Going to a concert when you are blind isn’t as bad as one might think. I recently took my oldest daughter Princess to a Craig Campbell concert. He is an amazing country singer that really knows how to entertain.
Firstly, it is a music concert so of course the blind would benefit. They have extra good hearing and can appreciate the quality of sound coming from the massive speakers.
Secondly, even though some entertainers do dance and run around the stage, seeing the activity isn’t necessary for enjoying the show. Most singers also banter in between songs and whether you are blind or sighted that can be really fun.
In Craig’s case, he has an awesome sense of humor and kept the crowd laughing in between the several songs that he played for us.
Another great thing about going to a live show is that you get to sometimes hear music that hasn’t yet been released. It’s kind of a sneak peak into the future. In this case, the new songs that Craig performed for us were amazing. He has a wicked good voice and a dead sexy speaking voice.
Because it was a show at a fair, Craig stayed behind afterward to sign autographs. I don’t just mean a few either. He stayed until every last person got something signed and took a picture with him that wanted one. How exhausting. I don’t know how he does it. He performs for a couple of hours standing pretty much the entire time and then stands for another couple of hours doing a meet and greet. What a devoted performer!
I had a very memorable experience when it got to be my turn with the country star. I will never forget it and my friends and family are still laughing about it and the concert was a few weeks ago. I will be posting the full story on Nicole Rae’s Blog and you will be able to find it HERE
Yes, I know it’s kind of a teaser, but hey, that’s what I live for. If you take the plunge and hop over there sign up to be a follower and then you will be notified when the hilarious Craig Campbell experience is posted for your viewing pleasure.
Thanks for reading and remember… “When life’s got you down, keep your head up… you can’t see the ground anyway.”
PLAYING THE BLIND CARD... Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those cards you hold well. And always remember when life's got you down, keep your head up... you can't see the ground anyway.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Giving Up Is Not An Option
Sometimes things happen in life that you don’t expect. Sometimes for a very select few people, life goes completely according to plan. The majority of us this isn’t true.
The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone in this world and there are people who understand and sympathize with what you are going through. There is no problem to big or to small that doesn’t have some sort of solution or another. There are resources everywhere and thanks to the World Wide Web, the answers are at your finger tips.
Giving up is not an option. Even when you think there’s nothing left to be done, giving up is not an option. It is true what they say “quitters never win and winners never quit”.
All of this applies whether you are blind, visually impaired and even sighted. It doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from or what your financial standing is. You matter and so does your life.
Want to make it great? Get out there and do something with it. No body can make you happy unless you are first happy with yourself. If you want something go after it, fight for it and hold onto once you have it with a death grip. Don’t stop until you’ve obtained your dreams. Stare defeat and failure in the face and stick your tongue out.
The only thing holding you back from self actualization is your own inhibitions… so knock it off!
My dream… I am getting ready to publish my first book Clandestine If I can accomplish my dreams, I know you can too. So get out there and make it happen!
The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone in this world and there are people who understand and sympathize with what you are going through. There is no problem to big or to small that doesn’t have some sort of solution or another. There are resources everywhere and thanks to the World Wide Web, the answers are at your finger tips.
Giving up is not an option. Even when you think there’s nothing left to be done, giving up is not an option. It is true what they say “quitters never win and winners never quit”.
All of this applies whether you are blind, visually impaired and even sighted. It doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from or what your financial standing is. You matter and so does your life.
Want to make it great? Get out there and do something with it. No body can make you happy unless you are first happy with yourself. If you want something go after it, fight for it and hold onto once you have it with a death grip. Don’t stop until you’ve obtained your dreams. Stare defeat and failure in the face and stick your tongue out.
The only thing holding you back from self actualization is your own inhibitions… so knock it off!
My dream… I am getting ready to publish my first book Clandestine If I can accomplish my dreams, I know you can too. So get out there and make it happen!
Monday, July 23, 2012
A Little About My New Project And A Little About Clandestine
I just got back from camping today and it’s been a very productive writing day. My kids have been absorbed in activities that they haven’t been able to do much in the last week or so which has allowed me to be very efficient with my latest project.
