A Different Way of Seeing. Helping You Make Sense of the Overwhelm
Browsing Tag
It was with some surprise that I read the mail inviting me to be a speaker at the inaugural accidentalmuslims.com leadership conference – after all, I’m not Muslim, nor do I know much about the Muslim faith, much to my own embarrassment. However, having learned more about the theme and aims of the conference- developing …
Okay, okay, I know a cute young guide dog is going to attract attention, but I seriously didn’t realize the difference there would be between traveling on a plane with Fiji and traveling without her, especially when it comes to the onboard safety briefing. Usually when Fiji’s with me she attracts a lot of attention …
I know it’s Casual Day today and that mom is very excited that South Africans are uniting to support persons living with disabilities. And that’s all great – I’m happy she’s so excited but, when it comes down to it, I’m a dog so I get excited about other things, like walking, chasing squirrels, and …
It seemed like a great idea at the time. No, really, it did. There I was, standing on the kerb at the intersection with my wet sock getting ever colder and more unpleasant… the wet sock that I was currently wearing as a glove. And here’s how I got to that point: The early morning …
I’m often surprised at how unaware customer service agents are when assisting people with disabilities. They often make assumptions about what I can and cannot do – like assuming that, because I can’t see, that I can’t sign my own name… or create an invoice for work that I’ve done for them, or type in …
Speaking can be quite a lonely career – seldom do you see the impact what you say has on the audience’s you speak to. So when you receive a testimonial from a happy client, it’s a very special experience. Here’s a testimonial I received from the principal from a school where my guide dog, Fiji …
Something else about humans that gives me paws for thought is when people ask my mom if giving me treats to reward me for good behavior when we’re working isn’t a form of bribery… like it’s something bad! I seriously don’t understand why people will walk up to a pedestrian crossing and not get a …
Q: Why did the guide dog cross the road? A: Because she saw a squirrel and her brain switched off To be fair to Fiji, I need to assure you that over time she’s learned to control her instinctive reaction to squirrels. Yes, I’m still able to tell from the way her body quivers with …
Over the past year several people have asked whether I feel at risk when I walk on my own with Fiji. Recently a neighbour told me she thought I was very brave considering how prevalent crime is nowadays. The thing is, I’m not totally oblivious to what goes on in the world around me, so …
Here’s another Fiji video – this time of when she and I went walking in Tokai Forest. It was a beautifully warm morning. In fact, at over 32 degrees Celsius it was verging on being a little too warm! The sky was clear and there was a gentle breeze keeping it from becoming stifling. It …