[nfbmi-talk] The Cane As A Symbol Or A Tool?

[Kane Brolin]

On 6/17/13, Larry D. Keeler <lkeeler at comcast.net> wrote:
>  ...  I was just thinking the other day about those who use the
> cane as a symbol and not a tool. Some folks only use it when its convinent
> and then put it away. They'll say the cane is too long or too inconvinenet
> at the time. Those who use it as a tool like the cane longer so that it does
> what its suppposed to do.

I get that this might be the case with many people.  Having been a
life-long blind person with no functional eyesight, I have been a cane
user since childhood, and I do prefer the longer cane for the reason
you have stated.  I do, however, tend to use a telescoping carbon
fiber version of the long cane that is sold in Independence Market.  I
switched to this variety of cane on the direct recommendation of Dr.
Jernigan back in the 1990s.  One time when attending a chapter meeting
in Chicago, one of the older guys in that meeting said I need to be
careful, because in using a folding cane some people try to "fold up
their blindness"-as in, hiding or de-emphasizing blindness in the way
you have described.  I know this is not the case for me; but I do like
the flexibility of being able to fold up and stash a cane so that it
is more efficient and less prone to breakage in a car, on a train,
etc.
>
>  ...  you are from South Bend and I'm from the Ann Arbor
> > chapter! Go Blue!!

I don't mind your poking fun, Larry.  But I won't be very good at
throwing rejoinders here.  I live in South Bend, but am not from there
and am not especially a Notre Dame fan.  I originally am from Iowa and
have been a life-long fan of Big Twelve athletics [formerly the Big
Eight].  So the outcome of the Notre Dame-Oklahoma game last fall was
a hugely unpleasant surprise to me, as I'd always argued that Notre
Dame is too afraid to play schools from a great conference such as the
Big Twelve and SEC--great in football terms, that is.  In my family,
we usually cheer for whatever team the Irish tend to be playing on any
particular day.  Yet it is a much more pleasant region to live in here
when ND is winning.

Cordially,

-Kane