Category: Getting to Know You
So, as the subject implies, do any of you have any? I knew this kid who I went to blind camp with who used to spin his head around back and forth all day. I've known some that rock back and forth, etc. So, do any of you possess any of these habits, or did you, and somebody told you to quit? Just wondering!
Well I don't have them anymore, But in school my eyes were attracted to lights. Especially flashy ones like what you wuold see on a fire truck, camera flashes. I would totally get engrosed in lights to the point of forgetting what I was doing. I even walked into a wall or two because of them.
There was a guy that I worked with in Nashville who was really bad. he would stand with his left foot in front of him, rock back and forth and roll his hands like he was using them to pedel a bike.
for the most part, they've been stopped by the family, but I'll admit that when I'm in my room alone I'll some times spin around in circles for quite a while.
Oddly though I only do that when I'm alone at home. I never did it in my room alone at The seeing Eye, and only did it the last year of college.
It's not really a blindism, but the closest I think I get which I can't help, is that my eyes move from side to side following my fingers across the braille page. Apparently it looks really odd to watch.
I used to rock back and forth every once in a while before I was told to stop. I know a lot of blind people though who either jump up and down or rock their head back and forth. I also know this other guy who walks with his head down instead of holding it high like everyone else would when they walk. I've had to tell them to stop a number of times and just calmly say that no one else in the room is rocking besides him/her and they will stop but seems like they go back to doing it again a while later.
Actually, I'm pretty bad at this; when I was little, I put my finger in my eye. So retarded, I know--but from what I've heard little kids who are blind do this all the time. I've also been told that I should "look around more;" for example, I was in a diner the other day and my parents said that some people stare at me when I don't look around at things. Apparently, sighted people swivel their heads and look at things a lot. I have nothing to look at, so moving my head around pretending to "take in sites" just makes my head hurt. Retarded, yes I know.
Oh, and I've also had some posture problems. I've been told I don't relax enough--or I sit up straight to much. With all that said, I'm becoming increasingly self-concious about it all, so most of the problems I'm working on.
I used to and still poke my eye. Although my aunt and uncle used to make me sit in a corner and say "i will not poke my eye", or sometimess slap my hand, it didn't help anything. But now I don't think I do it as much as I still did when I was little. The reason I'm trying to stop now is that my eye is sunken in and there's a bruise. Also, I don't know if this is a blind thing or what, but when I'm alone, when I'm doing something, I have to get up and walk across the room and touch something. I also do that while I'm eating, but I only do that one at home because I think my family's gotten used to it. (I don't do it when I have friends over either, but yeah, I don't like staying sitting down for long periods of time and that's why I do that.
Leilani
Yes, I've got the same eye problem, though I rarely do it in public anymore.
Also, , I make sounds (like repeating words to myself, but not loud enough for others to hear me), and I like rocking and spinning once in awhile, but I also do that when I'm alone.
Leilani
Brice, I don't think you should feel that you need to pretend to be looking around a room. I do always try to look at people who are talking to me, but I don't see any need to randomly move your head as if to look around the room when you can't see. Don't feel self-conscious about not looking around.
Brice, that's weird that they'd say you're sitting too straight, but I guess it's because I'm used to hearing people tell someone to sit straight. *smiles* I'm trying with that and usually am OK at it, but I don't like if I'm sitting directly across from someone and feel like I'm "looking" directly at them. Although I can do it sometimes (probably when I'm more relaxed), usually, I feel more comfortable still facing them but looking a little at an angle. I also have been told that I need to relax because I don't much like being too too close to others for long times, like for instance if I'm sitting in a crowded car.
Leilani
Truthfuly, it's kind of annoying when you're entire sighted family keep's correcting you--it makes me feel like a retard to move my heard around, and pretend to look at things. "Look at that blind kid over there, pretending to move his head around and look at things--when he can't even see them." Still, I never really knew how much people stare at me until I've been told.
I masterbate at least 8 times a day.... Wait that isn't because I'm blind.
That means blindguy that you have plenty of time in your hands and other sticky stuff, too. ROFL Star
Hey Jared, that's probably what made you blind, not because of it. lol
I have always had a tendency to have my head on one side. I use to be told constantly by parents to "put it up straight" and sometimes "keep your head still" cos it would go around if I got excited, or nervous and even angry or frustrated. I am not sure why I do it. But the theary behind my head on the side was that when I was little i would consciously try angling my head so I could use the site out of the corner of my right eye and there it became kinda a habbit or something. It has unfortunately caused that left side of my neck to become very tense and hard. I use to have much fiseo sessions on it (among other things cos of my cerebal pawsey - excuse spelling) when I was younger to try and stretch it but no good. i was told that it will probably give me back problems when I'm older. Even now my spine feels a little curbed so am not sure what will become of me, but, ya get that I guess!
