thoughts
I feel the need to write this to get it out of my system and perhaps to get others thoughts on what I have to say.
this afternoon the new representative from Christian record came to my home. In case you don't know Christian record is the org that sponsors the camps and runs thecamps for the blind and also lending library. Anyway, they also have field reps who's job is to go around visiting the clients and such. She called this morning to ask if she could come over and I said sure. So she came with another lady a friend of hers who is blind. We chatted for a while about Flora, and what I do with my life. She didn't seem very knowledgeable about the technology or blindness. Not that she should be an expert but...
Several times shethe rep made statements like "its amazing the things you can do. and "you certainly do a lot even though you are blind."
And this attitude bugs me. It doesn't bug me that she thinks I'm amazing. That in itself used to really bother me. I'm just living what's so amazing, but God has shown me that my attitude was wrong if He wants to use me walking down the street to inspire and motivate someone who am I to say He can't. It isn't my place to say I can or can not be used to bless someone else.
I also understand from the perspective of having been the 1 being inspired. I've heard and read about some pretty amazing people with disabilities and I'm lucky to know some personally. It can be inspiring to learn about someone overcoming a tragedy or even just meeting what would seem to me to be an obstacle and going on and living life. So, I don't think that her attitude was wrong in itself. What bugs me is that she works for an organization that is for the blind and while we can inspire her until she's brimming with motivation I do not think its appropriate for her to make statements like that to us. I don't mind as I've said but I know an awful lot of people with disabilities who do mind and they do mind a lot. I think that she as a person who works with the blind should be as knowledgeable as possible about capabilities. The pity I sensed in her just drives me nuts. I've seen this in Christian record staff before. The stereotyping and the pity. Maybe they should have blind reps or at least more blind workers like Lutheran Blind Mission does although then you could easily get in to some of judging that can go on among blind people and that would really suck. I'm not saying by the way that LBM was judgmental far from it in fact it was one of the most non judgmental groups I've seen of mostly blind people. Anyway, I guess that's all I have to say just felt the need to get this out of my system like I said.
Shelly
this afternoon the new representative from Christian record came to my home. In case you don't know Christian record is the org that sponsors the camps and runs thecamps for the blind and also lending library. Anyway, they also have field reps who's job is to go around visiting the clients and such. She called this morning to ask if she could come over and I said sure. So she came with another lady a friend of hers who is blind. We chatted for a while about Flora, and what I do with my life. She didn't seem very knowledgeable about the technology or blindness. Not that she should be an expert but...
Several times shethe rep made statements like "its amazing the things you can do. and "you certainly do a lot even though you are blind."
And this attitude bugs me. It doesn't bug me that she thinks I'm amazing. That in itself used to really bother me. I'm just living what's so amazing, but God has shown me that my attitude was wrong if He wants to use me walking down the street to inspire and motivate someone who am I to say He can't. It isn't my place to say I can or can not be used to bless someone else.
I also understand from the perspective of having been the 1 being inspired. I've heard and read about some pretty amazing people with disabilities and I'm lucky to know some personally. It can be inspiring to learn about someone overcoming a tragedy or even just meeting what would seem to me to be an obstacle and going on and living life. So, I don't think that her attitude was wrong in itself. What bugs me is that she works for an organization that is for the blind and while we can inspire her until she's brimming with motivation I do not think its appropriate for her to make statements like that to us. I don't mind as I've said but I know an awful lot of people with disabilities who do mind and they do mind a lot. I think that she as a person who works with the blind should be as knowledgeable as possible about capabilities. The pity I sensed in her just drives me nuts. I've seen this in Christian record staff before. The stereotyping and the pity. Maybe they should have blind reps or at least more blind workers like Lutheran Blind Mission does although then you could easily get in to some of judging that can go on among blind people and that would really suck. I'm not saying by the way that LBM was judgmental far from it in fact it was one of the most non judgmental groups I've seen of mostly blind people. Anyway, I guess that's all I have to say just felt the need to get this out of my system like I said.
Shelly