February 18 - Purse to Pocket

This past week I have been thinking about mobility. I have been reflecting on the small accommodations I have made over the years since the day of my initial vision loss. Generally speaking, when I could drive myself around, I would carry a large purse which acted as a catch all for all kinds of little odds and ends.

The transition from purse to pocket came gradually. I am a little shamefaced to admit that when I was first introduced to a white cane, I used a fold up kind, which I tucked inside my purse. Yes, I know. It didn’t do me any good to have it there, but it was out of sight and initially that was the way I wanted it. However, when it became clear to me that I needed to use a cane as much for my own safety as anything, the purse became a hindrance.

These days, I like to have my hands free of nonessential encumbrances.  This way I can hold my white cane in my right hand and if I need to do so, I can take a guide’s arm with my left. Gone are the days when I carried a purse over my arm.

Additionally, in those early days of vision loss when I was no longer able to drive, I found that I was walking more. The purse and its contents were heavy. I tried solving the problem by switching to a backpack but this was also added weight and soon I began sorting through the contents to see what it was that I really needed to carry around with me. Eventually, I found that I could put most of this – door keys, a small amount of cash and an ID card, in a pocket.

It’s been an interesting transition from purse to pocket and one which didn’t happen overnight. I think that my biggest transition was one of self-image.  I have needed to develop new ways of thinking. I needed to balance the fact of my vision impairment against a wish to retain my independence. It’s been an interesting journey and it’s not over yet!

February 2 - Suggested Reading

This past week, I listened to Thunder Dog, a book by Michael Hingson. The book is an autobiographical account of a man who is blind and his various companion guide dogs.  Thanks to my friend Bill for suggesting this book to me. Bill is also blind and experiences much of the sighted world through the eyes of his canine guide.

Thunder Dog is non-fiction. The book tells the story of Michael’s escape from the World Trade Centre following the terrorist attack on September 11. It is an account of courage, trust and teamwork as Michael and his faithful guide, Roselle, descended the 1,463 stairs from the 78 floor of Tower 1 and then made their way through the dust choked streets when Tower 2 collapsed into rubble, choking dust, and flying debris. In the course of Michael’s account, the reader also meets some of the people who were there on that harrowing day. We meet some of the survivors and encounter others who undoubtedly perished in the tragedy. 

However, the book is more than an account of 9/11. In the course of the telling, Michael gives us a glimpse into his life. He tells the reader about growing up in a small town through to his life as a working adult in a high level job in New York City. He tells us about his excitement in acquiring his very first guide dog through to his relationship with Roselle, the dog who guided him out of the Trade Centre disaster. He mentions training of guide dogs, his experiences with Braille and assistive devices, and much more.

Although for myself, I didn’t experience any vision loss until I was an adult, and then only to the extent of vision impairment or legal blindness, I found that I could identify with many of Michael’s thoughts and insights. There were also points in the book where I didn’t quite agree with the views presented.  Whichever way you look at it, this book is thought provoking and one can’t help but be inspired by Michael’s courage, determination, confidence and independent spirit.

Thunder Dog is available from the audio collection of the CNIB Library.

January 29 - I Can Hear You Smile

Did you know that when you speak to me I can hear whether or not you are smiling? I might not be able to see your face or the laugh lines at the corners of your eyes, but I can tell from the inflexion of your voice if you are smiling and happy when you are talking with me. It’s actually quite easy. If you are blind, you will know this truth already. If you are sighted, I invite you to try this out by simply closing your eyes and listening. You might even try to hear different emotions in someone’s voice just by listening.

I don’t think that my sense of hearing dramatically improved when my sense of sight decreased.  Instead, I think that I might have learned to listen more attentively. I think that this often happens when someone can’t see. We learn to rely on other senses and so we learn to develop them more fully.

There are common myths surrounding sight and hearing. While there is sometimes the mistaken belief that hearing increases in direct proportion to the loss of sight, at the other end of the spectrum, there is an erroneous belief that loss of sight also means loss of hearing and intellect. Neither is necessarily so. There is no need to speak more slowly or to raise one’s voice when speaking with someone who cannot see.

I wish that I could also communicate my smile with the printed word or computer generated voice on this blog.  I am smiling as I am writing this. Today is a beautiful winter day with the beginning of some warmth from the sun after the dead of winter. I am happy and I am smiling. Can you hear me when I smile?

January 3 - Happy New Year

Happy New Year for 2014! I have hung my calendars on the wall but still I often find the beginning of a new year a time to make some small adjustments. I must try to remember to write the proper year on my cheques. I always struggle with this in the first part of the year. I still use the regular sized cheque blanks under my CCTV Reader although I know that I can order large sized cheque books through different banking institutions. I have bank accounts at two banks and I like to go to the tellers who know me. They are very helpful in pointing to the places where I need to sign and in reading any account information that I might happen to need before I come home to my audible and magnifying equipment.

The New Year started well for our local support group. Our members were invited to attend a New Year’s turkey dinner put on by Tom and Michelle at the Old Iron Horse Restaurant. This is the second year that Tom and Michelle have provided this community service. At this year’s lunch, those who attended were invited to give a goodwill offering as a fundraiser for playground equipment at the nearby Ermineskin Elementary School. The turkey dinner itself was free of charge. The restaurant was full, the dinner was excellent and Tom and Michelle deserve a huge thank you for fostering community spirit in this way.

I wish each of you the best of health and happiness as we journey together into 2014, sharing our thoughts and experiences through the medium of this blog of White Cane Connections.