And let's not forget Jared's obsession with girls with fully removeable prosthetic eyes! Ha!
When i was little, I used to jump up and down when I was excited, but mostly the stuff I did, mom told me I looked retarded, so I stopped! Lol
And exactly how does behaving like stevie wonder make anyone a spastic, I wasn't aware that he suffered from cerebral palsy, well you learn something new every day.
As much as I try not to, I still rock back and forth while sitting and standing a lot. And when I was little I used to keep my head down all the time, though that was stopped thanks to the combined efforts of my parents, teachers, and this headbandy thing that I wore that buzzed really loudly whenever my head dropped.
Yeah, I don't get where the word "spastic" would come in either, maybe it should be more like "blindisms" or "blind habits" or something like that. *smiles* But anyways, this discussion is still interesting.
Leilani
I used to put my head down and hold my head up with my fist in my eye, but my parents worked with me a lot on doing that sort of thing, I try to catch myself doing anything that probably doesn't look normal. I think most of us have a fair idea on what that is, rocking, moving your head in circles etc. one thing I have gotten out of doing is looking at people when you talk to them I am bad at that and have been trying to work on it!
I do admit that it does kinda feel good to rock if your in a chair and when alone I do that some! I used to tap on my knees or on a table or what ever quite a bit I think this mostly came from playing the drums but some see it as a nervis habbit! I think I have cut that out quite a bit.
Na! My drummer when I had a band was completely sighted, and he used to do the whole drumming on stuff deal! It got him in a lot of trouble when we were in high school, especially in chemistry class.
I tend to keep the beat on randum things while listening to music all the time! LOL
Also, I perposly look for a rocking chair if I know one is around so I can rock without lookin' dumb!
I used to poke my eyes when I was a child, and still find myself doing it to this day but not to the same extent. I rock and spin as well quite frequently when I'm alone of course or even when I'm round people but i try and make it discrete. lol I also used to flutter my hands when I got excited bout something and sat slumpt over. My family addressed these issues in a quick manner and most of them were resolved, but like I mentioned above some of then still linger with me to this day.
I get drunk!!!
oh yes, I use to flutter my hands! i still do a bit when I'm alone lol
when I'm excited that is Lol
I went to a school for the blind even though I had a good amount of sight back then. And I saw all kinds of blindisms from fellow students. Rolling the head from side to side was one of them. If you did that in public Brice, I'm sure your parents would be trying to stop you. So if I were you, I would tell them you'd rather try to keep your head straight and pretend to be looking at the person in front of you than to look like one of those blind people who roll their heads around. I doubt if people stare at you as much as your parents say they do. I think it is terrible that they are making you feel so self-conscious about this.
I still poke my eyes a bit, not a ton, mostly when I'm bored or just sitting still and listening really hard to something. I still liek to jump around when I'm alone. I was never a rocker or head shaker, though when I was a baby, I had the head-down issue, but my parents were tuaught to push my chin up when I did that. I like jumping around and flapping my hands when I'm excited, but refrain from donig it in publich aha. Cuz my siste says it makes me look like I have more issues than I actually do lol. But I think jumping up and down isn't just cuz i'm blind, it's part of my hyper personality too.
Cheers,
Caitlin
Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Goodness me! What will americans think of next! Headbands that buzz when your head drops? That's shocking! I know that battling with blindisms, flapperisms whatever, is hard, but I have to admit that I couldn't stop laughing when I read that one dude! Sorry and all that, but if you can't laugh about it, what can you do!
God! Some flappers I know with one of those on their heads would have sounded like a fuckin fire alarm! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!
Matt
whatever!
Yep I agree with the headband buzzy thing, though I can see how it would work... however, I think I would have refused to wear one. When i was little I used to rock sometimes but my parents soon got me out of that habbit. I really hate being near a blind person who rocks... after a while it makes me feel ill, and the head-spinning thing too! I used to poke my eyes and if it wasn't for the constant nagging of parents and teachers I think I would have ruined my eyes! Now I still do it a bit but only if I'm tired or bored. I also used to flap and everyone said I would take off like an aeroplane one day if I wasn't careful lol.
