[nabs-l] Report on the football/basketball game

[Kimberly thurman]

Kerry, congratulations on your successful travel.  We're all proud of you!
On Nov 22, 2010, at 7:17 PM, Kerri Kosten wrote:

> Hi All!
> 
> Sorry for the long delay.
> 
> Things for the basketball/football game went okay.
> 
> For the basketball game I did excellent. I used my cane the entire time.
> 
> I got directions in when I was dropped off and walked in by myself.
> There were a million people around to follow and I could tell when I
> was nearing the door because the sound of my cane changed and I could
> smell the inside of the building (the Coliseum has a distinct smell.)
> 
> As soon as I walked in someone took my ticket. I was introduced to a
> man named Jason who would walk me to my seat.
> 
> Instead of taking his arm though, I asked him if he could walk beside
> me and give me directions. We had to walk all the way across the
> Coliseum to the other side to get to the seats.
> 
> While we were walking he said "You do good with that stick." I
> explained that it was a white cane and that it helps me get around,
> and that I am much more independent when I use it and it conveys much
> more information to me than when I take someone's arm.
> 
> We arrived at my seat and I was so excited...I had just walked all
> across the Coliseum by myself without being guided.
> 
> I thanked Jason for giving such good directions and allowing me to use
> my cane...some people don't like giving directions or act strangely
> but he did really well!
> 
> At halftime, I was starving so decided to get a hotdog.
> 
> I wasn't sure where the concession stand was but because I had used my
> cane I had some idea of where to go.
> 
> After asking a few people for directions (they all gave directions and
> did not guide) I made it to the concession stand, got my hotdogs, and
> went back.
> 
> Again I was so excited with myself.
> 
> When the game was over I knew I needed to get back to the door I was
> dropped off at and I knew it was on the other side of the coliseum.
> 
> There is a walkway between the seats. On one side are the seats, and
> on the other is a wall with openings to hallways you can turn down.
> There was noone around, so I just guessed which direction to start
> heading. I had a pretty good feeling I was going the right way because
> I had used the cane to get to the seats so was pretty sure of how to
> reverse.
> 
> I ran into several people along the way, and they reassured me I was
> going the right way. I walked fast, confidently.
> 
> After walking a while, I ran into someone else who told me I had
> passed the opening to turn down to get to the blue gate. I turned
> around and it was right there;I had just passed it.
> 
> I turned into the opening and began walking toward the door.
> 
> Just as I had done with coming in I sort of followed all the people
> who were also going to the door. I could also feel the cold air coming
> from outside.
> 
> As I was at the rug that led to the doors, I heard a little girl from
> somewhere amongst all the people say something like "Mommy where is
> she going? Does she know where she is going?" tThere were a ton of
> people around so it was hard to hear, but I thought I heard the mother
> reply "Shhhh, let her walk."
> 
> I also ran into three people I knew.
> 
> I went outside and found the curb with no problem. Again, because I
> used my cane I vaguely knew where to go.
> 
> The next day was the football game. At the very last minute, my mother
> decided she wanted to go to the football game with me since we did
> have an extra ticket. Because it was my birthday, and I wanted to
> spend time with Mom, I decided she could come with me. However, Things
> did not go so well at the football game. I tried to compromise with
> Mom to let me have some independent travel, and I tried to do what you
> guys suggested: pay attention to where we were going. To make a long
> story short, I did get to use my cane with Mom giving directions to
> get out of the stadium and it went okay. I think looking back I
> could've done the entire thing by myself...there are ushers at the
> bottom of the steps to every section, everyone ws very nice, and they
> even have a texting program where you can text the word "aid" to a
> certain number if you need assistance and someone will come over to
> help you. I found out later the reason Mom did not let me use my cane
> more during the game was because she doesn't think I am good enough
> with it in "dangerous" situations. She was mainly afraid I would fall
> on the concrete steps and hurt myself, however as I pointed out my
> cane is long enough that it comes to steps two steps ahead and I cover
> very well so I get plenty of warning. I have never fallen or gotten
> hurt when using my cane;if anything it has prevented many injuries.
> 
> I was initially very upset with Mom for not trusting me. However, last
> Monday was my actual birthday and I was determined to make up for the
> lack of cane use during the football game and use my cane the entire
> day since it was my birthday.
> 
> We first went to a restaurant for lunch. There were three of us;me, my
> mother, and her friend. After I had ordered (I was first) instead of
> standing around waiting for the others to order, I took off and went
> exploring to try to find us a table. I came to the cluster of tables
> and went around to each table and checked to see if there were three
> seats. Eventually I came to one which had three chairs and sat down.
> So, for the first time I had found us all a table on my own.
> 
> After we had finished, my mother was talking to her friend outside
> before they parted. I was going to go with her to Target to get some
> new clothes. I wanted a refill on my drink so again got up, tand took
> off in search of the fountain. Soon, and after asking a couple of
> people I found it and got more Coke.
> 
> At Target again I used my cane the entire time. I had to try on
> several pairs of jeans and since we could not find any pairs that fit
> we had to go from the dressing room across the store , to the isles of
> jeans and back sevral times. With mom giving directions I used the
> cane. It came to every obsticle;the isles were very narrow with racks
> of clothing on each side and various obsticles sitting between them
> where you could walk. The cane to everything; and each time it hit an
> obsticle or I successfully went through a very narrow isle I called to
> Mom, who was in front of me "See how the cane comes to these things?"
> 
> Even though I did not get to use my cane as much as I would've liked
> at the football game, I'd like to think I made up for it on my
> birthday. I hope my mother saw and really realized how the cane
> prevents me from getting hurt and how it comes to every obsticle and
> how I can navigate narrow isles/passageways without runnning into
> anything with my body.
> 
> I learned a lot from the three days. You do never know who you run
> into; the people who saw me at the basketball game and target saw a
> blind girl who was using her cane independently; they did not see a
> blind girl holding onto someone's arm.
> 
> I wonder what kind of discussion that little girl and her mother had
> afterwords in the car. Maybe the mother was able to educate the little
> girl on independence of blind people.
> 
> Now, if Jason ever escorts another blind person at a basketball game
> he will know the stick is actually a white cane and that it symbolizes
> independence.
> 
> I now know how to manage my mother when she is worried or is
> overprotective;I just take off.
> 
> I am very proud of myself for not only using my cane but for the
> independence I was able to show to those who saw me, and to those who
> encountered me. This makes me want to work even harder to not back
> down to those who want to overly help and really really use my cane in
> every situation.
> 
> Thanks for all your help;without your encouragement and advice I'm not
> sure I would've been able to do the basketball game by myself.
> 
> There is one more home football game left on Dec. 5. Who knows, I may
> just take off with my cane and try doing it alone just like the
> basketball game.
> 
> Kerri
> 
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