Day one
My client called me yesterday to ask me if I was still coming to Jacksonville. I told him that I was, and not to worry. “Are you sure?” he asked. I told him I was very sure that I already had car, plane and hotel reservations. I was sure.
He then told me about the worldwide computer glitch that had the airline industry all bolloxed up, so he had good reason for concern. It’s been said of me that I have Pollyanna syndrome (a term I had to look up). I am an incurable optimist, but I think Pollyanna is pushing it a bit much. With that said, I headed to Houston with no hesitation. I’m sure my flight will be just fine. Well, long story short, it wasn’t.
Starting about two hours before takeoff, I got a delayed flight notice almost every hour until about 5:30 in the afternoon. Then it was canceled outright. I was then in line, like everyone else, trying to get to my destination in any way possible. And, before you ask, no, it wasn’t the “lesser airline” this time. I actually have a flight with the “lesser airline” tomorrow morning. Because of the plethora of canceled flights today, there is a mad scramble for hotel rooms in the area. I was blessed enough to find one close enough, ordered a pizza and called it a day.
Day two
I was up very early for a flight on the “lesser airline”. I held my breath every time the phone dinged with a notification, but everything went off as planned. I’m flying into Charlotte, North Carolina then driving about four hours east to Jacksonville to see my client.
I’m doing this so that in a couple of days I can pick up two colleagues at the Charlotte airport. We are all attending a conference later this week. It was going to be a shorter instructional trip than usual anyway, but missing a day due to travel issues is really pushing things.
I get to Jacksonville, home of Camp LeJune, just before dark, so Richard and I decide to get a fresh start in the morning. I don’t argue with him as it’s already been a long trip. I look around for a local restaurant but stop looking when I find a Publix nearby. If you’ve read this blog, you know I love Publix for lots of reasons. I stocked up on my favorites and settled in for an early night.
Day three
It’s my fault for being such a creature of habit, but the “free, hot breakfast” at my usual hotel is starting to look eerily similar to the last time I was on the road. And the last time. And the last time. I’m sure if I switched things up, “free and hot” would take on a new face, but I dealt this hand to myself… while clearly looking at the cards. I’m sure I won’t starve.
It’s not cool in North Carolina in July; in case you were wondering. I start sweating upon stepping outside. I’ve got about a 15-minute drive to Richard’s home, which should give me enough time to dry out before stepping out into the humidity once again.
Richard lives not too far from one of the main gates to Camp LeJune, the east coast headquarters of the United States Marine Corps. A Marine aviation base is also nearby, as evidenced by helicopters of varying shapes and sizes crisscrossing the horizon on my drive.
Richard has been in North Carolina for a while, but he’s a native of Connecticut. A diesel mechanic by trade, he lost his vision due to glaucoma, which usually takes away your central vision first, all the while making everything else cloudy. Richard doesn’t have much vision left, but he has made the best of his situation, like most folks with whom I get the privilege of working.
Richard has had a minimal amount of training from the state of North Carolina. He was issued a cane and taught how to use it. Very briefly. Employees of state services for the blind are, across the board, overworked and underpaid and the system is underfunded. I’ve not met one employee of any state who doesn’t have either a humongous caseload, a humongous area to cover or both. I’m not knocking the way things are run in state services (although maybe I should), but that’s just the way things are these days.
The information shared with Richard was good. What he did not get was the ability to practice the implementation of that information with someone who could ensure his safety. Or enough time to get guidance on new or modified techniques that may work better in certain situations.
We made a plan that morning to hit as many areas of travel in the time we had and learn stuff along the way. Before setting out, we took a walk around the neighborhood, a route Richard walks with his dogs in the morning. There are no sidewalks on this route so we take to the road.
Richard’s been walking on the right side of the road, which a lot of people do, but pedestrian safety laws state that we’re supposed to be on the left side, facing oncoming traffic. It seems counter-intuitive, but it makes the traveler with a visual impairment more visible to oncoming traffic because their cane is visible. If you’re on the right, cars coming up from behind you can’t see the cane.
That part of his route is easily modified. Keeping up with his dogs is another issue. Douggie (Doug) is what Leader Dog would call a career-changed dog that Richard adopted from the Border Patrol.
Tiny is a Chihuahua that’s a little gray around the muzzle, but pretty much rules the roost. Upon returning home, we spent some time trying to fool the dogs into thinking we were still in the house, but you know that never works. Thinking we succeeded, we headed out to an area Richard frequents for his AA meeting.
