A few years ago I had gone with my family to vote, after I was finished I was waiting for them, so I was playing with my phone, a gentleman said that’s a voiceover! He explained that his daughter and son were both blind so he heard it every day. His daughter is now our secretary of our. NFB chapter. You never know the cool things that technology can do :-)
My biggest problem is explaining to people exactly what I can see. The best description I have come up with so far is that it's like looking through a thin fog, even when it's not foggy. I kind of wish I had a magical power that would allow people to step inside my body, see through my eyes for an hour or so, and then go back to their regular vision. But I guess that's not happening anytime soon. :-)
I've struggled with this also. My best response, I think, for me is that everything looks ghostly. I have blind spots mixed with 20/1200 acuity, so everything is the fog you mentioned with things fading in and out of existence, kind of like a wispy ghost.
I didn’t think that someone reading my post might not understand what happens when there are actual blind spots in your vision. What happens is every place there is a blind spot (no vision at all), the mind fills in that spot with the surrounding background. So what happens to me is that I look at someone standing in front of a brick wall. Where my blind spots are, that person (or whatever object) becomes transparent and turns into a brick wall (the background). If my blind spot is where their head is, the head becomes a brick wall, but I see the very blurred shape of their body. Whatever is in the background is what the object becomes that is in my blind spot. It can be frustrating at times, and dangerous, but also pretty funny.
I usually try to explain blindness or low vision accordingly to the cognitive capabilities or the interest the person is showing. This is one of those conversations that you need to adapt, depending to whom you are talking. In today’s world ignorance is just a choice, that does not mean that you need to be an expert in any topic, including visual issues but depending on your age, you should have at least some very basic knowledge, including the effect of not only blindness but all kinds of disabilities.
Love this topic. I love educating the kids when they see my husband’s guide dog. The natural reaction for the kids is to come up and pet Jammer. That’s when. I say Mr Larry can’t see like you and I and Jammer is working to make sure Mr Larry does not run into doors or people. Explaining not to distract service animals 🦮 is extremely important too
I say, “Can you speak a little louder, I’m blind.” Haha! Most little kids ask about my white cane, but seem to not understand blindness. Adults sometimes ask about the cane too, but have no idea, for the most part, what blindness is like or that it is a spectrum. It’s amazing how some people even think your not blind if you can make out some shapes, or landmarks. I have some people who seem to think I can see everything, and others think I can’t see anything. I usually don’t look directly at people because I have no central vision and pretty bad double vision. I catch people looking behind them in the direction my eyes are pointing, thinking I’m looking at something back there, when I’m actually trying to see them. Haha!
Most of the time I am explaining my visual impairment to clerks that ask me to fill out a form I would have filled out in advance on my computer had they given me the choice. I tell them I can't see the print and would have appreciated filling out the form on my computer like the others they had me fill out. Someone will need to help me, and they generally do. When someone is giving me directions and says something like "see where the man with the blue shirt is?", I tell them I don't see very well and may need a more permanent landmark that really stands out, like a door or a seating area. Helpful hints like I may need new glasses are tough. I usually just say the damage to my vision is permanent and glasses only help so much. That usually starts a discussion of things I can and cannot do.
very well put Derek as always, l try my best to explain my situation to anyone who asks and as you say it can be annoying but in those situations I just ask myself the question, how much did I know about sight loss before it happened to me? I knew when I saw a person with a white cane/stick that they couldn’t see……period!! As you say education is the key and you’re doing a great job with these videos keep up the good work! 😊
At work I point out things that even have large writing on it but I can’t read it and tell them see that Wow word, I can nearly read that. It seems like they understand more when you can point out something that may seem relatable to them, because they don’t understand what 25/200 means.
Hey Derek, great video as always! How do I educate people? It really depends on the person. I ask first what they want to know and what do they know and then I basically go from there. I took a public speaking class in college and one of the assignments for me was this very subject. So I wanted to speak on everything from a CCTV to braille to navigating with a cane to accessorizing a home. Unfortunately, I got only as far as the CCTV because there was so much interest from the class about mine. I've always had the philosophy that we are all students and teachers of each other, so I really don't mind educating somebody about my sight.