I am super excited about it because the main character of this one is a totally blind person. It isn’t as easy as you would think to write a character like that. Sure I can’t see so I can easily get into the person’s head to write them that’s true. But a reader (especially a sighted reader) wants description. A blind reader wants description too but for a different reason. I live by the saying that an audio book is a blind person’s television. This is because you don’t miss anything when you read like you do when you listen to your favorite show or movie.
Anyway as always I’m veering off track. In order to make a blind main character work affectively I have decided to make her someone who became blind rather than someone who was born that way. She has only been blind for a year so she is still in the stage where she is pretty much a Debbie Downer on the subject. It hasn’t dawned on her yet in the book that blindness isn’t the end of the world.
I went through a lot of mixed emotions when I lost my sight. I have also had gobs of people ask what that was like and how it felt. I thought it would be a good element to add to the story of such a multi faceted character.
The book is still in the beginning stages so I don’t want to give away much but I will tell you that I’m only at chapter 4 and I’m already falling in love with it. Don’t get me wrong I love Clandestine too but in an entirely different way. The Bound In Blood series is fun to write and I have put a lot into it. But with this project I’ve really delved into my soul and put a piece of my soul into it.
I hope you adore this story as much as I do. I am unsure yet if it will be a series but can definitely see the potential for one with the plot that is unraveling.
I promise to keep you up to date on that and also with the second book in the Bound In Blood series Divinity whenever possible. I know I have been neglecting my blogs lately and for that I’m sorry, I truly am. But its summer time so both kids are home full time, we’ve been camping a bunch and also been devoted to the new books I’m working on coupled with getting Clandestine out for your viewing pleasure.
There have been a lot of questions about whether or not Clandestine will be made into an audio book. When it is released it will only be available in print and EBook. BUT I promise that an audio version will be made available as soon as that is possible. Unfortunately, the production of an audio book is very expensive. I looked into hiring a narrator but the cheapest I have found is five hundred dollars and right now that is just not an option for me. That is definitely one down side to self publishing, accessible formats take a while if they come at all.
I have been looking into finding someone I know read it for me but that isn’t as easy as it looks either. I have to be sure the person has the right quality and tone to their voice to portray Emily as well as the rest of the slayer gang. It will be done I promise. I’m just not sure when.
I will write again soon and let you know how things are going. PS… I will be posting this same post on both my blogs so all of you will be equally informed.
I am super excited about it because the main character of this one is a totally blind person. It isn’t as easy as you would think to write a character like that. Sure I can’t see so I can easily get into the person’s head to write them that’s true. But a reader (especially a sighted reader) wants description. A blind reader wants description too but for a different reason. I live by the saying that an audio book is a blind person’s television. This is because you don’t miss anything when you read like you do when you listen to your favorite show or movie.
Anyway as always I’m veering off track. In order to make a blind main character work affectively I have decided to make her someone who became blind rather than someone who was born that way. She has only been blind for a year so she is still in the stage where she is pretty much a Debbie Downer on the subject. It hasn’t dawned on her yet in the book that blindness isn’t the end of the world.
I went through a lot of mixed emotions when I lost my sight. I have also had gobs of people ask what that was like and how it felt. I thought it would be a good element to add to the story of such a multi faceted character.
The book is still in the beginning stages so I don’t want to give away much but I will tell you that I’m only at chapter 4 and I’m already falling in love with it. Don’t get me wrong I love Clandestine too but in an entirely different way. The Bound In Blood series is fun to write and I have put a lot into it. But with this project I’ve really delved into my soul and put a piece of my soul into it.
I hope you adore this story as much as I do. I am unsure yet if it will be a series but can definitely see the potential for one with the plot that is unraveling.
I promise to keep you up to date on that and also with the second book in the Bound In Blood series Divinity whenever possible. I know I have been neglecting my blogs lately and for that I’m sorry, I truly am. But its summer time so both kids are home full time, we’ve been camping a bunch and also been devoted to the new books I’m working on coupled with getting Clandestine out for your viewing pleasure.
