[stylist] To ponder- exercise and representing blindness
Anita Ogletree
yrstrli at gmail.com
Mon Feb 11 18:24:49 UTC 2013
That's excatly how I have been able to make it through more than
40 years of life. I usually don't (feel blind) until an unhappy
sighted person tries to rain on my parade.
Many people will often say to me "you are always so happy" or
"you are always smiling). Well if I could have made the choice,
I sure would not have chosen to be blind. On the other hand,
however, I have learned to ask God not to allow my heart to be
like so many who are sighted are in the way that they complain
about the sun shining in the window in the morning or are always
critical of other people's physical features or way of dressing.
There are some who may not have the financial ability to choose
the kind of wardrobe someone else deems proper. And sometimes
there are individuals who have decided not to conform to what
every one else likes.
I have come to believe that I may be better off than a lot of
sighted people because I see what's inside another human being if
they have the spirit of God. So I am usually smiling even when I
don't feel well.
Anita
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Lynda Lambert" <llambert at zoominternet.net
>To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:50:44 -0500
>Subject: Re: [stylist] To ponder- exercise and representing
blindness
>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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