[NAGDU] Looking for someone and a point to ponder

Dan Weiner dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net
Fri Jul 8 18:27:06 UTC 2016


Hello, beautiful people.
Dan here from Orlando.
Just came back from convention and going through the post-convention blues,
there was sso much activity and so on and now it's too quiet here--lol.
And good job and kudos to our NAGDU leaders for the NAGDU meeting on
Saturday.

Well I was trying to find someone but I couldn't, yes that's the story of
our life--smile.
A gentleman named Peter, not sure of last name, who has a black lab from
Guide Dogs of America and speaks Russian, he sounded like an interesting guy
and the trainer who was there from GDA, my school mentioned he was around
but I couldn't find him.
If anyone knows who it is please maybe ask him if he'd like to be in touch,
my Email is:

dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net

Skype:
Danw9703

Also glad to hear from anyone else.

My only complaint and it's not about NAGDU, is that my fellow blind people
weren't always that patient or helpful,  I can't hear out of the left ear
and I can't localize sound for squat, and no matter how many times I would
explain and ask for help, some people were pretty darned rude, I think as
constructive criticism, as a momovement we need to realize there are all
different types of blind people, some do better at some things, some do
worse, some need help sometimes. actually everyone needs help sometimes.
As one example:
I asked a lady to point me or start me in the right direction for general
session. She says "why aren't you listening, it's right there don't you hear
it" then I went through my usual tiring spiel "I can only hear in one ear, I
can't tell where sound is coming from, I'm sure you're busy ,b t could you
help me".
She said "well, but you can hear me, so what do you mean you can't hear."
It was said rather nastily.  I felt like saying "actually my hearing only
allows me to hear idiots that's why I hear you so well." but of course, I am
actually for the most part pretty charming and friendly so I didn't, but
this type of thing went on many many many many times, people questioning my
mobility, people saying things like "why doesn't your dog find it",
suggesting my o and m was off, suggesting that I should be hearing it,
suggesting that I wasn't trying, saying things like they don't have
time...of course the same people I'm sure would demand help when they need
it.
and there were people who had much worse hearing issues that I do...so this
is just something to reflect on I believe.
But it was a great experience and I look forward to living the life I want
and participating actively in my affiliate as the year goes by.

Thee were many  warm  and helpful people too, so I would be remiss not
mentioning that, but there was enough of the impatient, sarcastic, rude ones
that I felt I should point it out. Why should I be talk to and made to feel
less because of my hearing or that I need help?  I do a lot of things better
than most people, speak multiple languages, traveled to a lot of countries,
etc. what if I pointed that out every time someone said to me apologetically
when we talked about languages. "I have trouble learning languages I don't
know how you do it?"--lol"..

Warmest regards,
Dan the man and his loyal hound
 





More information about the NAGDU mailing list