[stylist] Robert's gratitude submission

Sat Nov 24 00:15:04 UTC 2012

Cool! I like it! I don't know if this is just me, but if I was 
writing it I think I would give "the teacher" a name, to make 
them feel more personable.  And editting-wise, I think "red curls 
[...] bounced" should be "red curls [...] bouncing", or else 
chage the comma after "spoke up Bree" to a fullstop.

Thought-provoking indeed, though, especially the contrast between 
Bree and Chelsea.

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Leslie Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net
To: "'writers nfb'" <stylist at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Fri, 23 Nov 2012 16:48:00 -0600
Subject: [stylist] Robert's gratitude submission

Hi you all.  Below and attached is my short piece of fiction that 
I would
appreciate your assistance in making it as good as it can be.  
this is one of
my THOUGHT PROVOKERS, a series that I ran for 11 years; all 154 
of them can
be found upon my personal website, URL at the bottom of all my 
emails.  I am
working my way through them in order to --- improve them.  (They 
are still
being used by many blind related agencies, college programs  for 
counseling
purposes and training of new staff.

THOUGHT PROVOKER 118

The Mentor

"What does the term mentoring mean?" Asked the teacher.  She was 
addressing
10 blind students--five high school students paired with five 
elementary
students.

"Mentoring is what happens when you have a more experienced 
person teaching
someone who has less experience." Spoke up Bree, the soft red 
curls of the
precocious, totally blind 10-year-old bounced as she delivered 
her answer.

"Hee-hee, it can be fun, too!" Volunteered Chelsea, Bree's 
partner, a tall
dark-haired, partially sighted-15-year-old, who was at an awkward 
stage in
life (giggles and absent-mindedness).

"Very good you two.  Now class, let us re-visit our goals in 
terms of
mentoring.  First there is the obvious in how you are paired, one 
high school
and one elementary student.  Then in regard to our second major 
mentoring
experience for this program, each of you pairs will be assigned 
to mentor an
elderly person who is new to blindness."

The next day, Chelsea and Bree arrived at the home of their 
mentee.  Chelsea
rang the doorbell.  The inner-door was opened by an elderly 
woman.  "Yes?" She
said through the closed screen door.

"Hi." Answered Chelsea.

Stepping out from where her taller partner had thoughtlessly 
blocked her
from view, Brie interjected, "Mrs.  Johnson.  I'm Bree and this 
is Chelsea.  We
are your mentors."

"Oh yes girls, excuse me.  A person with poor vision can't be too 
cautious."
Said the woman, unlocking and opening the door.

"If I had been in front, you probably could have seen my white 
cane and knew
it was us." Said Bree, trying to be tactfully helpful.

"Possibly, young lady.  Hold still and let me have a look at the 
two of you."
Said Mrs.  Johnson, stepping close, turning her head to the side 
using her
peripheral vision.  "Pretty.  Now how about we go into the 
kitchen, have tea
and get to know one another."

Seated at the table Mrs.  Johnson said, "I'm sorry I'm going to 
have to ask
one of you to pour.  With my vision I'm filling the saucer, as 
often as I
fill the cup."

"Oh please, let me." Chelsea said, jumping up.

"Excuse me, Chelsea!" The force of commitment in Bree's voice, 
grabbed the
moment, "We are here to teach and here's our first opportunity.  
--- Mrs.
Johnson, put your hands on top of mine and I'll show you how I 
would do it."

Hands positioned, Bree continued.  "Okay, here's the pot; good 
it's not too
heavy.  There's my cup.  See how I bring the spout over, feel it 
right above
the cup --- when you tilt the pot, feel it touch the rim and my 
finger,
too?"

"Yes and your finger is poking down into the cup."

"Yes, I'm a little nervous and don't want to overfill it." 
Answered Bree, a
small self-conscious grin sounding in her voice.

The three of them talked and talked and had a great visit.

Next day- "Okay mentor teams, time to report.  You've had your 
first visit."
Said the teacher.

Bree and Chelsea were the third to report.  "We had an awesome 
visit." Said
Chelsea.  "We go back next week."

"Mrs.  Johnson is 72." Reported Bree.  "She has macular 
degeneration, that's
where you lose your central vision and she told us all about it." 
Bree went
on to tell of those things she and her partner taught their 
mentee.  "My most
favorite part was when Mrs.  Johnson talked to me about ageing as 
a woman."

"What?" Chelsea wined in a puzzled tone.

"That was when you took your marathon bathroom break.Anyway, she 
discussed
how you must change your attitude and do things differently as 
you get
older.  And, I'm embarrassed to divulge this, but I never knew 
what age
wrinkles were like.  I mean, my grandparents all died when I was 
young and so
I never got to know them.  But now I know about wrinkles, Mrs.  
Johnson showed
me."

"Ee-U!" Said Chelsea, her tone leaving no doubt of her feelings.

Turning to her partner, hand on hip Bree said, "I beg your 
pardon.  In all
due respect to the dignity of Mrs.  Johnson, she showed me the 
wrinkles on
her hands and then the loose and sagging skin of her forearm.  So 
to sum up,
I mean, we were there to teach Mrs.  Johnson about blindness, but 
she taught
us about ageing, too.  I learned that mentoring can happen both 
ways."

Robert Leslie Newman

President, NFB Writers' Division

Division Website

 <http://www.nfb-writers-division.net/> 
http://www.nfb-writers-division.net

Chair, Communications committee

Personal Website-

 <http://www.thoughtprovoker.info/> 
http://www.thoughtprovoker.info