I had my start in the National Federation of the Blind(NFB) in 1969 and continued until we were thrown out in 1980. In the NFB of those days totals ruled. In fact we were all referred to as "blind guys". Girls, boys and anyone else. Everyone tried to be totally blind just like our great champion and eternal leader. One of my first eye openers(no pun intended) was when I'd been out with a crowd during a national convention in Houston in 1971. I couldn't keep up with them. I bounced off walls and light poles as they moved ahead of me down the street. "Man," I thought to myself, "I sure wish I'd had the training these guys had at the Iowa Commission for the Blind". I had asked them if they had any sight and they told me they were blind guys. I took that to mean that they were totally blind guys. Later I learned that everyone of them had travel vision. Hells Bells, all the training in the world wouldn't have allowed me to keep up with them.
You might notice that I am still a bit bent out of shape over this deliberate misrepresentation. These arrogant jerks were pretending to be highly skilled totals in order to promote the organization. It goes hand in hand with picking 50,000 out of a hat for their national membership.
Now that I think about it, I never did thank them for tossing us out of the organization.
Curious Carl
No comments:
Post a Comment