Category: the Rant Board
Let me start by saying, that thanks to folks on this list I have been around some truly remarkable blind people. When we met, all of you were open about your blindness, conversations such as, how long have you been, what happened, and what type of training and cool toys do you have. I have learned so much from all of you and many, many others. So, when I go into an eye doctor's office, I guess I expected the same camaraderie, but no. Back in February Scott, my sighted husband, tore his retina and we were off to the Retina Institute in Dallas. So, there we are sitting in this large waiting room, and it is full, like overflowing. We are an emergency case and have to be worked in. I am the only one with a white cane. There are several others that appeared to be diabetic, with amputations, wheelchairs, walkers and other assistive physical items. But not another blind person in the bunch. So after about an hour of waiting, you do start to listen to the conversations around you, and I do. Woman a bit younger than me sitting with her back to my back and talking to other women who are facing her, got it? They are talking about driving after their eyes have been dilated and why it is so crowded and why it is taking so long to be seen. At this point, I have stood up, opened my cane, gone to the restroom and am standing next to where Scott and I are sitting, I am tired of sitting and am going to stand for a while. So, those of you who know me, here it comes..... I asked, so does it normally take this long to be seen? Do all of you have appointments or are you an emergency case? So, the huffy gal, that is polite way to refer to her, pops up and says, rather snobby, well, of course we have appointments, like I should have known better. Now, I know a snotty sarcastic tone when I hear it, Lord knows I can dish that out pretty damn good myself. And I just politely ask her, so why are you here? She puffed up and said, all snotty like, I have a retina issue. I stand there a second and think, no shit, we are at the retina institute of Dallas. But, I didn't say that, she turns and says well, why are you here? To which I promptly turn and say, my husband here has a torn retina, his eye is full of blood, we have come down here from Sherman, he hasn't had anything to eat or drink all day. Well, that gaggle of biddies all gasp, oh, you should tell them you have been waiting, he shouldn't have to wait any longer, bla, bla, bla. Big damn deal now that they have pissed me off. So, we do go back and they dilate Scott's eyes and they send us back out to the waiting room to wait for the drops to take effect. So, the other ladies, not the huffy, puffy one, one of them picks up a pamphlet and starts giggling, oh, look she says to her friend, this says technology training for the blind, how odd, giggle, giggle. These ladies are old enough to know better and they had been talking about how they had helped to send underprivileged children in their church to go to the circus, bla, bla, bla. At this point, Scott is squeezing my leg, but I turn and say, oh, it is amazing what they can teach us now days. Silence....Oh, says that lady, not like that, it's just so odd that it is here in print. I say, yes, that is for your education, not mine. Bitch, I didn't say the bitch, but I'm sure my tone and facial expression said it for me. Looking back on that, maybe I was their worse nightmare, going blind. I just have no tolerance for stupid people, especially women, I did tell the doctor the next time we saw him, he thought it was funny. Ass hats in the waiting room, that's the last time I try to be nice to a bunch of sighted freaks, maybe next time, I'll just run into the walls, fall down and really scare the shit out of them.
Now, I feel better.
cj