I think I'm ok now- I try and keep my head up most of the time, and i think that "looking around" is important, especially when I'm performing. Brice, I reckon you should focus on looking at people when you talk to them but looking at objects is taking it a bit far. If you don't know what there is to look at, how do you know when or where to look?
Cheers, Lauren
Lol Lauren, the whole aeroplane thing, I had that too.... When I was little, I used to poke my eyes a lot. I don't really anymore, not in front of anyone anyways, but they gave my parents these splint things to put on my arms? It was to try and stop me from poking my eyes. So, when my mum made me wear these bloody things, I thought, no? And resolved to get them the hell off. So that is what I did. I have no idea how I did it coz my hands were way back from the ends, but I got them off and was so proud of myself. Wow was my mum angry at me. lol
Ok! Since I started this topic, I suppose I'll tell you mine. They were mostly broken when I was young though, because of persistance by my mom, who vowed she wasn't gonna have her kid looking like a retard!
Mostly, it was jumping up and down when I got excited, keeping my head down, and pushing on my eyes. Now, I suppose my only weird habits are when I'm playing the piano, I have this bounce that people tend to make fun of. It's really bad if I'm playing the bass, but I fight to resist it.
I used to rock back and forth a lot more than I do now and I even remember back when I was little wishing I could stop it because I'd watch video tapes of myself and it was very evident when my parents had it on that setting where you can still see it but you're rewinding or fast-forwarding and it's going ultra-fast and I would look like one of those Newton's Cradle thingies, you know, where you pull one ball back and the two balls on the outside rock but the ones in the middle don't. I think what stopped my rocking was when I was in choir and my teacher pointed out that if I shifted my weight, it would effect the quality of my singing. I do still purposely rock and keep time with music when I'm listening on my own, but then sometimes my dad catches me and will silently imitate me and the next thing I know, I'm seeing him look worse than I know I was and I want to run over and kick him or something! I do the hand-flapping when I get excited, but I make sure that I only do it in short spurts if I know I'm in public. When I was really young, and it didn't stop until I was in high school, I would lay down on my stomach on a bed or couch and sort of beat my ears on my hands going back and forth to make a rhythm and now that I think back on it, it was really weird. I do another weird thing I catch myself doing at times where I sort of flap my hand against my mouth and make weird noises. Oh, and when I get excited, I make this sound, it's weird to describe, it's like humming three random notes that are like at a squeaky high pitch, I'll demonstrate to any weirdo who wants to hear me over the phone or something, lol! But not blindguy, I'll just get him a custom-made rubber girl doll with removable prosthetic rubber eyes so he can put more rubber in her... or not...
Hahahahahahahaha! Your comments about blindguy were funny! As far as your habits go, I'm now interested, because you have vision, and you used to do this stuff? I figured blind people did it just because they couldn't see how anyone else was acting, so little childhood habits that break though observation of others never break with blind people, simply because they can't see how everyone else conducts themselves. Now, you add a new wrinkle to the issue! Suggestions, anyone?
I have a rocking problem sometimes. At least, so says my sister. I sure don't think it's as bad as it used to be though. And the eye thing... blah. I'll probably always be haunted by eye poking. I've taken to twirling my ring and/or finding things to hold. Remotes, cell phones, etc. It helps, sometimes.
hmm... I always rub my eyes, and rockside to side, and... I like to sit slouched over. this results to my fallinbg asleep in class.
When I was really little I would sometimes flap.
I saw this one kid that rocked and moved his head around at the same time.
Oh yeah! That guy who we called helecopter head did the same thing, and we used to reach up and stop his head, and he used to freak!
Blindisms. Bla. Yeah, my parents did that when I was little, the whole "chin up thing." They also posted braille signs all around the house that said "don't rock." It is funny now, and proved to be very efficient. And I know what you mean brice, i've had people come up to me when I was waiting for someone because I was just looking in the direction that I would hear them, and they thought I didn't know what I was doing because I wasn't looking...but I figure if I pretend to look, I'll just look weirder...no punn intended. I look at people when I talk to them, but I have absolutely no control what-so-ever of what my eyes do, and my friends say they roll in the back of my head, but what am I supposed to od? So basically I just tell people to make me aware of anything like that, and then I decide whether it's worth fixing or if will just make things worse. And also, well this isn't a blindism exactly, but since i have to wear these shells to keep my eyes open (the were originally meant to help me see light but i lost my perception), it's really hard to see that my eyes have any color...so I stuck to sunglasses for a while, but then I changed for reasons that will take too long to be explained. Sorry, this is really long. La'ers, Weaseldance.
