[Nebraska-senior-blind] NFBN Senior division September Meeting - Special Guest

Sun Sep 6 22:57:43 UTC 2015

Hi you all

RE: Info about our September Meeting: Special Guest presentation, &
convention talk

The first part of our meeting will be devoted to interaction with a special
guest.  

-Recall, I asked Ever Lee Hairston to come talk to us about her newly
published book. (All about her journey into blindness.)

Here is the text that appears upon her website:

Ever Lee Hairston

Ever Lee Hairston photo, with ivy background

Ever Lee Hairston serves on the Board of Directors for the National
Federation of the Blind. The third of seven children, she is a product of
the segregated

South. After her  failing eyesight kept her from realizing her dream of
becoming a nurse, she began working as a teacher. At the age of twenty-nine,
facing

total blindness,  with a failed marriage, a child to raise alone, and
uncertainty about future employment, Ever changed her attitude and changed
her life.

After  attending the Louisiana Center for the Blind, the North Carolina
Central University graduate began integrating blindness skills into her
everyday

life.  A resident of California, she continues to devote tireless hours
mentoring and advocating for the blind.

One of my favorite quotes: 

block quote

My mission in life is not merely to survive,

But to thrive;

And to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.

- Maya Angelou

block quote end

Growing up, I faced many disappointments which greatly diminished my
self-confidence or perhaps shadowed my self-esteem, 

But I had to learn that we may encounter many defeats but we must not be
defeated. 

Through it all, I believe that my life has a purpose.  I have had to learn
to love myself and honor myself as I am. 

block quote

"To Thine own self be true"

- William Shakespeare

block quote end

I know that honor, self-respect and self-love are crucial to happiness.

I have forgiven others because holding onto resentments, anger and hatred
only hurts me and robs me of my life's Joy and happiness.

It is also important to forgive myself. Regret is an appalling waster of
energy and I cannot throw away my happiness on guilt or shame. 

Therefore, I have gratitude for all of life because gratitude unlocks the
fullness of life and turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns
denial

into  acceptance and turns chaos into order. Gratitude makes sense of my
past and brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow 

So, I have made the choice to be constantly grateful for all of life. 

Thanks to my family (Biological family and Federation of the Blind Family)
to my friends and acquaintances, I have been so fortunate to meet over the
years

and  especially to God for love, hope and determination.

Blind Ambition, a memoir by Ever Lee Hairston

Just Released! Ever Lee's Memoir

As a child, Ever Lee Hairston faced one disappointment after the other. A
product of share-cropping parents and raised on one of the biggest
plantations

in the South,  Ever allowed those disappointments to diminish her
self-confidence and sully her self-esteem. Not to mention, that for years,
the young

Ever hid a terrible secret,  which she hadn't told anyone -- not her family,
her friends, her teachers, and as she got older, even her employers. Ever

Lee didn't want to accept that she was slowly  losing her eyesight. As
darkness began to envelop her, and inspired by the words of Dr. Martin
Luther King,

Jr., Ever eventually decided to stop feeling sorry for herself  and face her
fears. Through two turbulent marriages, a host of setbacks, and a life that

was getting harder and harder to manage, Ever encountered defeats, but was
determined not to be defeated. Now, decades after she lost her eyesight, her

powerful  story is one of inspiration and ambition...and helping others
realize their lives have purpose as they reach their full potential in spite
of

any obstacles in their paths. 

> 

Click Here to Order from Blind Ambition available on Amazon

***

The second part of our September meeting will consist of: discussion
relating to our state convention luncheon, topic for our membership meeting,
elections, and more.

Finally..who of us will volunteer to present the NFB pledge to the rest of
us!?!

NFB Pledge: 

 I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National

Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.

Respectfully yours, 

Robert Leslie Newman

President, NFBN Senior Division 

*#5 Newsletter from Colorado Senior Blin

Respectfully yours, 

Robert Leslie Newman

President, NFBN Senior Division 

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