs Are a Terrible Idea!


> Just curious what you all think. This article greatly upset me, especially 
> given the subject line. But I wanted to see what you guys thought, as the 
> responses on the list that I saw this on our very mixed.
>
> If you're blind, you obviously read Braille. Your hearing must naturally 
> be
>> superior to your sighted peers, and of course you have a guide dog! 
>> Right?
>>
>> Well, that last may not be as pervasive as the first and second. Someone
>> recently told me the number of guide dog users has actually declined in 
>> my
>> millennial generation. I have no evidence proving this one way or the 
>> other,
>> but for the general public, to see a blind person with a guide dog feels 
>> as
>> natural as butter and toast.
>>
>> Thing is, I'm not so sure guide dogs are right for everyone. Or, maybe 
>> I'm
>> just projecting my own uncertainties onto the rest of the community?
>>
>> Last November I took the first step in the application process to return 
>> for
>> a second Seeing Eye dog. It's been more than three years since I lost 
>> Gator,
>> and even though I've gotten around just fine with a white cane, I am
>> approaching what feels like the final years with sight, however minimal 
>> that
>> sight might be. I admit it's unnerving if I sit still long enough to
>> contemplate total blindness. NFB philosophy be damned, and the thought of 
>> an
>> extra set of eyes to help me navigate the world does bring a measure of
>> comfort. But, is it enough to go get another dog?
>>
>> In no particular order, here are reasons why a guide dog would be a 
>> terrible
>> idea:
>>
>> Read more:
>>
>> http://serotalk.com/2015/03/18/5-reasons-why-guide-dogs-are-a-terrible-idea/
>>
>> --
>> Musings of a Work in Progress:
>> www.JoeOrozco.com/
>>
>> Twitter: @ScribblingJoe
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/blindcowgirl1993%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/craig.heaps%40comcast.net