How are Hanni’s dreams?

April 8, 2010 • Posted in baseball, blindness, book tour, Braille, guide dogs, public speaking, questions kids ask, Seeing Eye dogs, travel, visiting schools, Writing for Children by

That's Hanni and me at Daniel
Street School in Lindenhurst, NY.

That's Hanni and me at Daniel Street School in Lindenhurst, NY. I wonder how her dreams are?

How are Hanni’s dreams? That question was my favorite of all the ones asked during this week’s school visits to Long Island. And trust me, there was lots of competition. Runners up:

  • Do newspapers come out in Braille?
  • I know we can’t pet Hanni when her harness is on, but can you?
  • Are all Seeing Eye dogs spayed or neutered, and if so, why?
  • Why did you buy a Seeing Eye dog?

I explained to the boy who asked the last question that I didn’t really buy Hanni. He did have a point, though. From the FAQ section of the Seeing Eye web site:

How much does a Seeing Eye dog cost?

Student fees of $150 for a first dog and $50 for subsequent dogs cover only a fraction of the actual cost of each partnership. Only through generous gifts to our Annual Membership Campaign are we able to provide a dog; its training; the student’s room; board; and instruction for 20 to 27 days; plus round-trip
transportation from anywhere in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico; and follow-up services throughout the life of a partnership.

I did my best to explain all this to the boy who asked about buying Hanni. Then he raised his hand again. “So are you glad you bought Hanni?” My answer was a resounding yes.

I got another resounding “yes” after a question about how I know what people look like. A student asked about the people I saw before losing my sight. She wanted to know if I still remember what they look like. Answer:yes. Then came the follow-up question. “Do you use those memories to try and figure out what the new people you meet look like?”

Her last question gave me an opportunity to describe the way I think of people now — as huge swatches of color. (For more about all that, link to my A blind eye to race post).

I admitted that every once in a while I still do wonder what some people physically look like. Knowing my audience, I brought up Yankee shortstop Derek Jeeter. EVERYONE seems to love this Derek Jeeter guy. ESPECIALLY women. “Is he good looking or something?” I asked.

The students didn’t answer. The female teachers did, though. With a resounding “Yes!”

theadvantagepoint On April 10, 2010 at 8:37 am

Great post! I love the question “Do you use those memories to try and figure out what the new people you meet look like?” Children are so wise. Doesn’t everone in some way use memories to figure out about people they meet?

Bob On April 10, 2010 at 10:06 am

Interesting question about Hanni’s dreams. I wonder what the kid meant?

bethfinke On April 10, 2010 at 10:41 pm

That’s why I liked her question so much — it could be taken so many, many ways!

bethfinke On April 10, 2010 at 10:44 pm

And Advantage Point, maybe *you* are the wise one with your theory that in some ways *everyone* uses memories to figure out the new people they meet.

Marilee On April 12, 2010 at 7:03 pm

I have seen Hanni at rest and I am sure that all of her dreams are happy. She is confident, talented and appreciated-and sometimes overworked. She sleeps well, as do I:)

Beth On April 16, 2010 at 7:57 am

Marilee, I think one reason you sleep well is that you are confident, talented and appreciated-and sometimes overworked. Just like Hanni!

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