I had them when I was a child. But my parents always held me, and one day, I stopped. I honestly think, partially it#s also the parents' fault. Probably however they don't know how to deal with it. It's sad to see for example an intelligent, blind person doing this ... turning left, right, left, right ... making you dizzy. Other blind people may understand, but bosses of companies won't understand. And if a boss of a company sees such a blind person, he/she may think all blind people are stupid.
lol Kragiel! Trust you to start this. I finally read all of these post and am going to tell you my blindism. heheheh I never rocked or bounced or rolled my head around but when I was younger, I use to poke my eyes. lol At 13, I had a cornial transplant and it hurt me so bad that I never wanted to poke my eyes again. heheheheh During the opperation, I could feel the doctor stitching the new cornia on my eyeball and it was so painful. It didn't help that my body rejected the surgery and I went through hell during the spring and summer of that year.
My parents and teachers had tried and tried to stop my eye poking before my surgery but none of it worked. lol My whole family was taught by my dad that if they saw me poking my eyes, they had his permission to deck me across the head or slap my hand to make me stop. hehehehe However, that didn't work because whenever any of my sybblings hit me, I would just hit them right back. lol I have 3 younger sybblings who still poke their eyes and whenever I try to make them stop, it never works. heheheh I just say to them that when they feel the pain I felt, it will teach them. lolol Also, I've learned that since I stopped poking my eyes, the guys at my school started liking me and paid me more attention. Ok, well, I care more about my appearance and am glad that I only had to get over my eye poking problem. lolol
*sexy*
Oh yes. I bob my head when I walk without realizing it, and I rock back and forth. Trying not to bob my head when I walk is fine, but trying to stop rocking... it's like a drug! It stemulates my body and mind. I mean... I've been doing that crap ever since I was born! I'd love to stop it! Really I would. Sometimes, I get disappointed because I know I have to break that havvit sooner or later.
I'll admit it... I was an eyepoker. I still do it sometimes.. like if I'm REALLY stressed about something..and sometimes when I am going to sleep I'll like rest my head on my arm... if I lay/roll over on my stomach then my eyes get the rest from the arm.. weird, I think...
i have never had a huge problem with blindisms. the main issue has been the posture thing. i used to keep my head down, and even now my posture isnt fantastic. i have to remember to look at people when im talking to them. i also fiddle with stuff but then again, my mum does that too and shes sighted! i know loads of blind people who rock or who have to put their hands around all over the place. you have to sometimes be careful what you touch!
I honestly can't think of any blindisms as you say. Maybe the whole posture thing but even sighted people slouch a lot of the time. My cousins told me when i was younger the sitting up straight makes you look slimmer. Even though I'm 5 pounds underweight I feel I feel better now sitting up straight even if I'm tired or upset.
I have the posture problem as well, but now I'm trying to correct it because it gives me bad neck, back and head pains. I also move my arms and legs around and smile while I'm doing it hehehehe.
Hi,
I used to do the eye pressing thing, but my mom popping my hand stopped it. Now that I have shells, i find that people don't stare at me as much, and unless you know my eyes are prosthetics, you can't tell.
Kolby
Well, i used to poke my eyes lots when i was younger, but not so much now.
I do spin though, like lots, coz i don't get dizy.
I also used to rock lodes, up untill about a year ago, i still do a bit, but not as much.
BEN.
I rock back and forth, move my head, and basically i do a lot of things mentioned. People like to judge me because of it but I don't care what anyone thinks.
Troy
My parents, friends, etc. use to try to hold my head by putting their hands on it and stuff like that but I would smack anyones hand that did it. I don't think I'll ever grow out of my blindisms have done it since I was born.
Troy
Well I've read this entire board posting, and thought I night contribute my thoughts and actions.
When I was a kid, I used to stare at lights and make myeyes bounce all over the place. My mom used to call me googaly eyes, so I stopped because I was embarrassed. I do drum my fingers, but I think that's from playing the drums, because I have sighted friends who do the same thing.
I know people who rock and have other more extreme blindisms. I can't stand to sit with some who continuously rocks. It makes me naucious, and I'll ask the person to stop, but then they'll start right back up again.
