It’s The Little Things

Hi Everyone,

I have had a couple of busy weeks.  It started out with a trip to Cabela’s.  My father is an avid fisherman and he and I snuck out of the house to go there. When we go there I had to use the restroom.  I was not familiar with this restroom.  As I was leaving I was reaching for the door and flipped off the light switch accidentally.  There was another lady in the bathroom at the time.  She laughed and I apologized and then she told me where to find the door knob.

Since we are on the subject of bathrooms I am going rant a little.  Why can’t bathrooms all be made the same way.  Next time you go in a restroom, close your eyes and try to find where the toilet paper is, how to and where to flush the toilet, find the sink, paper towels and soap.  I can tell you, it is not a place where you want to be feeling around.  They have laws requiring bathrooms to be modified for people in wheel chairs, so why can’t they design a universal way to have bathrooms all be the same for blind people?

My dad decided we needed a little treat and he wanted to go to Dairy Queen.  The problem is that my dad gets lost a lot.  So he asked me, a blind person, to lead him there and I did! Speaking of treats, I have made the supreme sacrifice of giving up sweets for Lent.  I have a love of ice-cream.  It is the one food that is cold and slides down my throat so I don’t have trouble with choking issues, which is a major problem I have.  So I am sorry if my blogs aren’t as sweetly written as before.

A friend of mine picked me up for lunch one day last week. She took me to a buffet.  She had to walk with me through the buffet naming all the items.  She didn’t think of that when deciding where to eat.  That’s something sighted people don’t have to think about.  It’s the little things.

Later we went to a potluck for our church.  My mom had to help serve so she was busy and my dad had to help me.  My dad is not used to helping me.  My mom is usually always around to help.  He went to my mom and said “what do I do?” She replied “you go pick up a plate and fill it with things you know Lauren would like to eat.”  Then she turned to the other ladies in the kitchen and said “Lord help if I die first.  Lauren would probably starve to death or never leave the house.”  Going out with my dad and having my mom not there is always an adventure.  He often just walks away and expects that I will follow, so he turns around to talk to me and I’m not there.  He then panics and runs back to find where he left me.  My dad is a little helpless but I love him for trying.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Lauren