a blind moment: Can I pet your trache?
Alright, so it happens sometimes. Yesterday I was walking down the street. As I came to the last intersection before getting to my first job at La Sierra
University, I met up with an aging couple who were walking their dogs.
though I had never met them before, I knew who they were. Often I've encountered them as I was walking to work. They usually walk their dogs in the morning.
Not having seen them since I moved to my new apartment on La Sierra Ave, I stopped to chat.
For some reason I thought they had small dogs, when the man approached I heard what sounded like the snuffling of a small dog in his arms. I reached out
to pet the small dog I thought he had been walking. He took my hand in his shaky grip and shook it.
"My name's Iverson."
"Iverson, good to meet you!" I said.
I reached out again, thinking I would this time be allowed to pet the furry companion. My hand came in contact with the right side of his chest close to
his shoulder. It was then that I realized, in quick succession, that there was a dog brushing against my legs, and that the snuffling sound was coming
from up around his face or head.
"Oh," I improvised, "I thought you had small dogs. I thought you were holding the dog in your arms."
I figured out that he must have some sort of breathing problem, some apparatus, but I didn't want to say anything.
I could just imagine it. 'Oh, your breathing tube sounded like a little dog sniffing.' 'Sorry, your tracheotomy made me think you were carrying a little
doggie in your arms.'
We chatted for a while and I petted the one, more friendly, dog which they allowed to say hello to Relish.
It happens every now and again and reminds me just how blind I am.
University, I met up with an aging couple who were walking their dogs.
though I had never met them before, I knew who they were. Often I've encountered them as I was walking to work. They usually walk their dogs in the morning.
Not having seen them since I moved to my new apartment on La Sierra Ave, I stopped to chat.
For some reason I thought they had small dogs, when the man approached I heard what sounded like the snuffling of a small dog in his arms. I reached out
to pet the small dog I thought he had been walking. He took my hand in his shaky grip and shook it.
"My name's Iverson."
"Iverson, good to meet you!" I said.
I reached out again, thinking I would this time be allowed to pet the furry companion. My hand came in contact with the right side of his chest close to
his shoulder. It was then that I realized, in quick succession, that there was a dog brushing against my legs, and that the snuffling sound was coming
from up around his face or head.
"Oh," I improvised, "I thought you had small dogs. I thought you were holding the dog in your arms."
I figured out that he must have some sort of breathing problem, some apparatus, but I didn't want to say anything.
I could just imagine it. 'Oh, your breathing tube sounded like a little dog sniffing.' 'Sorry, your tracheotomy made me think you were carrying a little
doggie in your arms.'
We chatted for a while and I petted the one, more friendly, dog which they allowed to say hello to Relish.
It happens every now and again and reminds me just how blind I am.
posted by Rusty Perez | 12:55 PM
1 Comments:
It is good to see that it isn't just sighted people who have trouble with petting our guide dogs without permission! I always get to upset when people pet my fiance's dog without even as much as asking. Doing something like that without permission is, IMHO, disrespectful and impolite. When it comes to a sighted person petting a guide dog without permission, well, I also consider that disrespectful of our status as people with disabilities!
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