For me it's like looking through patches of sand, I see some blurry and some sand. Thats how I explain it. Then, I say; each day, hour, and minute the vision changes because there is no set limit on my disease.
I had that stargardt's for the last twenty years and I have explained it so many times LOL I prefer to break it down as scientifically as possible even if people don't understand the science behind it
I’ve had several people tell me that I’m not really blind, because I do have some vision. Of course, some vision for them is blind for me what I see well, not a whole lot of anything other than light and dark out of my right eye on my left eye it’s like looking through, extremely foggy mirror, glass or shower glass and only being able to see the bigger shapes. I get a little bit of sensation of color. I can see dark objects against the light background and vice versa but most of my world is shadow snow it’s been a few years since I had my vision and the adjustments been pretty dramatic. A lot of my friends and family still don’t quite understand it not sure I fully understand it either but I’m getting there
I’ve been legally blind from birth, and with others define it as legally blind, so that they learn it’s not the same as totally blind. I explain it as seeing colorful swatches i have to decode. I tell them that its like when they drive down the highway and see the “golden arches” they dont have to see The rest of the word, they know its McD’s. 🍔
I don't necessarily mind the explanation as much as the tone of the question. Often, because I have managed to figure out how to operate with my very limited vision, people actually accuse me of "faking" blindness, which is INCREDIBLY painful. And, so, when these people ask me how I use my phone or my computer or how I do things, it can sometimes be asked in a way that seems like they're trying to "catch me in a lie". At that point, it just hurts to explain it because I feel like I have to do it to defend myself. I don't know if that makes sense.
That is just like my mom when she sees the large print on my phone she understands that I need to use it because of me being legally blind. Also, if she hears my phone talking to me she also understands that I also use voiceover on my phone.
Derrick so in the past, people would ask all the time how i would do things and you know I actually kind of put the question back at them. For example. Someone in my past might have asked this question. “How do you play the piano without seeing. Is their braille on the keys how do you do that!!” Well, I return the question and say. “Well, how do you do things. You have to learn right? I am no different.” So they actually make themselves look really stupid. If someone asks how you do something you tell them. ‘well, how do you do this task.” Then it gets them thinking. Now the thing I hate is when people say i am V.I.P. That is not true at all. Being visually impaired means that you can see but being blind or totally blind is no impairment. It menas that you don’t see anything. That is like when people say a digital piano is a keyboard. Well,,,, no,,,, a digital piano is in the same family but it is closer to its acoustic counter part. A digital piano is not a keyboard. They are different and they have their differences. A digital piano is an emulator for the acoustic piano. It actually feels like the acoustic but it does different things that the acoustic can’t do. You need a digital piano to complete a lot of musicial tasks. A digital can get in their and perform in ways that an acoustic can’t do. Well, Bering totally blind and visually impaired are a bit different. Now these days, i actually have had compliments from many who think that i can see but I direct my life like someone who can see. I do not do the groping thing or many things that a lot of blind people do. I was brought up in a sighted environment and got around. So many people think that i can see cause of the way I conduct myself. As far as how we do things on a day to day basis, you just have to return the question back at the perso. If they ask how you do something that is totally amazing!!!! Wow!!! Just like someone that is stupid or something you tell them well, how do you do things. And a lot of the time they say well, we can see and then you ask again. How do you do the task that you just did. So you put the stupidity back in the court. Hahahahahahaha. You ask a smart question and you get a stupid answer is what one of my neighbors said a long time ago. But usually now the questions that i get are about me on my job as a pianist. Questions are geared more towards “how do you play so long without getting tired out and how do you keep the music flowing.” Which makes total sense cause they are amazed and that is normal. You know when you are playing the piano you are not tired it is after the fact cause you are using so much energy in expressing and your dynamics. At the time of performance it is not tiresome but it is after when the tiredness catches up. Oh and by the way the piano is actually one of the hardest instruments to play. One of the most popular heard out instruments yes. And a lot of people don’t realize that but it is actually one of the hardest to play. Takes a lot of time and dedication and work. Lots of hours spent on the instrument perfecting your technique and moving in such a way you get a heavenly sound out of the piano. Yea. Their is a way to do it. And both an acoustic piano and digital you play them differently. The method you use is not the same although they both have 88 keys they are not played the same. I do play them both hahaha yes i do. People are intimidated cause they want to learn but then when come the first lesson, they on’t want to learn. They think they can just plop down and play just like that but it doesn’t work like that. So how do we do things well,, you work at it just like everyone else that what you tell people. Great video by the way.
