[stylist] To ponder- to take to another level

[Donna Hill]

Bridgit,
I had to laugh a bit, because we just got in from a photo session for the
cover of my novel. It's going to have a photo of a hand holding a blue,
glass heart superimposed in the corner of a photo of an underground pond
with stalactites that are reflected in the water. Last spring, we went to
Luray Caverns in Virginia and Rich took the basic picture of their
reflecting pool just because it was beautiful. That gave me the idea,
because there's an underground lake in the book and a legendary heart-shaped
blue sapphire is hidden there. I got the idea of using the reflecting pool
shot and overlaying a blue glass paperweight, which was given to me decades
ago by a friend.  So, having an image of how I wanted the hand and stone to
look, I was giving my sighted husband, the gifted photographer, directions.
As a kid, I enjoyed taking photos. I found that I could see a photo better
than looking at it in person, because more of it fit in my field of vision.
Donna
-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bridgit
Pollpeter
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2013 1:07 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Subject: [stylist] To ponder- to take to another level

Lynda,

I have a similar situation that happened yesterday at a hair salon. I went
to my hair dresser, and the salon was pretty crowded. Before going to her
chair, I went to the back of the salon to se the restroom. As I traveled
back, the entire room went silent, as though I had no clue what was
happening. I turned to one group and gave a little wave, and my stylist, who
I have known for years, said they waved back, but everyone's expressions
were as though they had no clue as what to do or think.

I lost my sight at 22 after having been totally sighted. For all intense and
purposes, I'm totally blind- just light perception. At the time, I was a
vocal performance major and theatre minor at university. I have danced since
I was able to walk, and I enjoy things like fashion, decorating and make-up.

When I lost my vision, I didn't lose my interest or my personality. My
closest friends assumed I was no longer interested in many of my favorite
interests and hobbies. They didn't think I would enjoy movies or the theatre
or shopping. Many stopped calling because they thought we would no longer
have anything in common.

Well... I have never stopped being interested in these things, nor have I
stopped pursuing them. As you said, I have had to adapt to doing things with
different tools and methods at times, but I still find ways in which to
enjoy my interests and hobbies.

Like you, having been sighted first, I dream as a sighted person. Even when
I'm suppose to be blind in a dream, I still "see" my dreams and even "act"
sighted despite that I'm suppose to be blind in the dream.

I have always had a vivid imagination and visualize everything and anything.
I still have visual memories even when I didn't actually see things. I was
blind when I married my husband, yet I have a head full of visual memories
of the day as though I could see, and oddly enough, a lot of my memories are
more accurate than not. I'm not implying I have some sixth sense or spidey
senses, but my ability to collect information nonvisually and visualize it
in my mind, is apparently acting on some level allowing me to more
accurately depict something in my mind. This happens when I watch films or
TV even when not described; I'll have a recollection of a scene even though
I don't actually see what I'm watching, and when I discuss a visual medium
with people, they will be surprised with my depiction of it.

I still go into situations able to visualize what I want and how things
should look. During a theatre project I was involved in my second round of
university, I had to direct a scene. I knew exactly how I wanted the set,
how the actors should move, what the lighting should look like, etc. When I
have special events, I often know what type of out-fit I'm looking for and
how I want my hair and make-up to look. Since having Declan, I don't wear
much make-up, but since losing my sight, I never stopped using make-up or
applying it myself.

During my PR internship, I was very active with the design team when
creating logos and graphics and other visual elements. Yes I may need to
rely on someone else's description, but I can still participate and provide
an opinion, and that's what I did.

There's a lot of other examples I could give, but you get my point. I'm not
saying it's always a breeze, or that sight wouldn't be more convenient at
times, but society so often assumes that disabled people, particularly blind
people, are so different from the rest of the world.
We couldn't simply enjoy things like sighted people do. That it's amazing we
do anything at all. Having grown accustomed to one way of life, it's been an
adjustment for me as a blind person. Not because I had to learn new ways of
doing things, but because I'm the same person but get treated differently
now. The NFB has the saying that the most difficult part of blindness isn't
blindness itself but how other people view blindness, well, I completely
identify with this assessment.

So I say all this to demonstrate what I mean when I say I'm still a visual
person. Visual, to an extent, is a relative term as it turns out.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, editor, Slate & Style Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy,
we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world."
C. S. Lewis

Message: 4
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2013 10:02:02 -0500
From: "Lynda Lambert" <llambert at zoominternet.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] To ponder- taken to another level
Message-ID: <77BCAED57F464074A96F5DF86B7F100D at Lambert>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

Yes, Bridgit, I had just responded to this topic before I read your note

here. I spoke of my husband's inability to spell - which he would not
appreciate me talking about, I am sure. We will be  married 52 years in
April,; I guess he would not be surprised that I said this about him.

Yes, I also have retained my visual way of doing things but have had to
adapt to make it work because I have to do most things non-visually these
days. I am on the Krafters-Korner NFB list and have received many good tops
there to help me re-learn how to do things I used to do. That group has been
wonderful in helping each other through challenges we have in doing things
non-visually.

I have never been blind in my dreams - and I dream constantly. I am never
blind in my own consciousness unless I am faced with an uncomfortable or

frightening situation and then I find that I become very blind at times.

Mostly that happens when I am out and come upon someone who knows me well,
and they do not know that I can tell they are there - and they choose to be
silent and not even acknowlege I am there. This happened yesterday at the
beauty shop.  I was aware that a woman came into the shop as she passed by
me. I had a feeling I might know her because my hairdresser called her
"Peg." That is an unusual name, and I have only known about two Pegs or
Peggy's in my life. So I was alert, wondering if this was one that I know. 
Shortly, she was seated in the waiting area and I came in there to get my
purse to pay for my services. I was only 3 feet from her, and she was facing
me. I see shadows, but no details, so I could tell the person was looking
directly at me. Absolute quiet! Not a hint that she knew me.  As I had been
listening to her for awhile, I recognized her voice as she spoke with
others. It was definitely a lady from my knitting group who has known me for
a couple of years. I have sat with her in small groups of knitters at
different homes. I have been in her home on several occasions. Yet, when she
ran into me at the hair dressers, she chose to be quiet and wait it out
-
not in any way indicating we knew each other. My husband arrived, and as we
drove home I told him what has just happened to me. This is the kind of
thing I mean, when I say at times I feel very blind. This is the kind of

encounter only a blind person would have - because she has no idea I can

tell who she is, so she chose to ignore me.

My daughters and grand daughters often tell me how people will stare at me
because they see me walking with a long white cane. It amazes them how a

perfect stranger will stand beside me in line at a restaurant and actually
turn around and be looking directly at me because they think I cannot see
them. But, I can tell they are doing it. It is times like this when I
"accidently" hit them with my cane as I walk by.


Lynda


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