[bksvol-discuss] Re: OT: Guide dogs and families

  • From: "Jana Jackson" <jana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2005 00:12:31 -0600

Hi, Julie! I think you're right, it does take some time. My sweet dad really grew to love Thunder. When she died, he wrote a beautiful tribute to her. I'll post it to the list some time, if anyone wants to read it. At the time, Dad was recovering from a heartattack and had just gotten out of the hospital after his first encounter with congestive heart failure. I spent a couple of days with him and my mom, but I had to wait until I got home to really grieve, because he was taking Thunder's death worse than I was! <Smile> They do love me, and they've always wanted the best for me, but for some reason, they've had a hard time getting past some of the issues I face every day. Take care!

Jana

----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie Morales" <mercy421@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 10:27 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] OT: Guide dogs and families



Hi, Jana. My family definitely isn't the most supportive when it comes to my
dog, either, but that hasn't stopped me from getting three in a row. *smile*
This is the attitude I have: Most of the time, I have to do things on my
own, find my own ways of doing things, walk to where I need to go
sometimes...so I'm going to do what's easier for me, whether they like it or
not. *grin* Of course, over the years, our family has drifted apart,
unfortunately, so I'm not exactly close to them, and that's probably why I
feel the way I do. Now, my grandparents are the ones who really gave me
trouble with my guide dog, and I later found out that it was mostly my
grandmother, and mostly because she felt like people stared when we walked
into a business with a dog and she didn't like people staring at her. That
kind of hurt, because it made me feel like she was self-conscious about
looking different, and that meant, to me, that somewhere in her
subconscious, she was self-conscious about having a disabled granddaughter.
It's interesting, though, because lately, she's been different. She doesn't
drive any more, but when she did, the last time we visited, she had no
problem taking both my and my husband's dogs in her van to go shopping and
wherever else we went, so I do think it takes some time for people to warm
up to our dogs sometimes. Take care.
Julie Morales
To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives
today. -- Unknown
mercy421@xxxxxxxxxxx
Windows/MSN Messenger (but not email):
mercy0421@xxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jana Jackson" <jana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 5:44 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT: reply to Lissi



Lissi, Cindy's right, you are a very patient person! <Smile> I am the only
one in my family who has a significant vision problem. When I got my first
guide dog, Thunder, they were pretty insensitive at times. Several times
they requested that I leave Thunder at home if we were going out of town
together. Once I even had to stay in a hotel alone, because they had
decided to spend the night with a couple who was allergic to dogs. I'm
afraid I wasn't nearly as kind about it as you were. <Smile>


Now, don't get me wrong, my parents are actually great. Like Julie's
experience, they didn't know what they were doing when I was growing up, but
they really did try to instill a sense of independence into me. I think
that sometimes they may think they created a monster, but whatever. <Smile>
I'm not sure why it took them so long to warm up to Thunder. I don't think
my mom ever did, although now that Thunder's gone, you'd think she was the
most supportive mother in the world regarding that dog, to hear her tell it.
<LOL> They do know that I'm applying for another dog, and somehow, I think
things will be different this time around. Thunder died of cancer in 1997,
and aside from the special bond we shared because of her illness, I think
all the hassles with my family was one of the factors in my decision to wait
a while.


Jana

----- Original Message ----- From: "Cindy" <popularplace@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 3:07 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] OT: reply to Lissi



Dear Lissi,

You are a wonderful, forgiving, patient person. I
would not be as understanding of parents who were
ashamed of me if I had to use a cane or didn't want me
to take my dog with me. I would get angry, I'm afraid.
And if I were your teacher and learned of that, I
would take it upon myself to talk to them and make
them udnerstand how lucky they were to have some sight
and to understand what life was like for you.

I know what you mean about its being more difficult to
learn things at an older age. When I studied Spanish a
few years ago, it wasn't that I had so much difficulty
learning it, and I could read okay, but I had trouble
speaking it easily and understand it when spoken at a
rapid rate. A couple of years afterword, I would
forget the Spanish words for things and the French
that I'd learned in high school would come into my
mind instead.

re my learning braille--I meant if I get macular
degeneration and become blind in my old age--but
hopefully that won't happen. There are new methods of
treatment now if it's caught early enough, and I don't
have it in my family. But bearing in mind what you
say, I guess I'd go for audio books. Hopefully, it
won't come to that.

Cindy






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