I Miss Making Rolie Polie Olies

            All right, first, there will likely not be a post tomorrow because
1.  I have no idea what I'm going to write about, and
2.  I'll actually be behaving like a stereotypical teenager, so I'll be "out".

            So you're getting your post early.  (As usual, be forewarned of the needless backstory).

* * *

            I have two classes today, the first one, at 11:10, was made optional (for today only) because we have a paper due in a few days.  So my professor decided to use the time to work on her Masters thesis and to conference with any student who felt they need help.  So, though I woke up a few times between 6:00 am and 9:00, I didn't actually get out of bed until around 10:15.  I then paced for a while before finally beginning to get ready for the day.  And I ended up leaving ten minutes later than I was supposed to (this is what happens when you're schedule is messed up).  But I still would have gotten to the second class in time had it not happened.

            As I'm leaving the dorm building, one of the security guards comes up to me and offers to walk with me to the gate.

            "It's slippery," she says.

            Though I'm pretty sure I would have been fine, I nodded and murmured my agreement.  She takes my arm and I correct her; I'm supposed to hold her arm.  And we start moving.

            Upon reaching the gate, she tells me to have a nice day and I wish her the same.  She kept using my first name, and I was proud of myself for not correcting her each time.  I've grown a little more comfortable with it over the years (out of necessity, since there are some people who either forget or simply refuse to call me Lily).

            But anyway, after the guard—whose name I don't think I ever knew—and I parted ways, I turned right, heading toward First Avenue.  As I walked, I had my head turned slightly to the right (I can only see out of my left eye, so I usually have to turn my head to see things on the right side).  I was looking out for the City Bike rack, I always have to remember to look out for it so I don't stumble over a bike tire.  I see the person move up beside me, but I think nothing of it as I continue monitoring with my eye and sweeping my cane from left to right.  It's New York City, there's always people.

            Then my cane jerks.  I pull it closer to my body, and pause mid stride.  I think the person tried to cut in front of me.

            Did they fall? I ask myself.  It doesn't look like it and I didn't hear anything.

            In the seconds it took me to mentally ask that, and continue walking, they're on the ground...  and rolling (they roll onto my foot a little), and I see them hunch in on themselves.

            WTF? I think.

            I'm a little stunned.  I thought they were fine.  Did they fall in slow motion like eyenurse? It's times like these when I wish my vision was a little better, not twenty/twenty, but just enough for me to have seen the fall from start to finish.

            My lips curl upward (well, I'm always smiling, so I guess, to be more accurate, the upward tilt widened).  I wanted to laugh...  she freaking rolled! Which then made my think of Rolie Polie Olies.  And I had to try so hard not to laugh out loud.

            "Are you alright?" I asked, my voice hesitant and not quite loud enough to cut through her moaning.

            Did I forget to mention that? Yah, she was moaning.  That's how I figured out it was a woman.

            "Hey! Are you alright?" A man walks over to us.  And then a girl soon after (I think she's a fellow dorm resident).

            The man went to the lady, who wasn't speaking English, but a language that sounded like some flavor of Asian while the girl just stood there, the only thing she'd said was "oh my God" when she first arrived.  He kept asking if she was alright, and offered to help her up.

            "Okay," he said, voice strained.  "On three.  One, two, three."

            She didn't get up.  She said something in her language and then rolled over and lifted my cane, tapping it as she did.

            "It was this, it was this."

            Honestly, my first thought was:

            Why the F is she touching my cane? No, it was not my cane's fault, it was yours.

            My next thought was berating myself for being a terrible person.  Then I shrugged it off.  And I started fidgeting, wondering if it was appropriate for me to leave yet, I had to get to class.

            The guy tries lifting her again, and she's up this time.  I turn to leave and then stop.

            The lady says something in her language, then the guy tells me that everything's fine, and I can probably go, while the girl touches my arm gently, reiterating his words.

            There was a quick second wherein I wondered why she was touching me, I didn't feel it was necessary.  But I got over it, smiled pleasantly and went on my merry way...  to be nearly twenty minutes late to the next class.

* * *

            Later, as I was getting off of the train (I was heading to work) someone was rushing past me off of the train and also tripped over my cane, this time knocking it from my hand.

            "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said. “Are you okay?”

            I just shrugged and was like, “yeah, can you get that for me?” as a very adamant Caribbean woman began yelling at him.  He handed me my cane and I left the station.  The woman seemed a little offended when, upon turning to me and asking if I was okay, I just shrugged it off.  It happens.  Which is my usual attitude.  Except for this morning.  Where I was extremely annoyed.  Irritated.  One of those words...  but not angry.
Well, till next time (i.e.   next Saturday, or sooner)
Adios

Addendum:

Watch me rant about another person that tripped on my cane. It happened an hour or so after this post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLOCAHjeCXA

Mending Misconceptions#1: extrasensory senses

            First, I'd like to say that I did not forget to upload on Saturday night.  I actually had most of the post written, but I've been having computer and wifi trouble (nothing knew because both my laptop and the wifi in my dorm suck).  Okay, to the post:

            So, I thought I'd do a series of misconceptions that need mending.  They won't be uploaded weekly or on any real schedule, but whenEver I think of some.  But whenever I do make them, I'll link them all together.

            The first misconception I want to discuss is a pretty common one: extrasensory senses.

            Whenever people have asked me if my hearing was better than the hearing of others', it was always hard for me to answer.  Wouldn't it depend on how good the hearing of the other person was? And the same for smell?

            So, depending on how I felt that day, I would ask them these questions.  I would try to lead them to the same conclusion: that it's all relative.  I know fully-sighted people with exceptional hearing, and fully-blind people with fairly poor hearing.

            I think that we just have to depend on our senses more so it may seem better, but its nothing special.  This world is so visual that most people don't know how good their hearing or sense of smell could be, because they don't try.  Most people depend on their eyes first and are hesitant with their other senses.

            Close your eyes one day, at some random street corner, and see how much you notice: the scent of exhaust and coffee, dirty water dogs and perfume.  What do you hear?: heels clicking smartly, a child babbling.  Is it possible that you hear farther than you see?

            On the other hand, it might not be the best idea to just stop in the middle of the street, close your eyes and do nothing.  But you get what I mean, right? Don't even try extending your senses, just take it all in, see how much additional information you get.

            Then try it with your eyes open.  Does it make any difference for you? Can you now smell the coffee before seeing Dunkin Donuts?

            I genuinely believe that it's not a special skill/superpower.  As I said before, it's a visual world.  So people who just have naturally good hearing or smell, notice these things automatically.  But most people don't even think to try.  It's no one's fault, it's just how it is.  Like the world is built for right-handed people, because 90% (or so) of the population is right-handed. 

            A hunter or soldier cultivates their other senses because its a matter of survival, same concept for blind and low vision people.

            I think I have pretty good hearing, and a fairly good sense of smell. But I am definitely guilty of relying on the bit of vision I have. I’ve tried walking around with my eyes closed (and my cane of course) and I’d always walk into things. Well, more so than usual.

            Below I've linked an article that my vision teacher (click here for a definition) showed me in eleventh grade. It was published in the Times two years ago called Why Do We Fear The Blind, and it’s really interesting.

Well, till next time
Ciao