The Journey from Plumb Confused to Peachy Keen

The Journey from Plumb Confused to Peachy Keen

Braille Monitor

December

2004

(back)

(next) (contents)

The

Journey from Plumb Confused to Peachy Keen

by Mary Tadum Chappell

From the Editor:

Mary Tadum Chappell is a 2004 McDonald Fellowship Winner, chosen by the NFB

of Virginia. Because of this fellowship she attended her first NFB national

convention in July of 2004. Those who did not attend the convention last summer

or read the report of that event in the August/September issue of the Braille

Monitor should know that host affiliate President Anil Lewis inquired of

the audience early and often how we were doing. The response was always an enthusiastic

"Peachy keen!" The following is a slightly edited version of Mary's

report to the NFB of Virginia membership as it appeared in the summer/fall issue

of the NFB Vigilant, the affiliate's newsletter. It gives a fine description

of the impact the national convention often has on first-time attendees. This

is what she says:

It is profoundly

debilitating to find oneself in a quandary and not even realize that one is

stalled by the quagmire. This was my state of mind when I first encountered

the National Federation of the Blind. My first meeting was with the Fairfax

Chapter in Northern Virginia. On that day in May 2003 I believed that I was

in need of some guidance as a young woman who had found herself newly blind;

however, I did not realize how far off the right path I actually was.

I was ignorant about how

plumb confused I was. In this year that has followed my first experience of

the NFB of Virginia, I have been fortunate to have the benefit of strong role

models, and I have broadened my understanding expansively. Even so, I had no

concept of what experiencing a national convention would afford me.

Since I was one of two

recipients of the McDonald Fellowship, a financial award given by the National

Federation of the Blind of Virginia to first-time convention attendees, the

organization met a portion of my expenses. I packed up my three-year-old and

nine-year-old and boarded an Amtrak train headed for Atlanta.

As I reflected on my arrival

at the convention, my best analogy is the experience one has when someone recommends

a great restaurant, wonderful book, or must-see movie. Quite frequently the

buildup is so great that when one actually gets around to checking it out, he

or she is in for a big letdown. Why? Because most things can never match their

hype. The national convention, however, far surpassed all of my expectations.

Being in the presence of literally thousands of people who were much like me

was inspiring, not because I see myself as a blind woman who can therefore only

identify with blind people, but because I was encouraged by the caliber of not

one, not ten, not even a hundred, but thousands of people who have a different

ability, like mine, and who have mastered what needs to be done. Because these

many role models were carrying out their activities before my very eyes, I had

no excuse to lower the bar for patterning my life.

I arrived Tuesday morning

and was actually disappointed, not because of what I experienced, but because

of what I failed to experience. When I checked into the beautiful Marriott Marquis,

I asked the bellman about registration and activities for the day. I was told

that nothing would take place until Wednesday morning. Not until late Tuesday

afternoon did I learn about the vast array of preconvention events and sessions

that I had missed. Many events were of interest, and I had ignorantly accepted

misinformation that caused me to miss valuable opportunities to learn and grow.

That evening I attended

the Rookie Roundup and learned of the many items actually on the convention

agenda. The second and final disappointment came after the Roundup. The organizers

offered to arrange mentors with the understanding that mentors would contact

potential mentees in their rooms to guide and facilitate the first-time convention

experience. Unfortunately I never received a call. Luckily many Federationists

from Virginia took me under their wing and guided and encouraged me to make

the most of my convention experience. Thank you to my Virginia Federation family.

I began my Wednesday with

registration. With so many bodies waiting to register, one would expect long

lines and a lot of hurry up and wait--not the case at this convention. The lines

all moved like express lines, not the ones in the grocery stores in which you

age markedly before you ever reach the cashier. Everything went without a hitch.

Next it was off to the Exhibit Hall with my chapter president, John Bailey.

There were so many vendors and so much to see that I was able to see only a

small portion of the exhibits. One would have needed at least a week to see

it all. It was a lot of fun. A certain synergy emanated from the buzzing crowd

and energized vendors and presenters.

During each session and

all of the moments in between, I found a cornucopia of lessons to learn. I attended

the Human Services Division meeting and broadened my understanding of the professional

field in which I hope to work. It was rewarding to meet a professional in private

practice working in the specific specialization on which I want to base my graduate

thesis and dissertation. I am hoping that she will agree to mentor me through

my education and entry into professional life. I attended a session on Public

Relations and gained insights and ideas that will aid in the promotion and marketing

of our chapter.

The wide range of experiences

to be had at the convention seemed endless. My favorite practical lesson came

at dinner in a restaurant. I had been unable to cut my food as a result of weakness

in my right hand following a brain injury. An unassuming former BISM instructor

gave me gentle suggestions on how I might successfully slice my food and thereby

foster greater independence. I am thrilled to tell you that I tried it, and

it worked. I was moving away from "plumb" and nearer to "peach."

