White Cane Training Part 2

After a couple of days out with the cane I got to walk with the cane and a blind fold.  I wasn't too freaked out because the trainer was there and I know that they won’t let me walk out into traffic.  I don’t know what I expected from the experience, but I can tell you this it was awesome.  Immediately, your other senses get amplified.  You really “feel” the ground beneath your feet and the cane.  You “hear” traffic and can determine direction and whether it is going fast or not. You “feel” the warmth of the sun when you step out of the shadows. You “smell” the vegetation. And most of all, you are not being bombarded by a gazillion visual messages that you may or may not interpret correctly.  All the things I normally fear; tripping, falling, or crashing into something is gone.  Since I can’t see at all, there is no anticipating an obstacle. I can’t see any of the things that cause me to question my usable vision. Having all my other senses up is actually comforting.  Feeling the breeze in my hair and the warmth on my face brings me comfort, not fear.  How amazing is it that I can walk down the block with a blind fold and feel comfort.  That may change when I am out by myself but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, both literally and metaphorically.