Words of experience...

    Good evening everyone. I have decided to write a few thoughts and give my advice on a few things pertaining to being blind.

The first section is things you will go through when you take a dog with you everywhere you go.

    Every child you walk past in a store will either yell in excitement about seeing a dog inside or they will try to throw you out of the store for bringing your dog inside.
    You will hear many people tell you all about their own dog regardless of the time or place you run into them, including public restrooms.
    Many people think that when the dog is not walking it is ok to touch him...not true. Keeping people's hands off a working guide dog is an endless job.
    Some people won't even wait until you stop to grab your dog. I had a lady grab my dog's head and pull it into the booth she was sitting in at a Denny's.
    People will remember you. This can be good or bad depending on what you are up to. We are pretty good friends with a Wal Mart employee that changes our oil.
    You will see people do some weird things. "See" being a figure of speech of course. I have "seen" grown men and women lay on the floor while talking to me to get closer to the dog.
    Someone who is not familiar with the laws regarding service animals may possible try to throw you out of a Cold Stone. Life is exciting.
    Many people will not remember your name, you're just "The guy with the dog."

Next we will talk about being a blind parent.
    Babies are difficult. Unless they are actively making noise you never know if what you are doing is amusing them or making them angry. Sometimes it's too late to prevent a major meltdown.
    When a baby fills it's diaper...hold it away from your clothing and keep them off the bed. Again, you don't know what may be leaking out of that diaper until it is too late.
    You will never catch the spit up before it hits you.
    When a toddler says they need a tissue GET ONE. Do not ignore a comment like that. You will find things left on the couch that should have been in the trash.
    Never walk fast with a toddler around with a lot of toys. Regardless of the size of the toy, they are all dangerous in one way or another.
    When playing fetch in the yard, always keep in mind the exact location of the kids before you let a tennis ball loose. Kids move quickly and suprisingly quiet sometimes. Ask my nephews about Uncle Mike throwing things at them.
    When a child throws up, sometimes its just better to get someone else. Its easy to make a mess worse than it needed to be.
    Always check your seat before you sit down. Kids like to leave everything they touch on the chair. I have sat on the kids a time or two also.
    Silence can be dangerous. If you're not sure what your child is doing and they are quiet...check. We have had little fingers in mom's make up before. Not fun.
    Pre plan outfits. Many times our little one has ended up in mis matched clothing, backwards, and inside out. It is a bit confusing.
    Always check the area before you swing a child around. They don't appreciate crashing into furniture.
    Lastly, a child is not a competent guide. It's not their fault if you crash into the wall of an elevator instead of walking out the door.

Now for some general blind advice.
    If you have a remote operated fan and it's on the fritz and you can't find the remote or figure out why....check your wife's hands. There is a good chance that she is messing with you.
    Always check that there is a towel in the bathroom before you get in the shower. It takes a while to air dry, and of course you can't just walk out and grab one because there are small children about.
    Have a good sense of humor and learn to laugh at yourself. The other day while driving to church, we were turning left onto the highway that runs parallell to some train tracks. Right as we were turning, the train coming from the other direction, decided to honk its horn. I nearly left something unpleasant in the seat when I jumped out of my skin and threw my hands up and braced for impact. I thought we were all dead for sure. The worse part is that I even knew the train was coming. Sheesh....
    Learn that when a conversation starts, it is often best to initiate the hand shake. I have had people stand with their hand out for a full minute before realizing I am not going to take it. I have also thrown my hand out to shake someone elses and hit the unlucky person standing between us. Hand shaking is a risky business.
    If you are in doubt about something you pulled from the fridge....ask. I have had cream cheese on a roll and its just not the same.
   Always keep one hand on the treadmill at all times while in use...DANGEROUS!
   When jumping on the bed make sure it is actually in front of you.
   In your rush to leave the house, don't forget there is a kiddy pool on the sidewalk...changing an entire outfit will make you a lot later than walking a bit slower.
    And lastly, if you travel by air just expect a few things...TSA does not know how to deal with a dog going through security so just be patient. Some things are just not worth the  fight. If you have a service animal and an infant prepare for more trouble. You have to sit in the bulk head seating with a dog....not bad. But when you travel with an infant, some aircraft now have airbags in those same seats, for whatever reason, and it is against the law to put an infant there. Our last flight we went from the front of the pre boarding line to on the plane last because of all the seat arranging. There were some other unhappy fliers that we played musical seats with for a good thirty minutes.


Needless to say, it can be very exciting just being blind. Little daily chores become rather interesting. Oh here is one I forgot to put up in the kid section.....I recommend using someone with sight to change poopy diapers. I have left some unpleasant messes behind for my wife to find later. Either have someone else do it or do what I do.....do it in the garage on the concrete next to the big trash can.  Thank you all for reading!!! Have a great 4th of July weekend and God bless!!!!