Sighted people tend to lump those types of behaviors with retardation. Blind people need to remember that whenever we are in public, we are not only representing ourselves, but also the entire blind community. Sighted people may only see one or a few blind people in their lives, and if they see what they think are signs of retardation, then they tend to think that all blind people are like that. And that results in them being less likely to hire us. Thank you for letting me rant. smiles
When I was little I didn't exactly poke my eyes, it was more that I propped my elbow on the desk, and rested my eye on my hand, with the side of the index finger running the length of my eye, that is cornor to cornor, and the rest of my fingers side to side against that index finger. That would create this sort of horizontal shelf of fingers, coming out from my right eye. I'd sort of lay my thumb along the virticle plane of my jawline with the finger tip paralelling my ear lobe. So, not poking, I guess more like pressing. When my vission teacher scared the holley hell out of me, telling me that I would make my eyes sunken I stopped that in a hurry. I started doing something similar, but instead rested the bone ridge of my eyebrow on my hand, with the fingers and thumb forming a sort of circle. Now, I'm even better about it, resting my elbow on the desk and resting my chin in the palm of my hand, with my fingers on my cheek. That actually helps me to keep what little sight I have left focused on the professor. It makes them feel better if they get the impression that I am looking at them, even if it's pure unadulterated bull shit. I never rocked or flapped or rolled, thank God. I do one strange thing though; I will sometimes move my head slightly and also my eyes to watch my fingers reading Braille, or my hands playing the piano or feeding the material through the sewing machine. I have a musicianism, but It's not a blindism per say. When I'm really bored and really tense in class I'll play the piano. Yeah, the whole nine yards, feet holding and releasing the pettles, fingers flying, hands moving back and forth, up and down the knon-existant keyboard, and some times I'll even go to close the lid over the key bed when i get up to leave the classroom. I know a sighted organist who does much the same thing in class, but he is playing the note pettles with both feet, and raising his hands up a level to play the second key board. I've even known him to reach up into thin air to adjust the stops. And people say I'm weird. I guess this could be considered to be a blindism; After retiring my first guide dog, while waiting for a replacement guide, I used to forget myself and tell my white cane, let's go, when I went through a door, or forward before crossing a street. I once ran into a light post, and promptly jerked back on the cane grip, giving it a leash correction. rofl Yeah, I know very very screwed up.
I have some sight, I see bright colors but they are very fuzzy and blurred. My “vision” is a combination of using the color and then interpreting what it represents, for example - sky blue on white, in the corner on my far right… means it is my bathrobe hanging on my room door. BUT when I am tired - it can be sensory overload !! Then I start to rock, just a little if I’m out - but heaps if I’m on my own LOL
when i was young i would push on my eyes because i saw sparks of light. it wasn't really there but my retnas fooled my brain. Now, i am just kind of hunched over and have to keep telling myself to sit up.
Na! Imaginary piano playing's not a blindism by any stretch. if you have music in you, you need some kind of release! My drummer friends who can see perfectly are always beating stuff up, and when I was in school, they'd play drum solos on anything they could, and if there was nothing there, they'd play in mid air. I play the piano if I'm bored, too, but I don't work the pedals. I think I'd need real contact for that. Crazy stuff!
K, I thought I was about the only one who jumped and flapped when I was little. Lol. My sisters used to say, Fly away birdy! Ahahaha!
My hands still flap when I'm excited, though not nearly as much as they used to, because I catch it now before I start doing it.
As for bbeing spastic, I still spaz from time to time, only at my daughter when she does my head in. grin
Later,
Charis
Well, I have all of the habits! not one, not two, all of them. I either rock gently, violently bacwards and forwards and people say I'm making them feel seasick or they feel like they're on a boat lollol which makes me stop. I bite my nails right down till there's nothing left, when i'm agitated, mad, angry or upset. It helps hold back the tears if i feel they're coming. The drawback to this is, I want to stop, but mum says false nails aren't the answer and they're not easy to wear, and those silly little white gloves make it impossible for you to read a book or anything. I rock my head too. I've felt my eyes, just to see what they looked like and felt like inside, but I've never poked my eyes, even when I was little and some of my classmates did it. When there's light around, I'll turn my head either to the side or upwards to see where its, comming from. I jump up and down and flap my hands if i'm excited. I play happy families, pretend my fingers are members of a family and they do a sort of war dance or ballroom dance on my left or right hands. I suppose that stemmed from playing the piano and recorder most of my life.
