Category: Teen Topics
just a few days ago I stood up to go to fifth hour and my cane just cracked in half. My school isn't very big but it still sucked. I new where I was going and all but I realized how mutch confidence my cane really gave me. I had a lot of trouble getting around without it. So for all those people that think that they can live without there canes, just try living without it for a day.
Yes i had this feeling a few weeks ago. I forgot my cane in Cyprus and when i came back to university in England i found it difficult. I went to a shop for the blind and ordered one and untill it arrived they gave me one of these canes that are used mainly for parcially sighted people so the cars can see them. The metal thing cane which is short as well. They gave this one to me untill the one i ordered arrived. I found it difficult using the short cane but i suppose it was better than nothing.
i think it would be hugely difficult now , after getting used to life with a cane, to suddenly not use it would be weird
I rarely use my cane! I failed mobility! That's the only class that I failed by the way! I know my way around my house! I'll learn how to use my cane soon! Sometimes ok most of the time now I don't like sighted help! I want to do everything for my self now!
I'm with y'all on this. I also think even just, having, the cane with you give you more confidence, even if you're not using it at that moment. At least it does for me. Sometimes when we going out, my parents or brothers or sister will tell me to leave it because I won't be using it, like if we're going to a restoraunt or something. But I really feel uncomfortable not having it with me when I go out; somehow it makes me feel more volnerable or something because I can't move around as freely if I wanted or had to. Of course, I don't feel like I need it everywhere, like if I'm at home, and now, when I go to the YMCA, I sometimes just leave it at home because I already know where to go when I go in the pool there, but if I'm going to anywhere else at that place, I take it with me. I also sometimes don't mind going down the block without it because my aunt and my grandparents' houses are just 2 and 3 houses from mine anyway. Also, I've been in the same situation as the first poster here; I was at the School for the Blindat the time, at the library, and my cane ended up falling apart. The librarian took me to my dorm, but it felt weird having to have someone take me to the dorm when I normally would have been able to do it myself had the cane not broke.
I have enough vision that I can go with out my cane but I don't very often. I feel it makes me more noticable to people. I don't use it in the class room unless my eyes are really really messing with me like they were today. I can usually navigate around the room ok. And my building but if I have to go across campus i take it with me. If I don't use it at all and go with out it whille walking around outside and stores etc. I have been known to walk over people, run into things or knock things down. I feel it gives me more confidence and makes me feel safer.
WWell, I nearly had to go without my cane once. I was walking in to College via side entrance, when this total plank came along, not looking where he was going, and his great big foot came down and bent my cane where it wasn't really supposed to bend. I just had to walk through the front foyer, through B block and up two flights of stairs to the RNIB base in A block, totally without anything to guide me round obstacles and people stood around buying things from the vending machines there. I told the LSA supporting me that day what had happened, so she then sighted guided me back to the RNIB Vocational College across the road and we eventually found a member of staff who lent me this manky old cane from the mobility office till I could order a replacement cane from RNIB. I wouldn't say I lack the confidence to go anywhere without a cane, but after all, I am totally blind and would feel safer using a cane in places that I didn't know so well or places like Loughborough Tech where the incident happened, as the college, with several thousand students attending every year, can get incredibly crowded and tricky to navigate.
Obviously, I don't need my cane when I'm in my house, but it's second-nature for me to grab it when going anywhere, including around the block. My adaptive phys. Ed. teacher broke my cane in middle school over a basketball. He used to tap the rim when I would shoot hoops in his class, and then catch the ball using the cane to trap it. I had to walk around for the rest of the day with a taped-up cant. It wasn't that humiliatint. Like someone earlier said, it was better than nothing.
I used a cane before and was horrible at it. I never liked it I never found it helpfull and won't ever use it again because i have a guide dog. I remember the first day i got my dog, one of the first things I did was to throw my cane away till this day i don't know wheir it went lol
Er, no, I couldn't live without a cane unless I was housebound for life. I have absolutely no sight at all, that in cludes light, dark and shadows, and I wouldn't survive five minutes outside without my trusty long cane hanging up downstairs. I'd just get really nervous and scared and I'd really start to panic if I was forced to go out on my own without my cane.
It's something like an attachment to our arm, depending upon which hand we carry it in.
Tossing the cane once you get the dog, in my mind, isn't a very good idea. What if the dog was ill for a day or more, and couldn't work? You never know.
I too have always hated the cane. I dont know why, but I just never used it. Now that I have my guide dog I dont need to use it, but before I got her I only ever used it when a mobility instructor came to see me. Other than that I never used it anywhere.
I couldn't walk around without my cane. Once I was walking around the school trying to find my class, without the cane and ran into a pole, that hurt.
Something that I'll never forget. I went to a trip once, made my bags and stuff, all good, all fine, I got everything, Yes? LEt's go. No! Shit! My cane.. Where? At home. So yay!
It totally sucked.
I honestly thought I'd posted to this topic earlier on, but I see I hadn't.
