Many years ago, my life was altered in a way that was both wondrous and terrifying. In order to reach the wondrous, I needed to conquer the terrifying. As I began to step my feet on the road to do this God sent the best people into my path every step of the way to help me. I learned that I must conquer the terrifying not once but over and over in this new journey, because the wondrous thing would take me into new places where things do not always go smoothly. You can read about this in my blog series about that journey.
Sometimes it is necessary to take time to heal when things go badly, and I have been doing that for a while. But it is also necessary to come out of the healing place and confront the terrifying again if I expect to reach the wondrous. I realized today that it makes people smile when I tell this, and their smiles help me to have courage. I also realized that I am ready to start answering questions about the new journey ahead. So here is the secret:
I have put in my application for dog guide number 6. Right now I am waiting for someone to come out and talk with me about my needs. When that person is here, they will spend a little time walking with me while I am holding a harness handle and they are holding the other end so that they can test different walking speeds and ways that a dog may pull on me to see what is best for me. After this, I wait for the dog school to find a dog that meets my needs and then I go to training with the dog for a period of time. This process is unpredictable–sometimes it doesn’t take long and sometimes it takes a long time. Needless to say, it is challenging to figure out how to orchestrate life around something that is very unknown. I will not know any details about the dog until I arrive at training and meet it. Dog number 6 shall be called Mystery until the great day of disclosure. I will enjoy keeping you all posted and answering questions along the way. I have had five previous dogs, and I am happy to talk about those experiences.
Today’s good question was about what the dog does when I am at home and whether it helps me in my own house. The answer is that when I am at home, the dog is off duty. My house is familiar territory to me and I do not need guidance here. There are other places where the dog may also be off duty or where I may need less of its help (e.g. hotel rooms, homes of friends and family, other public places that I visit frequently, etc.) In some of these places, the dog needs to stay “on duty” even if it is resting (e.g. in a classroom or other public place), or I may choose to keep it “on duty” until it learns what I expect regarding behavior in that place.
- Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
- more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
- On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
