[stylist] Please Read My Live Well Column

[Brad Dunse']

>Jacqui,
>
>I think I can safely say for the list, if not on my own behalf,  , 
>you are  one incredible, specially insightful lady. Your years carry 
>the vast calm confident wisdom you've gained  through the years, yet 
>still ring with the youth I know you feel deep inside. Simpley 
>amazing. I don't think there has been a post of your's of which I 
>haven't learned something.
>
>Brad
>
>On 10/16/2011  05:27 PM Jacqueline Williams said...
>Bridget,
>Again, an effective blog. I wonder how many know this is a meet the blind
>month.
>Yes, we should all be active in the community. Consider for a moment, an
>elderly woman who is not only severely limited with visual perception, who
>has had the cochlea removed from her left ear due to Menieres syndrome, thus
>had very limited hearing and no directionality to the hearing left, and no
>balance, and peripheral neuropathy an difficulty walking due to arthritis,
>Can one still be an activist? Yes, if she picks and chooses carefully.
>Communicating through the computer and e-mail, taking classes, small enough
>and structured well so that there is no extraneous noise, using an FM on her
>hearing aid, and getting over sensitivities enough that all those she does
>meet in her home, or at support groups, or at poetry events  are ways.
>People learn slowly what they can do to be supportive, but not overbearing.
>Almost every member of my poetry group has been to my house to see and hear
>the miracle of a screen reader, or to know how I keep up with Newsweek, the
>Atlantic Monthly, The Writer's Magazine, cook and bake, and read my poetry,
>written only a little about being blind or otherwise having problems.
>I am going to enclose a poem I wrote when I was diagnosed with Menieres
>Syndrome. I get rid of most worries or symptoms by writing about them.
>
>First Light with Mister Menieres
>
>She used to arise at four-thirty long before morning light.
>There was time for treasured quiet-
>to nurture a shard of her shattered self.
>Perplexities and worries of the days
>forewarned of tragic times.
>
>Then, two sons grown, a son and husband gone,
>she still arose at five before the morning light.
>Spiked with energy and expectation
>she felt eagerness to walk a mile, gather with friends,
>or take a trip. She would write of illusions, anger,
>love and grief, dance a dance, seek life's learnings.
>She might experience a man or three-
>ignite new lights.
>
>Now, in the surrounding still of intermittent deafness
>she burrows into flannel sheets holding her close.
>She dreams a dream, explores a memory-
>listens with awe to the mouse that lives in her left ear.
>He squeaks directions to his orchestra, tuning up for the day.
>
>Only at first light does she allow herself
>the surreal sensation of vertigo as she arises with care.
>Perhaps this day Mister Menieres will permit her
>to savor coffee, enjoy a book, bake a loaf,
>call a friend or write a poem to reclaim those parts-
>pieces to a puzzle finally taking shape.
>
>It makes a mosaic of her forgotten self
>illuminated by the candle power of tranquility.
>
>I think I said once to the crowd, that there are things worse than
>blindness. Deafness is one. There are so many ways to deal with blindness.
>Deafness cuts into your heart by losing communication with those you love.
>When you take away the visual, the auditory and then the tactual, you are
>getting close to Helen Keller, though she could feel with her hands.
>Every time in my life that I have come close to feeling sorry for myself, I
>have only to "look" around and see someone I would much rather not be. Right
>now, it is my kid brother, 13 years younger, who has early onset Alzheimer's
>and has broken his neck, is wearing a halo, and his miraculous creativity is
>gone.
>I guess we can all say, we are pretty lucky.
>Jacqui
>-----Original Message-----
>From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
>Sent: Sunday, October 16, 2011 12:53 PM
>Subject: [stylist] Please Read My Live Well Column
>
>
>  Hello,
>
>Please read my Live Well blog column at:
>
>http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/2011/10/13/meet-the-blind/
>
>I blog about Meet the Blind Month. Please note that one of the end
>paragraphs is missing the beginning section of the first sentence. I'm not
>sure what happened, or why my editor has yet to fix this though I've asked
>her to remedy it. This is not how my original is, but something must have
>happened when it was posted to the website. Anyway, wanted to point this
>out, and as always, thank you for the support
>
>Sincerely,
>Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>bpollpeter at hotmail.com
>
>LiveWellNebraska.com
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Brad Dunse

Inspiration is sweating over the pen...
  then smiling at  what was written. --Capt'n Frank

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