Another thing that blind people face is looking at people. Not every person I am sure but a lot of blind mentality is this. “Oh i am blind, so I don’t have to look at the person I am talking, or speaking with cause i can’t see anyways so why does it matter.’ Well, to add to this comment, doesn’t matter you need to bee able to look at the person meaning directing your eye focus to them. If they are talking and moving you do the same. You follow the other person as they are talking. It just goes with sighted culture. A lot of blind individuals are stuck in the blind world. Like nobody is going to care what i look like or how i look at them. Well, as my folks growing up told me and I tell people that I all with all the time. “Do yo you want to bee normal or have people look at you and respect you, or do you want to look like a handicap blind I am in my own little world and everything revolves around me.” The second part of the mentality here is that a lot of blind people tend to think that they are in their own world with blind people. This is why these days as a professional business guy people including people i work with play for, bus drivers and more people can see that I look like i am sighted. I have no vision what so ever, but you can make people think that you are sighted by conducting your person in such a way that people will respect you. I tell people all the time. “I do things just like any work a day guy would do. I am doing things exactly like the next working guy.” Also, and this could bee with totally sighted people as well, I have seen it from some, but a lot of the time blind people as well as sighted too,,, but everyone in general sometimes have a fear of doing things alone… like travel. That is one topic and up for discussion. That i had with many people. So many times, I have heard blind, and as well as sighted people say “wow!!! You actually travel alone and you are not scared? That is something I would never do. I would never just get up and go on a bus train, or plane by myself.” I tell people straight up. “You can’t bee afraid of things. You have to learn to get up off your Easter hahahaha and go for what it is that you want to do. I mean what could happen to you. So many people are afraid they will get mugged or shot at. I tell people well,,,, you are then basing your life on fears, and what ifs and you won’t get anywhere. Doing that. What if the sky falls tomorrow what will happen well, that is uncontrollable. So you have to do what you have to do. Especially with covid that passed. You can’t just sit their ad base your life around what if I get covid I am afraid to go out to go to work. I mean that is really stupid and then you will shut your life in a box but sadly, a lot of blind people and sighted people the same do that. For me,,, I was raised with learning how to bee independent. I was in a family that I told them course i had places to go,, but I wanted to experience traveling alone and even at night. It’s not hard to do. Even my youngest sister asked me about that if I was scared to take the bus alone at night or train. Their is nothing to bee scared of absolutely nothing. What you ned to do is have confidants. My sister told me that she would never ever do the things that I do and she can see so it is not just blind it is sighted too. The problem with people blind, and sighted a lot of the time,,, is they are basing their lives around what if this happens or fear. You live that way, you won’t get anywhere and then you won’t leave your house. I started reallly my independents when I was back in preschool with a bus ride to and from school each way was over an hour and a half. Talk about riding the bus for a long time for a kid I actually started to see what being independent was all about. Then it moved on to other things. Some things will bee scary,,,, but you have to learn to take the reigns. You just have to find a way to learn. One thing that can bee scary is talking to social security over the phone cause you are hoping they won’t take away your benefits and you have a fear that you will screw up talking with them, but all you have to do is keep calm answer questions that they are asking truthfully. Then move on with your day. As far as getting out their and traveling especially at night all you have to do is bee confident. Confident. My first actual greyhound bus trip was when I was 14. People back then asked me if I was scared to take the bus by myself and even on my first greyhound bus trip their was nothing to bee afraid of. Then i took Amtrak alone when i was 17. And i really enjoyed traveling alone. Meeting new people