[stylist] Rainbow response- lamenting sight

Sat Apr 6 21:43:16 UTC 2013

Yes,!  You mentioned some of the things that drive me up the wall, too - 
depending on someone else to help with grocery shopping is right up there at 
the top of my list - I want to rush into the store, grab a buggy, and scan 
the perimiter of that store - I only shop the perimiter since I am 
vegetarian - but to just grab what I want, and get on my way.  What I hate 
most of all is waiting - waiting on things I want to get done NOW.

My granddaughter lives just across the creek from my home - I can walk over 
the bridge and be there at her place in just a couple of minutes. I play 
with her children, and they have no clue I cannot see them - I did try to 
tell the 3 year old that I cannot see her, but she didn't believe me.  It 
was so funny. She thinks my cane is just for having fun with. She likes to 
take it and walk around the yard with it like it's a toy.  I wonder how long 
it will be before she knows I cannot read a book to her.

Yes, I have learned to do just about everything I want to do - but that is 
not the point. And, yes, I am thankful for all the technologies we have to 
help us get things accomplished. And, everyone who knows me marvels at all I 
do. I don't dwell on the negatives, and there are many negatives. And, to 
say that I would rather be without sight, to me, would be the fox calling 
the grapes that are too high to reach, "sour grapes."  I plan to keep on 
reaching high after the sweetest grapes of all.

Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2013 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] Rainbow response- lamenting sight

> Amen,
> Donna
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit
> Pollpeter
> Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2013 3:37 PM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [stylist] Rainbow response- lamenting sight
>
> Lynda,
>
> I understand what you say. I like being able to control things, so it 
> sucks
> that I require assistant for shopping, decorating, initial organizing, 
> etc.
> Technology is making some of this easier, but for those of us who once 
> could
> see, it's just not as nice.
>
> This doesn't mean we can't do things nonvisually or that it becomes
> incredibly difficult. But I hate relying on others to determine color and
> style and product. I will usually know exactly what I want, and will
> describe it to the best of my abilities, but ultimately, I have to trust 
> the
> judgment of others.
>
> And I don't think it's wrong to admit any of this. Like Lynda, I will
> probably never bask in the glory of blindness, but this doesn't mean I'm
> sitting at home depressed, thinking I can't do anything.
>
> It's been 10 years for me, and I'm just now beginning to miss my sight in
> ways I never did before. It started once Declan was born. I just want to 
> see
> my baby, his expressions, his movements. He crawled for the first time 
> last
> night, and I had to place my hand on his back to experience it. This 
> doesn't
> lessen exhilaration I feel, but it would still be nice to actually see it.
> He smiles all the time, and somehow, I know when he's smiling, but
> nonetheless, I want to freaking see it. If this makes me a *bad person,*
> well... I don't think that's my problem to deal with.
>
> Having said all this, I'm making my life what I want it to be. Nothing,
> blindness included, is getting in my way. I was told I would never have a
> biological child, and now I'm enjoying all the firsts with my baby boy. I
> say F U to all those who push us down and stifle us no matter the topic or
> reason.
>
> We are allowed to feel what we feel and reach understanding in our own 
> time.
> We are certainly allowed to miss our vision. This isn't a reflection on 
> our
> attitude towards blindness itself. This seems to be something so many 
> blind
> people have a difficult time separating; the lamenting of sight and the
> attitude one takes towards blindness. I can be independent and positive 
> and
> still miss the convenience of my vision.
>
> Bridgit
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2013 18:19:43 -0400
> From: "Lynda Lambert" <llambert at zoominternet.net>
> To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [stylist] color/rainbow prompt response
> Message-ID: <78707F5DA17A4563ADAE25B5843E448B at Lambert>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> reply-type=original
>
> I can sure understand why you said that. You are an amazing woman and I 
> have
> always loved reading your work.
>
> But, to be honest, being blind is a bitch to me, and it pisses me off - in
> plain old language. However, I am not really angry - but take things in
> stride and have plunged forward with life as it is. But, it is most
> definitely very inconvenient.  When I hear people here talk about how 
> great
> it is to be blind, I think they are on another planet, in some parallel
> universe.  I sure don't live in the same world they do and I definitely
> never ever see people as Blind or Sighted, like it is a culture or a 
> special
> group. I have no particular bias against people who can see well, because
> there are just stupid people of all sorts, blind or sighted.
> Horror
> stories go both ways - but then, I have not had a lifetime of dealing with
> such challenges so who am I to say? Cynicism is not healthy for anyone.
>
> I won't be singing the glories of sight loss nor celebrating it in any 
> way,
> anytime soon, and probably never.
> I like the driver's seat; I like planning my own moves; and I love being 
> in
> complete charge of everything around me, so for me, it's a bitch! Of 
> course,
> I never say this to anyone around me.
>
> OK, back to your poem. I agree that it sounds completely different when
> hearing it via a synthetic voice - but if you could hear a human reading 
> it
> aloud, it works very well.  Why not take it to your poetry group, and have 
> 2
> people read it - no two people ever read a poem the same way. It is always
> good to hear at least 2 or 3 different people read the same poem to really
> get the feel of it.
>
> Your extended lines really even it out - because most of the time rhyming
> end words really make things stilted and confined, and often make a 
> serious
> poem sound silly; but the extended lines (your enjambment) does help give 
> it
> some space.
>
> The asterisk, I forgot to mention. I agree with Chris. It came across to 
> me
> as a typo, which I meant to let you know was there. It does not work in 
> the
> way you were hoping it would - to divide the poem into two parts. You 
> don't
> need to do that, because with your words you have taken us from one time
>
> frame to another very well, I think.
> Lynda, who is actually in a really great mood this evening!  haha
>
>
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