I'm 50 now, and have been using a cane since I was 16. Since I became competent with it, I can count the number of times I've left the house without a cane on one hand, and in each case, the experience was very awkward. I've a good deal more confidence when I can survey my surroundings within arm's reach at least.
Lou
I always use my cane when I'm at college and when I go shopping with Mum and Dad during the holiday. I'm usually told not to take it with me if we're just going to see my great nan or something or when we're taking the dogs for a walk. Even though I know I haven't taken my cane wit me, I still go to pick it up off the floor when we get out of the car.
Doesn't bother me.
even if you're walking the dogs with your parents, you should stil take the cane with you, no matter what their objections are. That is not their decision to make.
Can I survive without a cane? To some degree. I have good hearing, and as discussed on the echo location board, I can tell a lot about the area just from my hearing. Now that I have a dog, I don't use the cane a huge lot, but it's still a good thing to keep around. There are times and situations that the cane is a better choice to use than the dog, or if something happens to the dog (though we dog users don't like to think about that much), you should have that backup option.
Most of my life, I've used sighted guide, even with my cane. It was just a natural part of life. It was faster, less combersome and easier, both to me and to my mother, who was the one who'd be taking me places most of the time. When I went places with other people, my cane would usually remain at home. But within the last two years or so, I've started to really use my cane without any assistance. It's strange, because now whenever I go somewhere, if I don't bring my cane, I start looking for it and feel like something is missing. I still don't mind sighted guide,but I do feel that my cane has become a more important part in my life and I like using it.
Yeah without a cane... I dont know. I dont really use mine much mostly sited guide but i really should start lol.
But when I do use it though, I dont have sited guide, and without it it'd be weird as heck...
Lmao! I walk snail pace with out it, which is not that fast. Lmao! With out it I am loads more unconfident, and I think I'd rather die then be with out it. Well... even if I don't use it by holding it gives me the confidence I need.
I have never lived without my cane for a whole day. I've lived without it for a few minutes, I believe. Trust me--walking without your cane is really weird and you don't feel so confdent. I did it and I felt so disoriented. So I'm sure you will to. LOL.
loosing your cane is like loosing a prosthetic leg all of a sudden.
I feel weird being without a cane because i can't move around very much.
especially outside. the only time i don't use my cane is when i am with my parents and the rest of my family.
other than that, i use it everywhere and more so when i am at a college dorm.
although i had 2 bad incidents with the cane though.
once, i was walking to class and the tip of my cane broke and snapped in half because of it being so old and worn out. it was very scary because i had nothing to guide me around and that incident occured in the middle of a street between the center of campus and the church.
i felt very nervous because nobody was there to help so i managed to use the broken cane to get to class but was very difficult because it was starting to fall apart on me.
the second incident occured last semester when this girl stepped on my cane and broke it in half completely up to the point where the cane was unusable.
i was in the middle of the path between the cafeteria and my dorm which was a bit close and i was left stuck there and nobody was on site to help so i managed to get back to my dorm before it broke completely and it did break completely into pieces and it was totally unusable. the worse part is that i had an appointment with the dean to discuss about the upcoming semester and classes and this incident occured right before my appointment as i was heading back after eating lunch.
i felt vulnerable because i was completely helpless.
oh, and by the way, the stupid person who did that said sorry and left and never offered to help in any way.
that is why i fear extending my cane when i walk in larg crowds because of the zombeys who never pay attension to what they are doing or where they are going and who are idiots.
because the number of idiots like this girl is increasing to an infinite amount each day especially those who are fully sighted and who are very rude and inconsiderate.
so, the girl who broke my cane was very rude, abnoxious and very remorseless because she never helped me after the incident or at least offered to do so because she felt that she was not responsible for that incident.
oh and she knows me because i had classes with her and when i needed help from her, she was like "i can't help you because that is not my topic and the point is that i am not doing work for you."
i only asked her if she knew other sources dealing with the topic for a class project on outsourcing companies for my economic aspects class.
so yeah, that is the whole story with some selfish and abnoxious people these days.
oh, and another incident was me forgetting my cane at home accidently when dad told me to take the cane home since he was cleaning the car in order to prepare for a carwash.
i thought that i had a backup cane in the car in case i forget my other cane at home but i did not have a backup cane in the car and when i went to work i realized that i did not have my cane and i told dad if he saw my cane and i said "well, you left the cane at home, how can you forget that easily.
i told him "this is part of getting older each day dad."
and he was like "you not eating breakfast and taking care of yourself when too stressed is causing this memory lag."
and he said "next time don't forget stuff like your cane."
i used to not forget stuff, but recently i have been forgetting stuff lately and i don't know if its because of stress or what.
so, one of my coworkers was like "where is your cane because it is unusual for us to se you without it?"
i said "i forgot it at home by accident while i was getting out of the car, i did not notice i had it in my bag.
so, what happened was that i got home from school that thursday night after putting the cane in my bookbag and totally forgot about that completely.
and also 2 days i forgot one of my books at the cove along with my laptop charger at the dining place.
oh god, as we get older, we get more forgetful, this has happened since last year.
i don't know what i should do.