on the bus and train. I have flown by myself as well on some occasions. Now,,,, I go by bus all by myself but i am older now of course, but now when I do these things, I just do them like anyone else would. I don’t really think about getting on a bus and being excited about traveling alone I just do it. I mean I love the bus actually. But it is something that now, rather than an exciting new experience cause I have been doing it for years, it really just is normal. It is just something that i have learned to do and ways to commute and travel I don’t think anything of it really that is my thought. Back then when I first had experience yea. It was a rush and exciting but now, sense i have been doing it for years it is normal. But traveling at night well,,, it is the same thing the only thing is is that it is quieter quieter its really not hard to do all of these things. You just have to learn how to do the task and I find it surprising that even people who are sighted would not travel alone or even are afraid to do that. I was talking with a bus driver about that one day. I asked. “What really is their that will put you in danger.” What is their to bee scared about absolutely nothing at all. You just have to go and get yourself out and travel. You are gonna make mistakes in life but that is how you learn, but,,, traveling alone especially at night really is not a big deal like a lot of people make it out to bee. It is just like traveling in the day but the atmosphere is a bit quieter unless you are at a bus terminal or airport. Then it can bee kind of busy but it is pretty much like during the day just the time and hour of travel is different. You just have to bee confident and mind your business when making connections even during the day you just have to keep on and mind your business while traveling. ask people for direction or assistants don’t bee afraid to ask and they will get you to where you need to go. I have taken the train from Tacoma Washington to Denver and the bus as well a lot of the travel was during the night and day especially during those long trips but you do the same as if you were traveling during the day. its not hard
A few years ago I had gone with my family to vote, after I was finished I was waiting for them, so I was playing with my phone, a gentleman said that’s a voiceover! He explained that his daughter and son were both blind so he heard it every day. His daughter is now our secretary of our. NFB chapter. You never know the cool things that technology can do :-)
Very cool! Always neat when someone gets it. Thanks for sharing!
My biggest problem is explaining to people exactly what I can see. The best description I have come up with so far is that it's like looking through a thin fog, even when it's not foggy. I kind of wish I had a magical power that would allow people to step inside my body, see through my eyes for an hour or so, and then go back to their regular vision. But I guess that's not happening anytime soon. :-)
I've struggled with this also. My best response, I think, for me is that everything looks ghostly. I have blind spots mixed with 20/1200 acuity, so everything is the fog you mentioned with things fading in and out of existence, kind of like a wispy ghost.
@@MrMagoo-wp7pq I love this! Thank you. I also love your RUclips name! 😀
I didn’t think that someone reading my post might not understand what happens when there are actual blind spots in your vision. What happens is every place there is a blind spot (no vision at all), the mind fills in that spot with the surrounding background. So what happens to me is that I look at someone standing in front of a brick wall. Where my blind spots are, that person (or whatever object) becomes transparent and turns into a brick wall (the background). If my blind spot is where their head is, the head becomes a brick wall, but I see the very blurred shape of their body. Whatever is in the background is what the object becomes that is in my blind spot. It can be frustrating at times, and dangerous, but also pretty funny.
Yes it is annoying! But we do have to educate people!🥰xxx
I usually try to explain blindness or low vision accordingly to the cognitive capabilities or the interest the person is showing. This is one of those conversations that you need to adapt, depending to whom you are talking. In today’s world ignorance is just a choice, that does not mean that you need to be an expert in any topic, including visual issues but depending on your age, you should have at least some very basic knowledge, including the effect of not only blindness but all kinds of disabilities.