It’s a lovely area close to downtown Jacksonville, close to the courthouse, and along the New River that flows eastward toward the Atlantic Ocean. The area is paved with lovely bricks, which look great but are a real pain to someone using a cane. No two bricks are ever level with each other, and it makes for a bone-jarring walk if you’re not careful. The right cane tip (I suggest a jumbo roller ball in this instance) is very helpful. That and a very light touch.
Soon after, we retreated from the oppressive humidity to a café that Richard frequents. As soon as we walked in, our waitress, Liz, asked him where his dogs were. Liz has a great smile and a fairly significant limp due to a cut on the bottom of her foot from what she thinks was the edge of a shell. She never found the culprit from this weekend, but it didn’t slow her down from serving us well. I like her instantly, as she doesn’t listen to any of Richard’s gruff talk and throws it all back at him. When we left, she said, “Richard, you know I love you, but don’t ever come back here without your dogs!”
Day four
Richard and I head out this morning with Douggie lamenting and lying beside the back door, which is exactly where Richard found him yesterday afternoon. And we thought we were so smart. Douggie knew Richard was nowhere in the house and waited for him all day. Find a human being with that much devotion. I dare you.
We started back at the courthouse and practiced stair technique until Richard felt good about doing them. He’s surprised by two things in his training so far. First, learning that the truncated domes placed at the corners of intersections are there for him and others using a cane. The second is just how many cars will stop for him while he’s waiting to cross the street. I keep telling him that the more visible his cane is at the corner, the more people will pay attention and stop. It’s not 100%, not even close, but most folks, if they see it, will at least slow down.
The biggest problem I see out here in the mean streets is people using their phones while driving. It’s scary, folks. If you do it, please stop! And please draw attention to it wherever you go. It’s a pox upon humanity. There’s no way on earth that you or anyone else can pay attention to the phone and the road at the same time. NO WAY.
OK, I’m done ranting. For now. We practiced a route to Richard’s AA meeting from the courthouse, then we headed over to a shopping center where we finished yesterday.
We’re planning a route that includes crossing at a light-controlled intersection and across a parking lot to Lowe’s. The home improvement store, not the theatre. We’re practicing this because it’s a route he can travel, and it will be a great route to film his eventual guide dog application.
The O&M program we provide is not just for guide dog applicants, but a lot of people are at least dog-curious. To be a successful guide dog user you’ve got to have enough routes and purposeful work for the dog to travel. Exercising while walking around the block is great for a dog, but it’s not what we would call purposeful. The dog needs to go to specific places, cross streets, make decisions and find specific objectives. This route will allow for all that with a dog if Richard chooses to apply.
We ate at a Mexican restaurant in the shopping center and a downpour came while we were inside. The delay means only one thing: more chips and salsa for us! Goodbye low-carb diet, hello infinite joy!
After the thunderstorm, we do some Juno work so Richard understands the process by which a dog guide can/will guide him.
You’ll notice that there are no pictures for this blog at all. I focused on getting as much instruction done as possible since we missed a day. Richard said that I should tell everyone that he’s in the Witness Protection Program, so pictures weren’t allowed 🙂 We’ll go with that!
Day five through eight
I spent the next four days in Charlotte at the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) International Conference. This is a conference for professionals in the field of blind rehabilitation that happens every two years. And apparently, we don’t want to schedule it anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line where heaven forbids it might be cool and not humid. Two years ago it was held in St. Louis and Orlando before that. Neither is known for a lack of humidity or heat. I propose Fairbanks or Juneau, Alaska, but I don’t think anyone took me seriously.
The conference was good. Erica Ihrke, Meredith Bryde and I exhibited, presented and represented Leader. We also attended every session we could. So the days were filled. It was fun and informational and we made a lot of good connections. I saw a lot of old friends and former students, but I was ready to go home when it was over.
I’ll be on campus at Leader to begin my next trip, then I’m off to Des Moines and Dubuque, Iowa. My friend and Leader GDMI (Guide Dog Mobility Instructor) Kate has given me all kinds of eating advice, especially in Iowa City.
She’s also quite the baker herself and if you’re lucky enough to follow her on social, she posts the most lovely photos of her work. Deluxe Cake and Pastries is only a few blocks from her folks’ home in Iowa City and is one of her favorites, so I’m planning on hitting them up for all kinds of goodies on my way through town. Thanks, Kate!
