While entering the local amusement park yesterday (Rye Playland), a park employee denied us access. She said only service dogs were allowed. I said that Verona was a service dog and tried to go through the gate. She stopped me and said she had to call her manager to double check. I said that I was blind and that my dog is a guide dog. She didn't budge. Then the folks I was with told her the same thing and suddenly she let us in. This goes back to something that happened at work the other day: my office mates sometimes don't feel confident I can handle the phones even though I'm better at it then some of them. A call came in and after I put it on hold, the caller hung up. This resulted in my office mates blaming me for dropping the call. They automatically made an assumption that the blind person fucked up when it was not the case at all . I don't think my office mates even thought about how I'd feel about it. Maybe it's me who should feel sorry for them, not being able to have confidence in someone like me.
All I can do is be the best I can and let it roll off, but, boy sometimes it's so hard to do it.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Poem on Vision Loss
Someone Asked Me
By Ann Chiappetta
She humbled herself,
Massaged our hands and feet, taught
Us reflexology, aromatherapy, Yoga
I am a good student, recording my physiological history from
Birth to the present, as if
It mattered To anyone else but me.
What she didn’t know was that I was paralyzed with fear
Unable to move forward, stuck.
She asked me,
What’s holding you back?
As she rubbed lemon and lavender extract into my skin.
Funny, I thought, she sees only what’s strapping me down, not
How far I’ve come,
So I shrugged.
Was she judging me, this Dark One,
This woman who relieved high blood pressure with acupuncture?
What’s holding you back?
This time I got insulted and said,
If going blind means anything, I guess that would be it.
She kept silent and we finished, my frustration flowing out with
The dirty foot bath water.
Years later, I ran into her. I could tell
She scrutinized me. I’d gained weight,
walked with a white cane,
I battled Depression.
Small talk subsiding, she asked,
What happened? You were doing so well.
I shrugged, made eye contact even though I couldn’t even see her face.
I pointed to my white cane, saying,
Going blind sucks.
She said nothing
She did nothing. She acknowledged it not at all.
5/2011
By Ann Chiappetta
She humbled herself,
Massaged our hands and feet, taught
Us reflexology, aromatherapy, Yoga
I am a good student, recording my physiological history from
Birth to the present, as if
It mattered To anyone else but me.
What she didn’t know was that I was paralyzed with fear
Unable to move forward, stuck.
She asked me,
What’s holding you back?
As she rubbed lemon and lavender extract into my skin.
Funny, I thought, she sees only what’s strapping me down, not
How far I’ve come,
So I shrugged.
Was she judging me, this Dark One,
This woman who relieved high blood pressure with acupuncture?
What’s holding you back?
This time I got insulted and said,
If going blind means anything, I guess that would be it.
She kept silent and we finished, my frustration flowing out with
The dirty foot bath water.
Years later, I ran into her. I could tell
She scrutinized me. I’d gained weight,
walked with a white cane,
I battled Depression.
Small talk subsiding, she asked,
What happened? You were doing so well.
I shrugged, made eye contact even though I couldn’t even see her face.
I pointed to my white cane, saying,
Going blind sucks.
She said nothing
She did nothing. She acknowledged it not at all.
5/2011
cool stuff to know about cell phones
5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do
For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.)
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.
Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.
Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST (Emergency)
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND (Locked Keys in Car)
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!'
THIRD (Hidden Battery Power)
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.
FOURTH (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?)
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone:
*#06#
A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
And Finally....
FIFTH (Free Directory Service for Cells)
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial:
(800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411
without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
This is sponsored by McDonalds.
For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.)
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.
Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.
Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST (Emergency)
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
SECOND (Locked Keys in Car)
Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone:
If you lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!'
THIRD (Hidden Battery Power)
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.
FOURTH (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?)
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone:
*#06#
A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
And Finally....
FIFTH (Free Directory Service for Cells)
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial:
(800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411
without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
This is sponsored by McDonalds.
Friday, May 20, 2011
You Should Write a Book
You Should Write a Book
I've decided to share excerpts of my short stories and poetry on a regular basis now that I have a lot of stuff. This is hard for me to do since it requires a routine and being able to post work without tinkering endlessly with it before I post it. I know, it's a control thing, but what's a girl to do?
On a related note, I've been working on a memoir, it's coming along well but I'm not sure how much or how little to write biographically. what is common knowledge to me, for example, may not be common knowledge to my relatives and I want to express my views without hurting them. I think it comes from the belief of "sparing" another person' and wish the fear of doing this didn't also imply that doing this is also keeping secrets.
So, I'm letting it all out, regurgitating childhood experiences, reflections of relatives past and present, providing a detailed description of who I am, what I think, and how I've been influenced by others, especially while growing up. This is the crux of it all, how I developed, who helped or hindered it, who left scars, who provided love and joy.
It is intimate and perhaps uncomfortable for some, but hoepfully enlightening for most.
I don't necessarily want a feel good or woe is me book; rather, a real piece of a life, a truth best described by the person best suited to tell it. So, the next post will hopefully be the beginning of this memoir.
I've decided to share excerpts of my short stories and poetry on a regular basis now that I have a lot of stuff. This is hard for me to do since it requires a routine and being able to post work without tinkering endlessly with it before I post it. I know, it's a control thing, but what's a girl to do?
On a related note, I've been working on a memoir, it's coming along well but I'm not sure how much or how little to write biographically. what is common knowledge to me, for example, may not be common knowledge to my relatives and I want to express my views without hurting them. I think it comes from the belief of "sparing" another person' and wish the fear of doing this didn't also imply that doing this is also keeping secrets.
So, I'm letting it all out, regurgitating childhood experiences, reflections of relatives past and present, providing a detailed description of who I am, what I think, and how I've been influenced by others, especially while growing up. This is the crux of it all, how I developed, who helped or hindered it, who left scars, who provided love and joy.
It is intimate and perhaps uncomfortable for some, but hoepfully enlightening for most.
I don't necessarily want a feel good or woe is me book; rather, a real piece of a life, a truth best described by the person best suited to tell it. So, the next post will hopefully be the beginning of this memoir.
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