As I wrote last time, Chris is
persuading me to do my 'bird-watching (!)' blind-simming outing
alone, now that my friendly 'guide' has gone to Australia for six
months. Chris is going to do the route with me, one morning each week
for a few (four perhaps) times, bus ride and all, to persuade me it
is achievable and safe, and allow me to practise (blindsimming of
course as before) and get confident to do it all on my own.
So, the first attempt took place last
week.
He picked me up at home early in the
morning, after husband had gone off to his office in London, of
course. Needless to say with a few changes to the plan.
To get me into the right frame of mind,
he blindfolded me with my scarf for the car journey. I have to take a
travel-sickness pill, a 'Kwell' for these longer journeys which is ok
but does make me sleepy. Of course, I know the first part which I
travel by train by myself before going 'blind' and I was awake enough
to guide him to the usual spot where I do normally, as this time, put
on my blacked out wrap-around dark glasses, take out my foldable
white stick and then find my way to the bus-stop at the right time to
catch the bus.
This is the point where the plan
changed. Jos waited in the car long enough to see that I got onto the
bus, then drove off at speed, parked in the village where I usually
got off, there being no parking space at the point where we were
going to meet up again. He then ran (!) out of the village and
managed to get to this next bus stop before the bus, with me, arrived
there.
I had explained to the bus driver that
I wanted to go beyond my usual stop to the next stop and to give me a
shout, please, when we got there. He did just that, came and helped
me off and asked if the man waiting there was the one I expected as
he wasn't the usual one who met me in the village. I explained that
all was in order and off he drove. We were on a different day to my
usual trips but the bus drivers seem to have got to know me now after
quite a few years of me doing this trip.
It was a lovely sunny morning as Chris
walked me (still blindsimming) slowly up this road to the reservoir,
telling me what was there, I walking on his left next to the verge,
counting steps approximately, listening carefully to his description
of any features – farm entrance on the right halfway, etc - and
imagining it all as we went, then back down again, I again on that
same verge, now on his right. All seemed straightforward enough,
certainly not many people around on this route.
Then came the snag which may abort the
whole plan – what to do on return to the end of the lane, now
having to cross the busy country road to the bus stop for going back.
Easy in the village before as my bird-watching friend dropped at the
returning bus stop in the village and at the right time for a bus
back to the railway station. But this last week Chris left me near
the bus stop, ran back into the village, got his car, came back and
picked me up. Only a ten minute or so wait. I went on with him then
and I spent a nice afternoon in the town where he was holding his
meeting. Not blindsimming any longer, regrettably.
We are going to do it again this week
and think about the road crossing so I will keep you informed.
Jane.
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