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Hi John, Good to see you. Yes it`s difficult sometimes to help handicapped. I`m one of those - sometimes! because when I`m out shopping and have my two caines lying on the floor while I`m paying people often want to "help" me an pick up my caines and give them to me BEFORE I`m ready to lieve the shop. That nice people doens`t know that I`m able to pick up my caines when I AM ready, therefore I have to thanks them for beeing "helpful" because it isn`t a help for me - BUT that day may come where I really need the help - therefore I always thanks them with a smile, instead ot telling them "I`m able to do it myself". Sonia ---------- > Fra: John Morey <[log in to unmask]> > Til: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> > Emne: Anicdote about helping the handicapped > Dato: 11. januar 1998 03:37 > > Barb (THE BILL'S Barb) wrote... > >I had an interesting semi-negative experience yesterday along the lines of > >this discussion. > > Many years ago, when I was a sensitive lad (walked 6 miles to school, > uphill both ways, poor, no shoes, barefoot in winter, barbwire for traction > when icy, etc.), I had a negative experience as follows: > A blind woman who was using a white caine, was standing at the door to a > drug store. I, being a helpful boy scout, offered to hold the door. She > answered back, in a sharp, belligerent tone, that she was capable of > opening the door herself. I felt I had been reprimanded and rebuked. I > felt hurt. With that experience in mind, what was I supposed to do the > next time I met a physically challenged person? Help them, ignore them, > walk the other way, what? Remember, this was in the days when a child did > not speak to an adult unless spoken to first. > > I resolved the dilemma by, in the future, reading the body language. If I > felt that the person needed help and that the person invited help by > expression or by gesture, I helped. If the person did not somehow indicate > that help would be welcomed, I essentially ignored them.