My little red tether is my anchor in running with my friends. A beautiful guide dog has been my tether/anchor in mobility and independence for 17 years: 1. Pantera 2. Cricket, and now my beautiful 3. Georgina (Georgie). A life of family and friends is my joy and anchor in life.

The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. CC Scott

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Running. Lunch. Writing. RP.

Recently, another friend ran with me for the first time.  We chatted away and when we rounded our corner I said are we there already?  She said 'that was easy - I was really stressed to do this'!    It reminded me of a time another friend went to lunch with me for the first time.  We sat down, after I had independently, of course, met her for lunch and she said okay, I don't know what I am supposed to do to help you eat.  That was several years ago, and we have laughed about it since.  Both scenarios a few verbal cues is all that was needed.  I am grateful for people that are willing to take that chance and get to know me and learn that the blindness is not a real big deal.

As I mentioned, I spent some time last week with some people that I consider to be my mentors/friends who are also blind.  I have learned so much from them.  I was chatting with my roommate, and I was talking about writing even though I can't read my notes. I've felt like it was a hanging on to the visual thing. She was so validating and helpful as she told me she had done this as she was making the transition, and it helped her to remember by actively taking notes.  I also realize that I won't ever quit handwriting thank you notes.  That's a good feeling.   I'm transitioning to the ipad2 for many things and loving it.  Another late evening at the office tomorrow means time to take a class in the morning and learn a little more about its many features.  And, the Ann Taylor store does just happen to be next door to the Apple store :). 

I came across this quote and I've been trying to decide how I feel about it --

Disability is not a brave struggle or courage in the face of adversity.  Disability is an art.  Its an ingenious way to live.  Neil Marcus.  

3 comments:

Myrna R. said...

I like the quote. I think you live your life artfully.

Michelle said...

Hi Becky, once again your comments inspire my thoughts to tumble out! It was a good post, and I liked that quote. fortunately there's hundreds of millions of people with different opinions about this very topic.

I've read a lot of stuff to do with Helen Keller, and she really fits this quote almost perfectly! Some other blogs I've read gives me pity, not the pity where you can't handle the person's problems, so they mustn't be able to. But the sort of pity which inspires me to want to do something. To want to help anyone in whatever situation I'm reading about, by praying or just writing a comment to their site if possible. Other people, like me, well I don't know lol! Sometimes I find disability to be something to bravely face, yet at other times like this morning for example, I feel like I've got the world at my feet and there's no problems at this moment that I need to think about in relation to my blindness.

I find that I have to be brave when I encounter situations where blindness is an issue, like having to get somebody to read print, letting someone know that I can sign a card/piece of paper but they just need to let me know where, especially if that person may not understand my disability so well. It's something I deal with on so many levels really. I've always told people that if I can feel it, taste it (sometimes it's not possible!) smell it, I can wirk with whatever it is like anyone else. But as soon as something is hinting being visual, that's when there's a problem.

Right, as usual I shall end this comment here before it turns into a novel.

Take care and continue to write your lovely blogs!

Michelle

wendy said...

that is an interesting quote for sure...would make a person sit and analyze the meaning I guess.
I guess, in all hard things in life, it can be an "art" into how we cope and get through them.
Guess it's how we "color it" eh

and I LOVE that photo of you and Cricket on the post below.
so dang cute