Wow, some of these things seem very strange to me. I've never done them, and have never seen any of my blind friends battling with them either. I did have one friend who had terrible posture, but she grew out of that, and I've seen hundreds of sighted children with that problem, ducking their heads or not sitting up propperly. When I have children I'm going to watch them like a hawk, and be sure that there is no bobbing, rocking, flapping, poking, spinning or other such strangeness in my house. I think that if one ketches it early enough than it can be headed off and effectively avoided. Or at least, I sure hope that that is the case.
i used to shake my head from side to side, and someone used to put their hand on top of my head, to stop me. i'm quite glad to say i don't do that any more, but i've developed another habbit, in that, when i'm nervous or excited, i flap my 21st ring my mum brought me. it has a nice stone in it, and it feels good on my hands. i used to know this guy that would jump up and down and clap his hands for england, i used to put my hand on his shoulder to stop him, and it usually worked, euwwwwwww, i can't stand eye poking, i've never done it, yuck yuck.
when I was little I used to keep my head down all the time, and my parents used to threaten to taip my hair to the back of my neck so it would pull when I did that, although I don't think they ever did, I think I somehow just grew out of it. I also used to be a terrible eye poker, and my parents used to make me braille out pages and pages of "I will not press my eyes. I will not press my eyes." I'll admit I still do it sometimes, but only when I'm alone in my room when I'm nervous or stressed or something. I don't think I ever rocked or spun my head around. I flap my hands when I'm excited or really hapy or if I'm listening to a song or something and I'm lovin' it, although again, not in public and the spinning thing...oh my gosh. I have one of those spinny chairs, and sometimes I'll have to just stop what I'm doing and just spin around on it and when I'm really upset or something it allows me to think. I always get really embarassed when one of my parents comes in and catches me doing it though, they always just laugh but ahhhh it's embarassing!! so I guess I have a few little things, but I don't do them in public. oh, and this is kind of one I do do in public, when I'm in a situation where I feel emotional or uncomfortable or nervous in public, I kind of lock my fingers togetherand twist them around. I dunno if that's a blindism or not, people say it makes me look nervous but heck, half the time when I do it I am nervous! lol.
Wow! This post just keeps on resurfacing on the front page, doesn't it! Keep 'm coming!
well, I had sight when I was a child so I didn't get corrected but now I don't have sight lol and there's no one to stop me haha. I use to rock but don't do it so much now. I have a huge problem with looking down and I don't even bother to look at someone I'm talking to because, what's the point? I love rocking chairs, spinny chairs, and porch swings because I just like the motions. God I wish I had a porch swing! My partially sighted friend does the thing where she repeats words to herself and thinks that I can't hear her. I've always wondered what that was about and now I know, thanks. so... yeah
Well, I have both a rocking chair and this computer or spinny chair I'm sitting in now which is a very nice reclining chair which I got for my birthday last year, and my wonderful rocking chair's just behind me, facing the wardrobe to my left and across the room. (I'm in our back room/office, not my bedroom by the way.) I always wanted a swing in our garden, both in our old house and here, but we couldn't have one in our old garden as it was tiny and didn't have a tree. Here, we do have a cherry tree, but our Clematis plant would probably suffer if we erected a swing there and mum loves it. She can just stand at my window and watch it for ages, but we might well get my grandparents, swing hammock, which is under it's own sun canopy built in to the supporting frame, so I can swing as long as I like in there, lean back and zonk to the motion of the thing without getting sunburnt. Yayayayayayay! Anyway, back on topic, I bounce up and down to music, whether it's on a bed, on the floor or wherever, the rhythem gets me bopping in Bellatrix's very own way. Lollol.
But that's not such a bad habit, I don't think. Great topic!
I used to poke my right eye a lot when I was little. Even though my family would tell me to stop, it was very difficult. Now, I don't even touch the eye because I have a prosthetic eye.
Ahaha, I love this topic, and since it's been resurrected once again, I'll post to it.
Most of what I've read here completely mystifies me, because I've never done most of the things mentioned. I never had a posture problem, I never spun or rocked or moved my head or anything, and I never flapped my hands or jumped around when I was excited. When I was in first grade I remember my aid always telling me to look at her when I spoke to her, and I just got into the habit of looking at everyone I talked to, so that's never been much of a problem for me. I've never heard of any sighted people telling a blind person they should pretend to look around at things because it looks odd for them to just stare at one thing, and I would personally feel pretty stupid acting like I could see when clearly I couldn't. Although I've been told that unless I have a cane with me (which I rarely do) or I'm being guided somewhere it's difficult to tell that I can't see. I keep my eyes open and my head up and I walk kinda fast, so I guess that's why.