There have been a lot of questions about whether or not Clandestine will be made into an audio book. When it is released it will only be available in print and EBook. BUT I promise that an audio version will be made available as soon as that is possible. Unfortunately, the production of an audio book is very expensive. I looked into hiring a narrator but the cheapest I have found is five hundred dollars and right now that is just not an option for me. That is definitely one down side to self publishing, accessible formats take a while if they come at all.
I have been looking into finding someone I know read it for me but that isn’t as easy as it looks either. I have to be sure the person has the right quality and tone to their voice to portray Emily as well as the rest of the slayer gang. It will be done I promise. I’m just not sure when.
I will write again soon and let you know how things are going. PS… I will be posting this same post on both my blogs so all of you will be equally informed.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Canes and Stones May Break My Bones but CarPorts Are really Embarrasing!
The first time I learned to walk with a cane I had to do so blind folded because I still had sight. My Mobility instructor explained that it was necessary so that I would learn to trust myself. I was leery but I did what I was told.
She was a very nice and capable instructor named JoAnne from the Washington State department of Services for the Blind (DSB). This is an amazing organization for blind and visually impaired adults to get acquainted with resources and assistance in learning skills to help with every day living. Most have a similar organization so do a quick internet search to find one in your area.
Before I get started with my first experience with cane travel I should probably mention that I lived in a neighborhood at the time that had absolutely no sidewalks. This definitely made the task a more cumbersome and intimidating adventure but an adventure none the less.
I picked up the basics fairly quickly and was feeling pretty good about myself. Even though I wanted to peak under the blind fold but I never did. JoAnne made it perfectly clear that if I got into a bind she was going to refrain from helping me unless I was about to do harm to myself or someone else.
It had been smooth sailing for the most part though so I really wasn’t too worried. After all, how hard could walking around the block in my own childhood neighborhood really be? The answer to that question… apparently very hard…
So I’m walking along talking back and forth with JoAnne thinking I’ve got the whole blind thing pretty locked. I didn’t even notice that JoAnne’s voice was getting further and further away from me. In fact, I didn’t notice there was even a problem until my cane hit something metal.
I instantly started to panic. I was walking on a road that was a straight shot with no metal anywhere on the road. There was absolutely no reason for me to have hit something like that. I stepped forward to examine the obstacle with my hand.
With in a second I realized I was touching what had to be a garage door. During this time JoAnne still hadn’t said a word. Completely lost and totally confused I turned around and her for some help.
She asked me where I thought I was. I of course said that I was in front of a garage. She then asked me I noticed about the way my voice sounded. I started to tell her I didn’t know what she meant when I noticed that my voice was echoing.
As I came to this conclusion she walked to me and slipped off the blind fold so I could see the pickle I had worked myself in. I had managed to veer off like a wobbly shopping cart into someone’s driveway. I narrowly missed hitting their parked car and went into their car port, which is of course why my voice had been echoing.
To make matters worse the owner of the home was standing in a pathway next to the driveway where I was standing holding a bag of garbage. He had clearly witnessed the entire debacle.
I later found out that when JoAnne noticed what I was doing and she saw the man she held a finger to her lips. He being a good sport played along while a complete blind folded stranger wandered onto his property. I was positively mortified. I was mad at myself for not being able to walk a straight line successfully. JoAnne didn’t let me stay down for long though, she assured me it was normal in the beginning and I would get better. The best course of action now would be to teach me how to get myself out of the predicament without losing my directional course.
Now ten years later I know though to pick up on audible clues to help me understand my surroundings more clearly. I know that it’s okay to feel confident and engage in conversation while walking but its imperative that I still pay close attention to what I am doing. I will never forget JoAnne and the things she taught me and appreciate every minute she took to make sure I learned to be a safe traveler.
If you are learning how to use a cane don’t give up. It can be overwhelming and at times even a little scary but it’s worth it in the end I promise. It will give you independence and after a while you will start to feel naked without it. Just be patient and learn to laugh when you make mistakes because it’s normal and not the end of the world.