Love this topic. I love educating the kids when they see my husband’s guide dog. The natural reaction for the kids is to come up and pet Jammer. That’s when. I say Mr Larry can’t see like you and I and Jammer is working to make sure Mr Larry does not run into doors or people. Explaining not to distract service animals 🦮 is extremely important too
My partner describes this on his podcast Blind Sanity, as he recently started to experience blindness. Great video 💪🏽
I say, “Can you speak a little louder, I’m blind.” Haha! Most little kids ask about my white cane, but seem to not understand blindness. Adults sometimes ask about the cane too, but have no idea, for the most part, what blindness is like or that it is a spectrum. It’s amazing how some people even think your not blind if you can make out some shapes, or landmarks. I have some people who seem to think I can see everything, and others think I can’t see anything. I usually don’t look directly at people because I have no central vision and pretty bad double vision. I catch people looking behind them in the direction my eyes are pointing, thinking I’m looking at something back there, when I’m actually trying to see them. Haha!
Most of the time I am explaining my visual impairment to clerks that ask me to fill out a form I would have filled out in advance on my computer had they given me the choice. I tell them I can't see the print and would have appreciated filling out the form on my computer like the others they had me fill out. Someone will need to help me, and they generally do.
When someone is giving me directions and says something like "see where the man with the blue shirt is?", I tell them I don't see very well and may need a more permanent landmark that really stands out, like a door or a seating area.
Helpful hints like I may need new glasses are tough. I usually just say the damage to my vision is permanent and glasses only help so much. That usually starts a discussion of things I can and cannot do.
very well put Derek as always, l try my best to explain my situation to anyone who asks and as you say it can be annoying but in those situations I just ask myself the question, how much did I know about sight loss before it happened to me? I knew when I saw a person with a white cane/stick that they couldn’t see……period!! As you say education is the key and you’re doing a great job with these videos keep up the good work! 😊
At work I point out things that even have large writing on it but I can’t read it and tell them see that Wow word, I can nearly read that. It seems like they understand more when you can point out something that may seem relatable to them, because they don’t understand what 25/200 means.
Hey Derek, great video as always! How do I educate people? It really depends on the person. I ask first what they want to know and what do they know and then I basically go from there. I took a public speaking class in college and one of the assignments for me was this very subject. So I wanted to speak on everything from a CCTV to braille to navigating with a cane to accessorizing a home. Unfortunately, I got only as far as the CCTV because there was so much interest from the class about mine. I've always had the philosophy that we are all students and teachers of each other, so I really don't mind educating somebody about my sight.
For me it's like looking through patches of sand, I see some blurry and some sand. Thats how I explain it. Then, I say; each day, hour, and minute the vision changes because there is no set limit on my disease.
I had that stargardt's for the last twenty years and I have explained it so many times LOL I prefer to break it down as scientifically as possible even if people don't understand the science behind it
I’ve had several people tell me that I’m not really blind, because I do have some vision. Of course, some vision for them is blind for me what I see well, not a whole lot of anything other than light and dark out of my right eye on my left eye it’s like looking through, extremely foggy mirror, glass or shower glass and only being able to see the bigger shapes. I get a little bit of sensation of color. I can see dark objects against the light background and vice versa but most of my world is shadow snow it’s been a few years since I had my vision and the adjustments been pretty dramatic. A lot of my friends and family still don’t quite understand it not sure I fully understand it either but I’m getting there
I’ve been legally blind from birth, and with others define it as legally blind, so that they learn it’s not the same as totally blind. I explain it as seeing colorful swatches i have to decode. I tell them that its like when they drive down the highway and see the “golden arches” they dont have to see The rest of the word, they know its McD’s. 🍔
Whenever people ask me questions like How do you work with horses, of how do you swim, I tell them that I learn to do it by feel.
I don't necessarily mind the explanation as much as the tone of the question. Often, because I have managed to figure out how to operate with my very limited vision, people actually accuse me of "faking" blindness, which is INCREDIBLY painful. And, so, when these people ask me how I use my phone or my computer or how I do things, it can sometimes be asked in a way that seems like they're trying to "catch me in a lie". At that point, it just hurts to explain it because I feel like I have to do it to defend myself. I don't know if that makes sense.
That is just like my mom when she sees the large print on my phone she understands that I need to use it because of me being legally blind. Also, if she hears my phone talking to me she also understands that I also use voiceover on my phone.