My first session was the

Resolution Committee meeting. I was fascinated by the resolution process and

wondered if everything typically went so smoothly. I had many questions, and

our state president, Charlie Brown, clarified each issue and insured that I

understood the process from start to finish. Now I have at least a cursory understanding

of how the policies and platform are erected.

My appreciation for the

Federation and the role that it serves in the formation of my rights and liberties

was heightened a hundredfold by that experience. Far too often the younger generation

overlooks the trials and tribulations that have come before and the efforts

that have afforded even the beginnings of equity. I too was one of those who

turned a deaf ear to the movement and what it meant to my very existence. The

resolutions experience changed all that--a little less plumb and a little more

peach.

The mock trial conducted

by the lawyers division was a real eye opener. The lawyers recreated (with dramatic

license) a case from recent history in which several blind citizens were denied

their right to serve on juries because of their blindness. Unless you are exposed

to such in-your-face discrimination, you may fail to recognize its very existence.

The reenactment of the two cases sharpened my awareness and furthered my commitment

to the movement.

I have heard affiliation

with the NFB equated with belonging to a cult. What I witnessed in the simple

retelling of two Federationists' stories confirmed my conviction that the practices

and teachings make sense and are essential if we are to win freedom and equality.

I am gravely concerned about the alternative if I choose not to participate

in this movement. I fear a great likelihood of prolonged inequity; camouflaged

discrimination; and continued inequities in economic, social, and civic practices

that affect every aspect of a blind citizen's existence. Fear is a motivating

factor in my commitment to Federationism. I love what my association with this

organization is doing for me, my community, and society as a whole. As my confusion

diminishes, I get keener and keener.

With the opening ceremony

came incredible awe. So many people like me were gathered in that one place.

They were from far and near--convention attendees hailed from every state within

our borders and lands across the globe. When Dr. Maurer gave his presidential

report, I felt pride at his acknowledgment of Virginia Chapter President Larry

Povinelli's legal coup and its meaning to the movement. I felt good just knowing

him and recognizing the difference his legal efforts will make to my tomorrows.

Many aspects of the report offered confirmation to my reasons for being there,

being a part of the Federation.

My experience was punctuated

by opportunities to talk with our state chapter's first lady, Jackie Brown.

It was very helpful to have her full attention on several occasions during the

convention. As a sighted spouse she offered the perspective that I vitally needed

to enlighten my husband. I had plans to attend the Colorado Center for the Blind

this fall, but my husband had squelched that plan. I was feeling ill-equipped

to formulate the argument for my attendance at a rigorous NFB program. Because

I have performed well academically, handle my children and household adequately,

and appear to travel relatively independently, my husband saw no need for more

intensive training. He said, "You don't need that; you're doing great."

Unfortunately, from his light-dependent perspective, capacity to function adequately

was enough.

I, however, want to function

with efficiency and confidence. I believe, and the first lady seconded my belief,

that time at a center will make all the difference in my tomorrows. The confidence

and competence I witnessed at the convention further supported my hypothesis.

The first lady offered another solution: Blind Industries and Services of Maryland

(BISM). I had already explored that option but was now armed with a sighted-spouse

counterargument. When I got home, I won a victory in the battle to be better.

Each foot of my journey

to, through, and from national convention was a positive, life-altering experience

in one way or another. The grandest experience took place at the banquet on

July 4, 2004. Dr. Marc Maurer entertained us as he admonished misguided researchers

for their idiotic innovations, such as vibrating shoes, by suggesting pulsating

pants that would aid blind wearers in locating such hard-to-find items as the

nearest toilet. He decried the editors who have written disparaging words about

the blind. He challenged us to assimilate crisis.

At the point his message

became clear, I had an epiphany. My blindness was a misunderstood gift from

God rather than a curse from some negative force. This state of blindness has

allowed me vision that offers a true perspective. During his message I reached

a clearer understanding of my purpose: to assimilate all of the knowledge I

am amassing and share it with those who are seeking clarity. I am being called

to give something back and affect my world through this offering. The revelation

made me shudder, yet it revitalized me and brought true meaning to my existence.

I will make a difference through my actions, example, and all that I share.

The profundity of

my clearer, more defined purpose and state of being makes me all the more peachy

keen. For those who desire a more precise understanding of the spirit and meaning

of the Federation and all that we have attained through our efforts, I highly

recommend the journey from plumb confusion to the pinnacle of feeling peachy

keen. I have more learning to do and an immense journey ahead in order to arrive

at the true point of being peachy keen. I cannot wait to see what that excursion

will bring. Whatever may come, I expect it will be fruitful.

(back)

(next) (contents)