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

[Sherri]

It is amazing that she didn't even realize the woman in the paper and you 
were one in the same. Just amazing!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <BROOKE6358 at aol.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Deaf, blind priest grounded by airline


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
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