I don’t mind add the Keaton people I just don’t like repeating myself to the same potion
Derrick so in the past, people would ask all the time how i would do things and you know I actually kind of put the question back at them. For example. Someone in my past might have asked this question. “How do you play the piano without seeing. Is their braille on the keys how do you do that!!” Well, I return the question and say. “Well, how do you do things. You have to learn right? I am no different.” So they actually make themselves look really stupid. If someone asks how you do something you tell them. ‘well, how do you do this task.” Then it gets them thinking. Now the thing I hate is when people say i am V.I.P. That is not true at all. Being visually impaired means that you can see but being blind or totally blind is no impairment. It menas that you don’t see anything. That is like when people say a digital piano is a keyboard. Well,,,, no,,,, a digital piano is in the same family but it is closer to its acoustic counter part. A digital piano is not a keyboard. They are different and they have their differences. A digital piano is an emulator for the acoustic piano. It actually feels like the acoustic but it does different things that the acoustic can’t do. You need a digital piano to complete a lot of musicial tasks. A digital can get in their and perform in ways that an acoustic can’t do. Well, Bering totally blind and visually impaired are a bit different. Now these days, i actually have had compliments from many who think that i can see but I direct my life like someone who can see. I do not do the groping thing or many things that a lot of blind people do. I was brought up in a sighted environment and got around. So many people think that i can see cause of the way I conduct myself. As far as how we do things on a day to day basis, you just have to return the question back at the perso. If they ask how you do something that is totally amazing!!!! Wow!!! Just like someone that is stupid or something you tell them well, how do you do things. And a lot of the time they say well, we can see and then you ask again. How do you do the task that you just did. So you put the stupidity back in the court. Hahahahahahaha. You ask a smart question and you get a stupid answer is what one of my neighbors said a long time ago. But usually now the questions that i get are about me on my job as a pianist. Questions are geared more towards “how do you play so long without getting tired out and how do you keep the music flowing.” Which makes total sense cause they are amazed and that is normal. You know when you are playing the piano you are not tired it is after the fact cause you are using so much energy in expressing and your dynamics. At the time of performance it is not tiresome but it is after when the tiredness catches up. Oh and by the way the piano is actually one of the hardest instruments to play. One of the most popular heard out instruments yes. And a lot of people don’t realize that but it is actually one of the hardest to play. Takes a lot of time and dedication and work. Lots of hours spent on the instrument perfecting your technique and moving in such a way you get a heavenly sound out of the piano. Yea. Their is a way to do it. And both an acoustic piano and digital you play them differently. The method you use is not the same although they both have 88 keys they are not played the same. I do play them both hahaha yes i do. People are intimidated cause they want to learn but then when come the first lesson, they on’t want to learn. They think they can just plop down and play just like that but it doesn’t work like that. So how do we do things well,, you work at it just like everyone else that what you tell people. Great video by the way.