When I was younger I did poke my eyes ... a lot. They're a bit sunken now, but not bruised or anything, and I don't do it anymore. Not really sure what broke me of that habit ... my parents used to tell me that one day I was going to push my eyes so far back that they popped out and went into my brain, but that didn't do anything for me. Lol. And I also do the playing the piano thing sometimes, but not with the foot pedals, and sometimes I'll type when there's no keyboard. I don't really get the spinning thing. Do you actually spin around in circles? And if so, why? One other thing I used to do, it's not a blindism I don't think, just something I did, was wen I sat in the floor I would fold my legs outward instead of crossing them, which one of my teachers called a W-sit. They said it would make my legs grow funny and I would be crippled, so I eventually stopped.
I knew a girl in high school who would do this weird thing where she hummed a few notes over and over again really quickly in a super high-pitched voice, and another girl who shook her head from side to side really hard like dogs do sometimes, and a guy who rocked so hard that he moved the entire table when he was sitting in a booth. It all seems weird to me, I suppose because within reason I've always been treated as if I have no disability at all, so whatever my sister and cousins did I would do when I was younger, and since they're all sighted I didn't pick up any blindisms.
I never rocked or poked/pressed my eyes or anything like that. The worst thing I ever did when I was younger was forgetting to keep my head up. But my mom and grandparents eventually broke me of that habit. Also (and I still do this sometimes), I hardly ever kept my eyes open when I was younger. My thought was, there's nothing to look at, so why bother? Plus, I have prostheses in both eyes, so keeping the eyes open for extended periods of time used to be painful (blinking was apparently a foreign concept to me? I don't know). When I'm in public, I make a conscious effort to keep my eyes open, but when I'm alone, I'm sure they're closed most of the time.
I only rock when I'm nervous, worried, or just plain bored or excited. never when there are other people aroun
When I'm reading a braille book, I put my finger on the page or hold the page and flap it around and my mum wonders if I'm trying to rip the book or something.
what's wrong with jumping up and down when you're excited? I still do it to this day, and I don't care. I remember my parents telling me once that I needed to try and control myself when I was excited cuz it looked weird, but now that I'm old enough to really think about it I think that's silly. as a society, the majority of us suppress how we really feel for fear of people thinking we're weird, or us being ashamed of it, and I don't think that's right. so, if I'm excited and wanna express it in any way I choose too, I will. it doesn't make me any less "normal," it just shows that I'm not afraid to express how I'm feeling.
well, when i was little (like two years old), i used to flap my hands, and people always asked me if i was trying to fly, and i got so embarrassed that i stopped, and i used to poke my eyes too, but when i was really little my parents threatened to put hot sauce on my hands, so if i tried to poke them i'd burn my eyes, and that scared the holy hell out of me
i have no realy lindisms though, i do tap my fingers on stuff, but that's because i used to play the drums, and whenever i listen to a song with a complicated drum beat i'll try and tap it out... i look at people when they are talking to me, because it always annoyed me when people didnt look at me, because i wasnt sure if they were talking to me or not, i cant see them, but i can tell what direction their voice is coming from, and rocking just always gave me a head ache, spinning just makes you look retarded or something, and... i think tthat's all
oh yeah, and also i have good posture, accept when i'm like falling asleep in class, but i have a lot of friends that slump forward in class too, but other then that i always sit up... like someone else said here, if you dont do blindisms guys tend to like you more, which is think is very true, yeah... that is really all
I have some blind habbits. I wrinkle my nose, stretch my neck, rock back and forth when sitting, and wobble side to side when standing. These habbits are very hard to brake. Do you have any advice on doing this?
if you're out in social situations, try to think about how much people would stare at you for doing this. That stops me before I can even think about rocking.
I try to do that, but I fail every time.
thankfully, never have and never will have any. on the other hand, west factor ... rock and roll!
Oh lord. When I was young, until age ten or so, I would rub my eyes constantly. I've had the rocking issue, standing and sitting, forever, though I've tried to tone it down since high school started. I still find myself rocking violently when I'm excited and alone, though. I used to sit on the floor and spin in circles, and still find myself spinning while standing up, if I'm nervous. I always thought it was just an alternate form of pacing around a room. That's another I only do when totally alone, though. My posture is also something of a problem... it's apparently gotten worse as I've grown older, and stopped paying attention. And I used to also flap my hands and do some sort of spazzy little dance when I was very, very happy or proud, but that hardly happens anymore.
when I was growing up I poked my eyes like crazy. I some times still have trouble looking at someone because my eyes move. and the other thing I do now is when ever I go shopping I always have to touch the shelves.
