[Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline

[BROOKE6358 at aol.com]

We meet all kinds, of which I am one!  People in the public  square need 
education about 'me', my cane, my haaring aids.  All this is  the very reason 
that keeps me networking, advocating and at times,  
explaining/preacing'teaching to meet the mis-understandinds, which is really a  fear.
 
I was on front page of local newspaper, full color photo dancing for a fund 
 raising event. The article, along with photo, was quite extensive. Being a 
 'little bit proud' of myself, I carried this section of the paper with me 
for a  while. 
We were meeting friends at a Dunkin Donut, gal sitting next to us began to  
talk. You know how it is at a DD, "a stranger is a friend I haven't met 
yet", as  Will Rogers once said.  

 
I began to talk about my cane, after she mentioned it. I explained my  
reason for having to use the cane---oh she knew someone...and the usual  
conversation ensued about her friend who lost sight but this woman next to us  had 
not yet even 'seen' me, only my white cane and had not 'heard' a word i'd  
said.
 
I took my newspaper out and once again began to 'educate'. She read the  
article and was just completely astounded and over and over and over uttered  
these same words..."but this woman is blind--how can she dance? this woman 
is  blind--it says so right here in the paper, how can she dance? this woman 
is  blind! '  Every time she said this, either I or my husband said. 'she is 
 sitting right next to you'. The woman heard nothing!  Only herself, her  
abject fear paralyzed her brain...she could not 'see' anything but her own  
preconceived notion about 'blind' people.
 
After about 5 minutes of this back and forth--'this woman is blind! how can 
 a blind person dance?'  And me, 'that blind woman is sitting right next to 
 you'.  Ad infinitum, it seemed before she finally had a paradygm shift and 
 looked at me with different eyes and asked..'how can you dance, you are 
blind!' 
 
Again, we meet all kinds! And, some are very interesting! smiles
 
bre