Another thing that blind people face is looking at people. Not every person I am sure but a lot of blind mentality is this. “Oh i am blind, so I don’t have to look at the person I am talking, or speaking with cause i can’t see anyways so why does it matter.’ Well, to add to this comment, doesn’t matter you need to bee able to look at the person meaning directing your eye focus to them. If they are talking and moving you do the same. You follow the other person as they are talking. It just goes with sighted culture. A lot of blind individuals are stuck in the blind world. Like nobody is going to care what i look like or how i look at them. Well, as my folks growing up told me and I tell people that I all with all the time. “Do yo you want to bee normal or have people look at you and respect you, or do you want to look like a handicap blind I am in my own little world and everything revolves around me.” The second part of the mentality here is that a lot of blind people tend to think that they are in their own world with blind people. This is why these days as a professional business guy people including people i work with play for, bus drivers and more people can see that I look like i am sighted. I have no vision what so ever, but you can make people think that you are sighted by conducting your person in such a way that people will respect you. I tell people all the time. “I do things just like any work a day guy would do. I am doing things exactly like the next working guy.” Also, and this could bee with totally sighted people as well, I have seen it from some, but a lot of the time blind people as well as sighted too,,, but everyone in general sometimes have a fear of doing things alone… like travel. That is one topic and up for discussion. That i had with many people. So many times, I have heard blind, and as well as sighted people say “wow!!! You actually travel alone and you are not scared? That is something I would never do. I would never just get up and go on a bus train, or plane by myself.” I tell people straight up. “You can’t bee afraid of things. You have to learn to get up off your Easter hahahaha and go for what it is that you want to do. I mean what could happen to you. So many people are afraid they will get mugged or shot at. I tell people well,,,, you are then basing your life on fears, and what ifs and you won’t get anywhere. Doing that. What if the sky falls tomorrow what will happen well, that is uncontrollable. So you have to do what you have to do. Especially with covid that passed. You can’t just sit their ad base your life around what if I get covid I am afraid to go out to go to work. I mean that is really stupid and then you will shut your life in a box but sadly, a lot of blind people and sighted people the same do that. For me,,, I was raised with learning how to bee independent. I was in a family that I told them course i had places to go,, but I wanted to experience traveling alone and even at night. It’s not hard to do. Even my youngest sister asked me about that if I was scared to take the bus alone at night or train. Their is nothing to bee scared of absolutely nothing. What you ned to do is have confidants. My sister told me that she would never ever do the things that I do and she can see so it is not just blind it is sighted too. The problem with people blind, and sighted a lot of the time,,, is they are basing their lives around what if this happens or fear. You live that way, you won’t get anywhere and then you won’t leave your house. I started reallly my independents when I was back in preschool with a bus ride to and from school each way was over an hour and a half. Talk about riding the bus for a long time for a kid I actually started to see what being independent was all about. Then it moved on to other things. Some things will bee scary,,,, but you have to learn to take the reigns. You just have to find a way to learn. One thing that can bee scary is talking to social security over the phone cause you are hoping they won’t take away your benefits and you have a fear that you will screw up talking with them, but all you have to do is keep calm answer questions that they are asking truthfully. Then move on with your day. As far as getting out their and traveling especially at night all you have to do is bee confident. Confident. My first actual greyhound bus trip was when I was 14. People back then asked me if I was scared to take the bus by myself and even on my first greyhound bus trip their was nothing to bee afraid of. Then i took Amtrak alone when i was 17. And i really enjoyed traveling alone. Meeting new people on the bus and train. I have flown by myself as well on some occasions. Now,,,, I go by bus all by myself but i am older now of course, but now when I do these things, I just do them like anyone else would. I don’t really think about getting on a bus and being excited about traveling alone I just do it. I mean I love the bus actually. But it is something that now, rather than an exciting new experience cause I have been doing it for years, it really just is normal. It is just something that i have learned to do and ways to commute and travel I don’t think anything of it really that is my thought. Back then when I first had experience yea. It was a rush and exciting but now, sense i have been doing it for years it is normal. But traveling at night well,,, it is the same thing the only thing is is that it is quieter quieter its really not hard to do all of these things. You just have to learn how to do the task and I find it surprising that even people who are sighted would not travel alone or even are afraid to do that. I was talking with a bus driver about that one day. I asked. “What really is their that will put you in danger.” What is their to bee scared about absolutely nothing at all. You just have to go and get yourself out and travel. You are gonna make mistakes in life but that is how you learn, but,,, traveling alone especially at night really is not a big deal like a lot of people make it out to bee. It is just like traveling in the day but the atmosphere is a bit quieter unless you are at a bus terminal or airport. Then it can bee kind of busy but it is pretty much like during the day just the time and hour of travel is different. You just have to bee confident and mind your business when making connections even during the day you just have to keep on and mind your business while traveling. ask people for direction or assistants don’t bee afraid to ask and they will get you to where you need to go. I have taken the train from Tacoma Washington to Denver and the bus as well a lot of the travel was during the night and day especially during those long trips but you do the same as if you were traveling during the day. its not hard