I’ve mentioned before about how much we blind people rely on guide dogs to keep us safe.
While I was at Guide Dogs for the Blind getting my first guide dog, there was a man who spoke to the class. He told his story.
He was a survivor of the attack on the world trade centers. His guide dog got him all the way out of that building just in time.
Every time I read their story, I am so touched. To put your whole life into those dogs paws. A lot of people don’t believe we do it, but we really do.
Yesterday was 9-11. It was the day that so many lost loved ones 8 years ago. I know America has caused its own problems in other countries, and I feel for any of the families and friends for people who have died over there, but 9-11 killed a lot of people and I just remember that day so well. It was life-changing for a lot of people.
I was sitting in speech class in the 9th grade. I was working on writing a speech due at the end of the week. A student stood up in shock disbelief and said that one of the twin towers had just been hit. I’m not sure if he was listening to the radio, saw it on the computer, or how he knew.
We all stopped and then turned on the TV in the classroom and watched the tragedy.
There were several teachers and students there that had friends or family that worked in the WTC, and they were very worried. They didn’t know what had happened to their friends. They tried to call and find out, but never was able to get a hold of tem.
It was an emotional day, and reading this story brings more emotion. Maybe because I’m blind and I know the impact that these dogs have on us. Without them, we have to rely on other people. People are not always reliable either.
Imagine being in the center of a large open area and someone putting a blind fold on you and spinning you around so that you would lose your direction. Then they let you go and tell you to find the street, the car, the bench, etc. You literally have no idea which way to even start to look for it. You want help, even if its just a little.
This is the daily life of a blind person. If it is not a familiar environment, we are constantly lost and need to rely on others to give us correct directions. There is what we call “sighted guide”. That is where a blind person takes the elbow of another person in front of them and to the side, and walk wherever the sighted person goes. Many sighted people are not the best guides. Some don’t even stop for steps or curbs. If you are not expecting those things, it can really make you lost your balance for a bit. Some even turn corners too sharp and run the blind person into things or into walls.
Using a guide dog is great. You are still relying on someone else, but this dog knows you and what you need and will do anything to keep you safe.
This story about the man and his guide dog shows that. You can read it here.
It really is amazing, but these dogs our like part of us. For those that are unaware, do you see the importance now? The dog is so much more to us than just a guide or a pet.
by Joanne Stark, on 09.13.09 @ 6:47 am
I have some friends who look at him and go, “Oh, he seems to feel that just because he and his dog made it out of the World Trade Center on 9:11, he’s all that.” They seem to feel he’s arrogant or something. I’ve met him, and heard his story, and I must disagree with that sentiment. They’re not even thinking about how they themselves would have reacted if they had been in his shoes on that tragic day. I didn’t voice this opinion to them, but I was thinking, “What would you have done?” i admire Michael for his ability to keep his wits together in that situation, and I admire Roselle for doing so much more than an acceptional job of helping her handler get out of danger. A very moving story, and one we should never forget, whether we’re guide dog users or not. Thanks for posting the link to it.