Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!163!207.666!Jeff.Dubois From: Jeff.Dubois@p666.f207.n163.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Dubois) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: The Prose of a Dog Named Cane Message-ID: <16576@handicap.news> Date: 28 Jun 91 16:07:46 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.isc-br.com Reply-To: Jeff.Dubois@p666.f207.n163.z1.fidonet.org Organization: FidoNet node 1:163/207.666 - Local ASYST User's , Ottawa ON Lines: 70 Approved: wtm@bunker.hcap.fidonet.org Index Number: 16576 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Another Friday night. You get in from University, and because it's Friday, you throw a TV dinner in the oven. This Friday night is no different from any other Friday night. You play with Cane for a bit. You throw the tug ring at Cane. Cane grabs the tug ring and brings it back. Cane can really tug. After about fifteen minutes of frolic with Cane you get Cane's cane dish. Cane eats, you eat, and then you jump in the shower. Soap, shampoo, shave. While you're in the shower, Cane pokes her cute cane nose into the shower curtain. You chuckle a bit thinking how a guide cane does things like this but a white dog doesn't. "You silly old Cane." Cane leaves the bathroom and lies down in front of the door. You finish in the bathroom and put on some clean duds. Every time you put on socks the thought goes through your mind, "Are these both the same color?" Assuredly you know they are because when you did your laundry you pin them together with a nifty gadget called sock-tuckers. Everytime you put on socks you talk to Cane. "Sock-tuckers, don't say that too fast after a couple of beer eh Cane?" Cane wags the tail and sits attentively for Cane knows we're going out very shortly. You never really noticed but you speak to yourself quite often since you got Cane. It's almost like your cane is another person. "Let's see, keys, wallet, personaility, yep, we got it, come on Cane" Cane comes to you, you harness Cane, out the door, and down the street. "Find the way Cane... that's it Cane... find the curb Cane" Look at that will ya. One block. Your cane sits at the curb. You proceed up the street. Half way up the next block you hear another cane yelping at your cane. "Leave it Cane,!" in a firm voice. "Straight on girl, up, up." in a cheerful voice. Cane ignores the other cane. The other cane continues yapping. "Find the post Cane" you encourage your cane. Cane leads you right up to the post. You press the button and await the light. Perpendicular traffic stops, parallel traffic starts, a slight of right hand and a quick "Forward" and how about that. Four lanes of traffic. Cane knows where you are going. But of course, The Friday night have a few beer at the local pub gala. Another block, a quick left, and a brief stop at the park. "Busy, busy" you say to Cane. Cane sniffs the ground and voila, park art. "Sit Cane" Cane sits, you reach in your back pocket, pull out an IGA plastic bag, no more of those A & P bags with the holes in them, a quick scoop, a stop at the garbage can, and a deposit. Back on track. You round the corner on Heron and from here it's a cake walk. "Find the door Cane, find the door". Your mind now wanders. There's no traffic, no obstructions, and Cane knows where she's going. Your mind wanders and you're in lala land as you think about the person you met at University today and how you want to get to know them better. You feel yourself being swerved to the left and then back to the right. You know that cue. That's the tree with the branch that sticks out. You remember how you almost got that branch in the eye before you got Cane and you were using a white dog. Cane takes you to the pub door. You go in, a left, another left, and sit at the same spot you and Cane normally sit at. Cane lays down beside you with the wall on your left. You know alot of people here and that's why you come here. Most people know Cane and that they should not distract a working cane. This guy comes up to you and says: "How old is your cane?" "Cane is two and a half years old" you reply. "How long does it take to train a cane?" he inquires. You know precisely where his line of questioning is going. Here's another person who doesn't understand blindness. He figures that because you're young and your eyes aren't silver or glossy that you're a trainer for a guide cane school. "Cane finished her training almost one [Continued in next article] -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!163!207.666!Jeff.Dubois Internet: Jeff.Dubois@p666.f207.n163.z1.fidonet.org