If you have any funny, embarrassing or informative stories to share on the subject please feel free to leave them in the comment section under this post. If you just have too much to say contact me and we can work out the possibility of you doing a guest post for this blog.
Thanks for reading and remember… When life’s got you down keep you head up, you can’t see the ground anyway.
She was a very nice and capable instructor named JoAnne from the Washington State department of Services for the Blind (DSB). This is an amazing organization for blind and visually impaired adults to get acquainted with resources and assistance in learning skills to help with every day living. Most have a similar organization so do a quick internet search to find one in your area.
Before I get started with my first experience with cane travel I should probably mention that I lived in a neighborhood at the time that had absolutely no sidewalks. This definitely made the task a more cumbersome and intimidating adventure but an adventure none the less.
I picked up the basics fairly quickly and was feeling pretty good about myself. Even though I wanted to peak under the blind fold but I never did. JoAnne made it perfectly clear that if I got into a bind she was going to refrain from helping me unless I was about to do harm to myself or someone else.
It had been smooth sailing for the most part though so I really wasn’t too worried. After all, how hard could walking around the block in my own childhood neighborhood really be? The answer to that question… apparently very hard…
So I’m walking along talking back and forth with JoAnne thinking I’ve got the whole blind thing pretty locked. I didn’t even notice that JoAnne’s voice was getting further and further away from me. In fact, I didn’t notice there was even a problem until my cane hit something metal.
I instantly started to panic. I was walking on a road that was a straight shot with no metal anywhere on the road. There was absolutely no reason for me to have hit something like that. I stepped forward to examine the obstacle with my hand.
With in a second I realized I was touching what had to be a garage door. During this time JoAnne still hadn’t said a word. Completely lost and totally confused I turned around and her for some help.
She asked me where I thought I was. I of course said that I was in front of a garage. She then asked me I noticed about the way my voice sounded. I started to tell her I didn’t know what she meant when I noticed that my voice was echoing.
As I came to this conclusion she walked to me and slipped off the blind fold so I could see the pickle I had worked myself in. I had managed to veer off like a wobbly shopping cart into someone’s driveway. I narrowly missed hitting their parked car and went into their car port, which is of course why my voice had been echoing.
To make matters worse the owner of the home was standing in a pathway next to the driveway where I was standing holding a bag of garbage. He had clearly witnessed the entire debacle.
I later found out that when JoAnne noticed what I was doing and she saw the man she held a finger to her lips. He being a good sport played along while a complete blind folded stranger wandered onto his property. I was positively mortified. I was mad at myself for not being able to walk a straight line successfully. JoAnne didn’t let me stay down for long though, she assured me it was normal in the beginning and I would get better. The best course of action now would be to teach me how to get myself out of the predicament without losing my directional course.
Now ten years later I know though to pick up on audible clues to help me understand my surroundings more clearly. I know that it’s okay to feel confident and engage in conversation while walking but its imperative that I still pay close attention to what I am doing. I will never forget JoAnne and the things she taught me and appreciate every minute she took to make sure I learned to be a safe traveler.
If you are learning how to use a cane don’t give up. It can be overwhelming and at times even a little scary but it’s worth it in the end I promise. It will give you independence and after a while you will start to feel naked without it. Just be patient and learn to laugh when you make mistakes because it’s normal and not the end of the world.
If you have any funny, embarrassing or informative stories to share on the subject please feel free to leave them in the comment section under this post. If you just have too much to say contact me and we can work out the possibility of you doing a guest post for this blog.
Thanks for reading and remember… When life’s got you down keep you head up, you can’t see the ground anyway.
Friday, May 25, 2012
I'm Blind But I Can Still Hear You
It’s possibly redundant but I feel I need to clarify something. Are you ready for this? Well here goes. Being blind doesn’t always mean you can’t hear.
I know shocker right? Well maybe not, but for some it apparently is. More often than you might think someone will yell at me when they find out I am blind. They will talk totally normal until that point.
