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<TITLE>NEW THOUGHT PROVOKER #146- Blindness Makes Your other Senses Stronger</TITLE>
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<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Deafblind friends </FONT></B></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Arial">RE: Blindness Makes Your Other Senses Stronger</FONT></B></P>
<P><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Do the deafblind get this type of comment? Beside the hearing part of this equation, I wonder how it is different than how the blind are judged? If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows. Recall that I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read and learn from and that URL is- </FONT></B><A HREF="http://thoughtprovoker.info/"><B><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">Http://thoughtprovoker.info</FONT></U></B></A><B><FONT FACE="Arial"> If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at- newmanrl@cox.net </FONT></B></P>
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<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Arial">THOUGHT PROVOKER 146</FONT></B></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Blindness Makes Your Other Senses Stronger</FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial"> “Blindness has made your other senses stronger,” said my friend. </FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“How many times have I heard that one? Let me count the ways.” I was out running errands and had bumped into a friend. She hadn’t seen me for a while; once after I was newly blinded, going through lots of heartache and adjustment, But not since blindness training. Our conversation had started out with catching up, then too predictably morphed exclusively into my blindness. This “blindness and senses” thing had come as I was trying to change the topic by mentioning I could smell Lilacs.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Back on task, I got moving; had many errands to complete before heading home. The reunion with my friend had occurred in an open-air courtyard, nestled in the center of a local shopping mall. Re-entering the roofed section, still thinking about my friend’s opinion that my sense of smell was keener than the norm, I started giving my cane an extra hard tap. My immediate goal was a pet store and knowing from past trips, that its door was recessed, I knew I could locate it if I could get a good echo read on it. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“May I help you?” A woman’s voice in my path startled me. Then an opening door to the right brought the sound of birds and puppies.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial"> “ah, thanks, no.” Pointing to the pet store. “I just heard what I’m looking for.”</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Oh --- ah,” the woman responded, first in puzzlement, then realization. “I am always so amazed what you people can hear!”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">In the store- “I’ve heard that some of you can feel color.” Says the sales clerk. I was rubbing the cloth of a cat blanket between thumb and forefinger; she had come over to answer a few questions I had.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">In a different Isle, lifting a package of cat treats to my nose for a quick smell (knowing how picky my cat Catty is), I jerked it away. Thinking, “OH MY GOD, get caught, she’s going to ask me if you want to taste these?”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Later- “Catty, I’m home. Brought you a present.” My cat was a medium size short-hair tabby and we had a great relationship. Listening for the silvery tinkle of her collar bell, knowing her movements were so smooth that sound may not herald her arrival. Since my blindness, Catty had taken to giving me more physical contact than before. The cutest example is when she will reach out with a paw to touch me, as though she knew I could not see her and it is her way of saying, “Here I am.” And I heard nothing until the warm length of her rubbed against my legs. Setting my purchases down on the hall table I picked her up and stroked her soft coat.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">“Okay, down girl. We’ve got other duties. Tomorrow we have company and we’ve got to get this place sparkling.”</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">First was to get the vacuum sweeper going. I had one of those robotic sweepers, and it did a great job; my nickname for it is Robby. It is a wheeled, flat disk that is 3.5 inches tall by 13 across and looks like a ground-hugging flying saucer. With its motorized wheels churning and its primitive robotic brain processing, it would independently travel around a room in a random pattern and though it took longer to complete the job, the key was, it was doing it while you went off and did something else. I pushed its start button, sending it off to do its job; closing the doors to the living room to box it in.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Later, I ran across my package from this morning and discovered the blanket I had bought for Catty. I walked all through the house calling for her; didn’t hear a single TINK of her bell.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">IN the living room, Robby was still tracking back and forth doing his thing, and still no Catty. I started to worry, “Had she gotten out?” Thinking, “Where were those” near super heightened senses when you need them?” Standing there, Robby came trundling up and as he went by, I felt a familiar touch on my bare leg. “Catty!” That darn cat was riding Robby!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Read through the above short story and send me your thoughts at: </FONT><A HREF="mailto:newmanrl@cox.net"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">newmanrl@cox.net</FONT></U></A><FONT FACE="Arial"> Recall that I place all responses upon my web site as soon as I receive them for all the world to read and learn from and that web site url is </FONT><A HREF="http://www.thoughtprovoker.info/"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">http://www.thoughtprovoker.info</FONT></U></A></P>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">What IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS: Thought Provoker is an independent e-mail discussion forum with the purpose to aid in the effort to change what it means to be blind. Participants, both readers and writers share their honest feelings and we learn from each other. I Robert Leslie Newman am the author and moderator. At this time a new PROVOKER runs for four weeks. THOUGHT PROVOKER can be sent directly to anyone who contacts me with a request to join the THOUGHT PROVOKER mailing list. Otherwise I post all new THOUGHT PROVOKERS upon my web site “ADJUSTMENT TO BLINDNESS AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT” for all in the WWW to read and learn from. In Addition, all past PROVOKERS are posted there and can be responded to as well. I do insert commentary after some responses. But more importantly know that I do not edit anyone's response other than run them through a spell checker and that's not perfect. Responses can be written to the Provoker itself or to the responses of others. Think about it, if you feel that any response is not complete or does not fully convey the right philosophy, write in and give your feelings, provoke thought. There again, if you do choose to respond on the comments of another, take issue with the content and not the person.</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial"> For now it is optional to have your name and any other personal information placed with your response. You write what you want us to know. I do feel giving your occupational status and/or location is important (your city, state or region and country).</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">In regard to a definition of blindness, I am taking the broad view that blindness is any level of vision loss which is affecting the individual functionally, emotionally, socially, economically, politically, etc.</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial"> If you feel this forum would be of value to another, pass the address on. Additionally, if you no longer wish to receive Provokers, advise me of that fact and I will honor it.</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Finally, I give my permission to use this material to educate others. Do give credit back to the forum and the respondent. Thank you. </FONT></P>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Robert Leslie Newman </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Email- newmanrl@cox.net</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">THOUGHT PROVOKER Website- </FONT>
<BR><A HREF="Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info</FONT></U></A>
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