[stylist] To ponder- exercise and representing blindness

Mon Feb 11 17:50:44 UTC 2013

There are parallels as you can clearly see, Anita. Good for you. My husband 
and I were just speaking about this a few minutes ago. This has been a very 
educational experience for him to walk with me through sight loss and the 
issues he sees that we deal with all the time. One thing for sure, I do not 
want to be bitter at all about it and I want to continue to walk in love. 
That is my choice.  Losing my sight is not my choice, but how I respond to 
it every day is entirely in my hands.

Lynda

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anita Ogletree" <yrstrli at gmail.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: [stylist] To ponder- exercise and representing blindness

> Amen to that! That's how society, in general, categorizes people of 
> different races, religions (and most of all) blind people.
> That is how the VR services attempts to manipulate us when we don't 
> conform to their pre-determined assessments of all blind people.  I 
> shouldn't be judged according to the statistics someone has gathered on 
> other people.  I am Anita Ogletree, not Jane Doe.  I can make my own 
> adaptations to doing things that work for me.  Ms.  Doe should be allowed 
> to do the same without feeling threatened that she won't get the help she 
> needs.
> You're right! we should not have to represent an entire group.  That is 
> what they do whenever they talk about black people.  Not all of us are 
> going to end up living in the projects.
> Ok.  I am finished with my ranting.  LOL
> Anita
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>From: Bridgit Pollpeter <bpollpeter at hotmail.com
>>To: <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>Date sent: Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:36:19 -0600
>>Subject: [stylist] To ponder- exercise and representing blindness
>
>>This makes me recall an interesting situation.
>
>>A few years ago I spoke at the Nebraska Medical Center to a group
> of
>>medical staff working with diabetics including doctors.  I have
> been a
>>type 1 diabetic since I was four, and I have had to manage my
> diabetes
>>both as a sighted person and blind person, so I was addressing
> the topic
>>from both perspectives.
>
>>Now, exercise and physical activity have always been important to
> me.
>>Since childhood, I've been a very active person.  I don't exactly
> look
>>out of shape, and to go along with this, my diabetes is well
> managed.
>>After I lost my sight, I didn't lose a beat when it came to
> exercising.
>
>>One doctor asked how I adjusted to not being able to work-out
> since
>>being blind.  He had participated in a study that, one,
> demonstrated the
>>advantages exercise had on diabetics who worked-out and those who
> did
>>not, and two, displayed that diabetics with visual impairments
> were in
>>the group of non-active people because blindness rendered them
> unable,
>>or at least made it difficult, to be active.
>
>>It was one of those moments where I was like, "You're a doctor,
> right?"
>>in my head.  I told him that I never stopped working-out or being
> active,
>>and I know several other blind people, diabetic and otherwise,
> who are
>>very active.
>
>>He then amended his response by stating that he meant visually
> impaired
>>people won't be able to navigate a gym or do much out-doors.  To
> which I
>>replied that first of all, a gym is not necessary to have access
> too for
>>exercising purposes, nor do you need to work-out out-of-doors,
> but
>>having said all that, that plenty of blind people, myself
> included, go
>>to the gym and find activities to enjoy out in nature.  My
> husband and I
>>use a walking trail near our house almost every day during nice
> weather,
>>and we aint taken leisurely strolls down it, grin.
>
>>It's just funny how silly people can get about these things.  And
> I like
>>what you say about not representing a whole group of people.  I
> am just
>>me, and I just want to live my life not always feeling like I
> have to
>>represent an entire group of people.  Some will say that as an
>>independent, capable blind person, it's our job, whether we want
> it or
>>not, to be an example, to represent the entire blind population,
> but
>>this is a heavy mantle to wear.  It's like asking any other
> person of a
>>minority to be more than an individual; to become the embodiment
> of a
>>whole group.  The thing is, no single person is alike.  I mean, I
> get this
>>will happen regardless, people will assign roles to us no matter
> what,
>>and yes, someone needs to voice progressive, positive examples
> for
>>various groups, but damn, we have to live our lives and just be
> human.  I
>>want to be a mommy because I love, love, love my kids, not
> because I
>>need to demonstrate that blind people can be parents.  I want to
> pursue
>>higher education because I love to learn, and I want to further
> my
>>knowledge, not because I have to display that blind people are
> just as
>>capable.  I want to be out in my community enjoying events and
> activities
>>like the theatre, concerts, sports, shopping, playgrounds,
> because I
>>have a sincere enjoyment of such activities and not because as a
> blind
>>person I must force myself to attend community events so society
> can see
>>that blind people are normal.  It's just exhausting, and I have a
> life to
>>live beyond this single element of my being.
>
>>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: 13
>>Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:58:47 -0500
>>From: "Lynda Lambert" <llambert at zoominternet.net
>>To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>>Subject: Re: [stylist] To ponder- to take to another level
>>Message-ID: <9778408A73F7477DABF1B81E8CB84C96 at Lambert
>>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>> reply-type=original
>
>>this whole thing is very interesting.
>>I know for most of the people I am around, I am the only blind
> person
>>they
>>have ever encountered.  I really don't feel like I need to
> "represent"
>>anyone, nor do I want to.  I am still the same "self" that I have
> always
>>been, and I think that is hard to grasp because I am sure they
> all look
>>at
>>this change as being devestating.  They seem surprised when I do
> normal
>>things.
>
>>When my husband and I did the one mile "walk to break the
> silence" for
>>ovarian cancer last fall, we walked behind my sister and my
>>daughter-in-law
>>who were engaged in cheery conversation together.  When we
> reached the
>>end
>>of the course, they turned around and saw us behind them - and
> expressed
>
>>amazement that we were "there"   as if I was not capable of
> walking
>>along on
>>the course.  I am very "fit" and workout at the gym nearly every
> day, as
>>I
>>have done most of my life - so why should that be any different
> now, to
>>the
>>point where anyone would think it surprising I would be walking
> as any
>>other
>>normal person walks.  Frankly, things like this really scald me,
> and
>>particularly when it is my family members, as they know very well
> that I
>
>>walk several miles a day on my cardio days, and work out at the
> gym for
>>over
>>an hour on other days.  But, there in public with tons of people
> around
>>us,
>>they show surprise that I can walk at all.  I am laughing as I
> write
>>this -
>>it is so silly.
>
>
>>Lynda
>
>
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