There are two pictures below. The first is of Tom and Michelle, hosts of the New Year’s dinner and the second shows some of their guests from the White Cane support group. 

Tom and Michelle

 

White Cane support group

December 18 - Happy Holidays

This past weekend, Lyle and I attended a local theatre performance of The Sound of Music. The movie has long been associated with the Christmas season. The film version is not my absolute favourite, but last weekend’s performance was live and was based on the original stage script. It was extremely well done and with the slight differences from the movie, the musical play kept our attention to the end. The night was made even more enjoyable because Lyle and I were seated in the front row.

When we attend any live performance, Lyle and I always ask for seats as close to the stage as possible.  Sometimes when seating is on a first come basis, I have been offered a seat at the front with Lyle sitting separately further back. This doesn’t work well at all. Even when I am sitting close to the front I can only make out the larger movement on stage, and the smaller details of action, especially when not accompanied by dialogue, escape me completely. When we sit side by side, Lyle is able to whisper to me the reasons for the laughter or gasps of the audience as they see whatever it is that I am unable to see.

Lyle and I always appreciate it when seating concessions are made for us. Over the years we have become familiar with the theatres that bend over backwards in this regard, and those are the theatres we tend to patronise more often. I am also looking forward to a return visit to Stratford Theatre in Ontario. It was only after our last trip there that I learned that on request, there are headphones available with descriptive commentary of the action on stage.

So, as the days of 2013 count down, I want to wish everyone all the best for the holiday season. It has been an eventful year and is still not quite over. I also want to thank you for checking in on this blog. I am looking forward to being in touch again early in 2014 with more commentary on White Cane Connections.

Sue

December 7 - Getting It Right

This past week, Lyle and I flew to Florida. Considering the below freezing temperatures back in Alberta, this was a good move on our part. The weather in Orlando was exceptionally pleasant and the main reason for our trip.  However, we also visited the Disney Theme Parks. There are four of these – Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, EPCOT and Wild Animal Kingdom. We had been to the first three nearly twenty years ago but wild Animal Kingdom was new to us.

Magic Kingdom is the park which features the Disney cartoon characters and there are multiple rides and attractions. I think that Lyle and I were a little disappointed in the day we spent there. The park is definitely geared to families and young children and that was part of our memories of our previous visit. We did enjoy seeing a presentation titled Hall of Presidents with a voice narration by Denzel Washington. This presentation was very well done.

There were crowds of people on the day we went to Disney Studios. This park is smaller and with the throngs of people, and some unexpected steps and curbs, I found getting around required a bit more concentration. This was our least favourite park.

Lyle and I both liked EPCOT. Walt Disney and his team gave the park this name standing for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. While the attractions and displays don’t quite keep up with the rapid technological advances of today, Lyle and I did notice some changes from our last visit there. At this point, I want to say a special hello to Shannon. Lyle and I were sitting in the same row as Shannon and her parents in Ellen’s Energy World. Shannon and I were both using our white canes. So, Shannon if you are reading or listening to this, a special hello to you in Ontario from me now back in Alberta.

My favourite of the Disney Theme Parks was definitely Wild Animal Kingdom. I can recommend it for several reasons. First, it was constructed with accessibility in mind and secondly, apart from the business aspect, its prime function is conservation an preservation of the environment.

Wild Animal Kingdom is very well done and seemed to have something for everyone. Lyle liked the roller coaster ride in Asia enough to do it twice. I knew my limits and stayed on a bench near the entryway for this. I liked the safari ride. Although I couldn’t really see the elephants, giraffes, monkeys, and others, our guide was informed and informative. I learned a lot.

For both Lyle and myself, our favourite attraction was a performance of Simba, the Lion King. We were specially seated in a section reserved for people with disabilities. During the performance, the actors came very close to where we were sitting. It was great. When the action took place in the more distant centre of the arena, I was able to watch two extremely talented signers translating the words for the hearing impaired. All in all, I found the staff at this park to be exceptionally courteous and totally aware of the significance of my white cane. The planners of this park got it right and the present day management is continuing to do the right thing for those of us who live with a disability.

November 30 - Christmas Shopping

Christmas is coming and although it is one of my favourite seasons, I really don’t like the shopping aspect.  If I didn’t enjoy the end result of a shopping trip so much, perhaps it wouldn’t matter. However, once we are home from the store, I like taking out the special gifts and treats that Lyle and I have purchased.

You might be asking then, what is my problem. The problem is that when I am in the store, I simply lose any ability to focus or “see”. The variance of lighting – bright or dim, fluorescent white or dazzling colour, flickering or steady beam - is simply blinding. At Christmas the rush of people hurrying to and fro is unnerving. The multitude of special items on display while tantalizing to those who can see, for me is blurred and confusing.

Fortunately, Lyle is patient. One of his suggestions is that I make a list of what I need and he will fill the order. This works reasonably well with groceries but it doesn’t work with the gift list. For the most part, we don’t give many gifts but I would like for the ones that we do choose to give to have some special meaning. It is hard to make this list out of a vacuum not knowing what there is available.

So, that is my complaining done for today. Tomorrow is Advent Sunday and I know that I must prepare in other ways for the “Reason for the Season”. Today, Lyle and I put up our little Christmas tree and the string of lights along the outside roof of our house and garage. As I type this, there is a CD of Christmas music playing in the background. I have a special red tablecloth for our dining room table and a nativity arrangement and candles for the coffee table. Often Lyle and I will sit in comfortable chairs in our living room and reminisce about the many happy family times we have enjoyed at this time of year. I think that I will procrastinate just a little longer about the idea of shopping and enjoy the many good things of the holiday season.