How are Hanni’s dreams?

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!”