Yeah, I always have to touch things too, when I'm shopping, at a library or places like that. One of my teachers at the blind rehab center I went to had tried to teach me not to do that, but I hate not being able to "see" what things are. I mean, someone can describe it to me, but if I know it is right there in front of me, I would want to be able to touch it. It is disappointing to me when something is behind glass or in a closed box, or when it is a book I can't readily skim thru on my own.
I hate going to buy something from a catalogue or something that I haven't "seen" or touched or whatever before I bought it. I like to be able to know what it is I'm buying. For example, a couple of months ago, I wanted to buy a mini fridge and one of them was in a box, so the person who was with me had to ask the people in the shop if they could get it out for me to look at. That was the one I ended up buying, but it was stupid because all the other fridges were out on the shelves but that one wasn't. The science museum in London is also quite boring because all the things I would find interesting are behind glass cases or only written in print which someone had to read to me.
I still rub my eyes. more as a form of stress relief or a nervous reaction. I've stopped the rocking back and forth thing unless I'm listening to music alone or the stress reaches an extreme level. I think I hold my head down. I once read an excellent article explaining the resons for blindisms and I wish to God I could find it again because I'd love to use it to explain the eye poking thing when clients or coworkers notice it. I am not ashamed that I do it; it relieves stress for me but I do wish I could explain it somehow.
Quick explanation, it's an urge of some kind. I don't know what causes it, or if I'm correct, but that's how it is for me. It's like an urge to do those things. It's so hard to stop.
Kined of like not taking a shower?
i do these really fast drum rolls on my lap... for no reason whatsoever i can think of.
Not taking a shower is not an urge. That doesn't have anything to do with it.
Ok, this board's not to bash Katie's apparent lack of cleanliness.
Katie, unstoppable urges? No no. I'm glad my mama stopped me from looking like a psycho when I was little. it sure helped later in life when I got a job with the public.
Granted, Stevie Wonder can get away with rocking and doing weird stuff, but we're not all Stevie.
As i said before, playing the drums on one's person, steering wheel, tables, etc. are not limited to blind people. Sighted drummers do that kind of stuff all the time.
I know quite a few people who have blindisms. I know this one girl, and she always has her hand in her eye. I mean she never takes it out! Her eyes are all sunk in because she pokes them so much. And I know another girl who picks her nose in public (I used to do it too, but now I try to only do it in private. I got in trouble for it once at work, and that cured me.) I know quite a few who rock when they are really nervous. When I was learning blindness skills at the Orientation center, I put my head down while walking. I mean, i had sleep shades on and I couldn't see a darn thing.
Well I gues according to my parents I used to poke my eye. I don't ever remember it though. I am like Joann and rock when excited, nervious or have nothing else better to do. I have also found that I need something to hold like a flash card holder and just spin it around. Why?? I have no idea.
Has the girl who has her hand by her eyes, tried glasses? I used to wear them, but I don't think it helped. My right eye was the eye that had to be removed in summer of 2005 and that, coincidentally, was the eye my finger would poke all the time. It was sunken in and something was wrong with the cornea. quite a painful experience.
Wow, this topic really fascinated me. I think it's interresting that there are so many people who have similar blindisms. I didn't have many because, thankfully, my family got rid of them when I was young. I never used to look at people when I was talking to them, and I remember one hellish period in my life when I was about 5 where, if my mum caught me not looking, i'd have to go and sit on her knee and she'd physically turn my head, making me look at the speaker. I'm so thankful now that she did it.
I poked my eyes so much as a child, and school faught long and hard to stop that, but it didn't work. Myself and a classmate had to put a bead in a box for every time we were caught pressing on our eyes, but the number of beads didn't stop me either. In the end, someone told me that my mum's eyes were really sunken (she poked for years and years) and that gave me a reason to stop. Oddly enough, I took up knitting. It really helped, and I got the same soothing effects from it as from pressing my eyes.
Rockers make me almost physically ill. I cannot sit with a violent rocker, as I feel so uncomfortable. Also, if somebody doesn't look at you when they're talking to you, I find that really off-putting and, in a way, very rude! I understand why people don't look, but the thing is, isn't it worth breaking that habit if it makes others really uncomfortable?
FM
I always stop whatever I may be doing to look at the person who's talking to me. It tells them that I'm paying attention. and the part about rocking ... People who do that constantly bug me.
I look at who's talking to me. I wobble when standing because standing for periods of time makes my legs hurt.
The wobbling can happen if your legs are close together. Try standing with your feet slightly apart to steady yourself.