What I get for reading murder mysteries at night.

Last night I was reading a murder mystery before going to sleep and I had a really awful dream that someone was chasing me through the house. But, then it was cool because it was one of those dreams I could shape myself. I turned off all of the lights and heard them blundering around. I went into the closet and texted 911 with my phone and my dog was there too and the police came and got the chaser. Bad dream turned cool for sure.

My love of reading.

I have loved reading ever since I can remember. I loved being read to, learning braille, reading audio books, and reading in general. i am never without a book of some kind with me. Now with small dchpices, I can carry several. I love browsing libraries and finding books to read. so, it always shocks me to find someone who does not like to read. I came upon this again yesterday. I was working learning my odyssey in a cafe so I could get out and give my dog some work and exercise. i was taking a break from Homer when I overheard someone at the next table saying that she never reads and how much she hates reading and finds it boring. i almost said something but I did not. but how can anyone find books or reading boring? I'm sure glad I don't.

Great things about being blind. Reading while exercising.

I mentioned to a friend the other day, how I get a lot of good reading done while on the exercise bike. I listen to news articles on my ipod. I listen to podcasts. I go over my stories for storytelling. I can bike for a n hour and be totally lost in what I am reading. She said, "Oh I can never read while exercising." So, here's to being blind and reading while you work out!

Great things about being blind. Being read to by great readers.

I love reading braille books.  But, I also use audio books.  I read them as I fall asleep, when I'm brushing the dog, exercising, cooking, doing dishes, etc.
I have a very good reader at the moment.  Having a good reader is such a pleasure.  Someone who reads naturally and does not over dramatize.  Someone who does not stumble over words.  Someone who seems and sounds interested in the book.  It used to be I think that people read to each other out loud.  That doesn't seem to happen so much anymore.  Maybe reading aloud is a lost skill.  Tomorrow, I will tell you about the search for good readers when I was in University.  Happy summer reading to all.

Great things about being blind. The novelty of braille.

I was going to write about something else today. I had it all picked out and everything. But, you'll have to wait for that entry as I saw in my inbox a message from a friend about great things about having friends who are blind. She said, practicing and learning braille. Everyone is fascinated by braille. they want to touch it which is good as that is what you are supposed to do with braille. People always say, "How can you tell the difference between those dots? They are so small?" When I first touched braille in grade one, I was shown my name on a card and told it was my name. I thought, "No way. They all feel the same." But I learned braille quickly as I've always loved to read and to write and that was the way to go about it. I loved and still love braille. These days, although I use a computer with screen reading software (my software reads what is written on my screen and what I type) and although I listen to audio books from the CNIB library
http://www.cnib.ca/
and from
http://www.audible.com/ and although I am adicted to podcasts from
www.cbc.ca/podcasting
http://www.bbcworldservice.com/
selected shorts from PRI
the tobolowsky files,
the newyorker fiction podcasts,
http://www.serotalk.com/
I am especially fond of the Ouch podcast on bbc about people with disabilities
www.bbc.co.uk/ouch
I love to read braille and to write with braille.
When I am creating a story to tell or an article, I like to edit and write using braille when possible.
I have a braille notetaker but would dearly love a braille display for my computer all the time so I can read everything in braille.
They are very expensive though.
But in the beginning, we had huge bulky braille books.
One book could be from six to twenty fat volumes of braille.
When traveling to and from school for the blind, or on vacation, I carried heaps of books.
When finishing highschool in my home community, I didn't have a locker. I had a storage cupboard filled with books.
Many of my friends have wanted to learn braille and some have done so. I am always touched when they hand-braille a card for me.
One time in University, all of my residence floor mates had those little message boards outside their room doors. They used to leave notes for each other. "Are you going to dinner at 5?" Etc. I complained jokingly that I never got any messages. I went off to study and when I returned, found a piece of paper taped to my door. It had bumps on it. But they didn't seem like braille. Not having a brailler to use or even slate and stylus, they had punched holes with a pin and used a ruler or something I don't know.
I couldn't read it. They said, "You'd better figure it out. It took us hours to do." I tried my best.
Another friend once borrowed a brailler and brailled me a short story for christmas.
It took him many hours.
I read it in about five minutes and said, "That was a good story."
"you're done already?"
I appreciated the time consuming effort it took.
My mom learned braille when I did and put notes for me on the fridge, wrote me notes from Santa, the easter bunny (I never figured out how a rabbit could actually hop around on those brailler keys) and even the tooth fairy.
I am touched when I am handed braille business cards.
I hope all young children who are blind will always learn braille.
I hope that braille displays come down in price so everyone who wants one can have one.
I love braille.
Thanks Louis Braille for your wonderful invention.

Great things about being blind. The audeo book experience.

I had a bit of a stressful day yesterday. When I climbed into bed, I took my audeo book with me. I love reading braille but also love listening to books, to people read, and to podcasts now. Audio book players have gotten smaller. Braille displays mean that you can read braille that isn't so bulky too. As I listened to the amazing british reader reading my audio book, I felt almost immediately much more relaxed. Then I thought, no wonder I love storytelling. I've been listening to words, voices, stories all of my life. Both of my parents read to me from a very young age. Before I could read, I told stories. Once I could read, I read everything I could literally get my hands on and still listened to audio books. I can listen to an audio book while exercising (except in the pool) while doing dishes, laundry, brushing the dog, etc. Part of my path to storytelling came through audio books and being read to. And still when I feel wound up, stressed, or upset, those voices of readers, or storytellers, calm me down and put me in a world of words. If anyone wants to find out more about my own storytelling performances and workshops, feel free to contact me.