[Ohio-talk] DON'T YOU JUST HATE THIS!

Wed Jan 25 12:39:04 UTC 2017

I suspect that we are aggravated by these interactions when we are in a bad mood already, and they just roll off our backs when we are feeling good. 

Please pay attention to Editor’s Musings in the upcoming newsletter. It may give you a place to write down and use constructively one of these anecdotes.

Barbara
Barbara Pierce 
President Emerita
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
440-774-8077
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

> On Jan 24, 2017, at 11:13 PM, Robert Spangler via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi JW, I totally share in your irritation, as does most everyone else on
> this list I'm sure, which is why it's such a great forum for airing out
> these frustrations.  Another one I get often is that I am faking blindness.
> I guess I should take this one as a compliment, as it must mean that I get
> around very well.  On the other hand, it's insulting because it is an
> expression of how that person must think totally blind people navigate.  
> 
> At the bar the other night, some guy told me that he wanted to know how I
> experience life.  Obviously, I knew what he meant but I purposely played
> dumb.  I told him that I experience it like anyone else; I get up in the
> morning, go to work, repeat that several times then go out on the weekends
> or stay home.  I told him that if he had specific questions on how I do
> things just to be direct and ask; I have no time nor the desire to deal with
> people who like to beat around the bush or refer to my blindness as "being
> like that."
> 
> I also seem to experience these types of interactions when I'm not in the
> greatest of moods.  There are insistent, annoying people but I try very hard
> to remind myself that most people are just ignorant and a lot of times
> there's probably a more underlying problem with that person and their social
> skills.
> 
> Robby
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ohio-Talk [mailto:ohio-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Smith, JW
> via Ohio-Talk
> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 11:44 AM
> To: NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List (ohio-talk at nfbnet.org)
> <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Smith, JW <smithj at ohio.edu>
> Subject: [Ohio-talk] DON'T YOU JUST HATE THIS!
> 
> After my visit to my doctor yesterday, I was sitting in the reception area
> waiting for my ride and a gentleman asked me if I was blind and after I
> confirmed his suspicions, he told me just how sorry he was that I was blind
> at least 5 times in about 7 minutes!
> 
> No matter how many times I told him that life was good and that he should
> not feel that way he kept on saying it.
> 
> Needless to say, I was not unhappy when he was called for his appointment
> before my ride came for me.
> 
> I don't know about you but I get so tired of these kind of exchanges and
> interactions and they seem to happen when my patience is fairly low!
> 
> Oh well, there are none so blind as those that will not see or who refuse to
> understand that one can have a productive and satisfying life even without
> physical sight.
> 
> GOOD GOD!
> 
> Jw
> 
> Dr. jw Smith
> School of Communication Studies
> Scripps College of Communication
> Schoonover Center, Rm. 427
> Athens, OH 45701
> smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>
> T: 740-593-4838
> 
> 
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> 
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