What's with all the parents and family telling y'all not to take your canes? That's jacked up. It's not for them to decide if you need your cane or not. That boggles the mind.
As for the cane, even though I have a dog now, I still keep a few canes around. Occasionally, I go places where it's just not a good idea to take my dog so I use a cane instead. I'd never leave the house without either my dog or a cane.
no, I most certainly cannot live without my cane; it's part of me, in a sense. as others have said, it gives me more confidence, and I'd be completely lost without it.
in regards to the misconception that having a guide dog means you never have to use your cane again, I disagree completely. I think it's of utmost importance to keep up your cane skills so that you not only have a backup plan if something goes wrong with you or your dog, but also because I'm a firm believer that you have to have good cane skills in order to use your dog efficiently.
i have loads of canes, two that i use, and a load of spares. no i couldn't live without my cane.
I definitely couldn't. There was this one time where I was walking downtown with friends who were also blind, and my cane broke, and we had to do sided guide and my friend had to try and use his cane for both of us. It was crazy. I am most definitely more confident with my cane if I'm somewhere I don't know, or walking outside.
live without my cane? no no no no. it's a must have everywhere I go, besides my house lol
I've started using my cane more now when we take the dogs for a walk. I don't know what the dogs think of it, but they're just going to have to get used to it as they're not working dogs. I don't particularly like using my cane round them but I haven't really got much choice as I normally end up walking miles in front anyway. It's still really annoying that I get told not to use my cane round the supermarket if we've got one of those big trolleys, but I guess it's a stupid convenience thing on everyone else's part.
I would feel lost if I had know cane. I think that i could get around with out it but it would still fell paying weird! And About the people who just don't pay attention. I when through three canes last year because of that. Dam the middle schoolers!
It is not up to your family to decide where you do and do not take your cane. bring it anyway if they tell you to leave it home. You're using it, not them, so why should they have the right to tell you where you should and shouldn't take it?
I’ve broken my cane so many times, lets see
Countless times people ran over them, a car ran over one (seriously), I broken one in the doorway, some wore out, I broken on a seat, one I played with the string so much, and I’ve lost plenty.
It’s lucky the girl even said anything, I had a guy who just ran over one without saying something.
My best is snapping it in two when I was making a concious effort to use it properly, having been lectured by a Vision Australia O&M instructor a few days earlier. The result was that it caught on a jutting piece of concrete, drove straight into my chest and snapped. Walking the next two blocks swinging a floppy cane around were very fun indeed.
nice one...!
I have light perception and I lost my cane at a uni party on a saturday night, possibly cuz i was a bit drunk, and on sunday i had to go to the shops to get cigarettes and a meal for that night without it. If you have to go somewhere without it, then you do. It doesn't really phase me. But I don't agree with this sighted guide stuff, I never use it when i am being sighted guided. In my opinion that just makes things worse.
What sighted guide thing do you not agree with?
Well if you are with a friend or family member I would never use my cane at the same time. I don't agree with friends or family telling you not to use it, after all that is your own choice, but in saying that, I wouldn't use it when getting sighted guide anyway. I just reckon that it makes it more awkward. Plus if you are going out clubbing or something when you are getting sighted guide, your cane is just gonna get killed anyway. lol.
Oh, that? but the right way of sighted guide is not to use it. I find if I use it really starts getting in the way.
That happened to me once, but I go around without mine all the time like in the dorm, but outsidede of my dorm I always walk with it, because we have so much construction going on.
it depends where i am. if I really have to I can live without it, I've sometimes had to, so I'm glad I can.
if it's somewhere I know that has good paving I'm incredibly independent and I can live without it, but I find people start to get in my way a lot more and that's annoying.
I'm more confident with a cane if I've got to walk on uneven ground though.
I couldn't live withoat it at all unless I get a guide dog. It for sure makes me more confident, but I do not like when people trip over it.
I can't live without my cane. It has cracked after someone stepped on it. (good thing I had a spare with me) It is also useful for wacking people to make them move.
When I worked in an office building and wasn't telecommuting, I would frequently walk around in the building without the cane, but if and when you do that you have to know the risks and totally assume those I think. That means I at least tried to be extra careful of / for others there.
I also remember siblings usually sisters, wanting me to leave the cane at home: When they're adolescent or behaving as such, it's an image thing. However, if you were in a wreck, and you the passenger were okay while the driver was hurt, it's on you to go get help, crippled eyeballs or not. You don't have a steering column in front of you to crush your legs or ram you in the chest, is one good reason why the driver is more at risk.
I'm not a political type, but I strongly feel that leaving the cane at home if you're out with someone sighted potentially disables that sighted person.
And as to having the cane run over, that's happened by a biker. I don't know whose tree was nearby but it got a complementary pruning as I removed a low-hanging branch, trimmed it with my jackknife and walked home. With no tree there things would have been much more difficult. I used a wooden cane for a while, which I crafted from a length of wood at a buddy's house, until I could afford to go buy one. Just put some bike reflectors from an old bike on there, shaved down the tip to make it a bit sensitive and went with it.
Much as it might be nice to travel without one, one more hand free, you're better with than without for sure.