What’s funny is how in one breath they are all “It’s so cool that you have heightened senses and stuff”, and then in the next they are yelling at you in case your lack of sight affects your ear canals. There are of course blind people that are also deaf. I however, am not one of those people. I do admit that occasionally I utilize selective hearing does come into play but that’s entirely different.
For the most part I smile good naturedly and don’t comment that they are blasting out my ear drums. And hey, that’s a huge concession on my part if you ask me. After all, if they blow the ear drums that would leave me with nothing but touch and smell.
There are days I want to look at them and yell back things like “WHAT DID YOU SAY? I’M SORRY I CAN’T SEE YOU!” Keep in mind that while I say this I would cup my hand over one eye like people do over an ear when they can’t hear something. I know kind of childish but I think it would be pretty funny. A girl’s gotta get her kicks somehow.
No I’m not in a “the glass is half empty” sort of mood. In fact, I am in a great mood. I have gotten a lot of work done on my book Clandestine I just had a random thought about this topic while editing and thought I would share it with you.
As you guys have heard me talk about before in earlier posts, one of the characters in Clandestine is blind. Her name is Lucy and in a scene she encounters this problem. I thought about making her reaction similar to the one mentioned above but haven’t decided yet if I should. Lucy is a perky girl that doesn’t have much of a filter. She does strike me as someone that would say something like that with a bright smile the whole time she was speaking. Who know, maybe I can work something like it in. I guess you will have to get the book when it’s released to find out… wink wink. Lol
Well I need to get back to the grind stone. This post was wiggling around in my brain so I needed to get it out so it would leave me alone. Okay don’t worry I am not weird or anything. The post obviously wasn’t freaking out in my head. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I get kind of OCD about things like that until I get it done.
If you haven’t signed up for my other blog that focuses on my writing and Clandestine please go take a peak and sign up. It is a fairly new blog but it’s getting updated all the time. I even do contests. My first will be ending today but I plan to do more in the future. This will be especially true around the time that Clandestine releases this summer. You can visit my other blog by clicking Here
Have a good day everyone. If you ever have any questions please feel free to share them in the comment section of this post or by sending me a private message using the contact link.
I know shocker right? Well maybe not, but for some it apparently is. More often than you might think someone will yell at me when they find out I am blind. They will talk totally normal until that point.
What’s funny is how in one breath they are all “It’s so cool that you have heightened senses and stuff”, and then in the next they are yelling at you in case your lack of sight affects your ear canals. There are of course blind people that are also deaf. I however, am not one of those people. I do admit that occasionally I utilize selective hearing does come into play but that’s entirely different.
For the most part I smile good naturedly and don’t comment that they are blasting out my ear drums. And hey, that’s a huge concession on my part if you ask me. After all, if they blow the ear drums that would leave me with nothing but touch and smell.
There are days I want to look at them and yell back things like “WHAT DID YOU SAY? I’M SORRY I CAN’T SEE YOU!” Keep in mind that while I say this I would cup my hand over one eye like people do over an ear when they can’t hear something. I know kind of childish but I think it would be pretty funny. A girl’s gotta get her kicks somehow.
No I’m not in a “the glass is half empty” sort of mood. In fact, I am in a great mood. I have gotten a lot of work done on my book Clandestine I just had a random thought about this topic while editing and thought I would share it with you.
As you guys have heard me talk about before in earlier posts, one of the characters in Clandestine is blind. Her name is Lucy and in a scene she encounters this problem. I thought about making her reaction similar to the one mentioned above but haven’t decided yet if I should. Lucy is a perky girl that doesn’t have much of a filter. She does strike me as someone that would say something like that with a bright smile the whole time she was speaking. Who know, maybe I can work something like it in. I guess you will have to get the book when it’s released to find out… wink wink. Lol
Well I need to get back to the grind stone. This post was wiggling around in my brain so I needed to get it out so it would leave me alone. Okay don’t worry I am not weird or anything. The post obviously wasn’t freaking out in my head. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I get kind of OCD about things like that until I get it done.
If you haven’t signed up for my other blog that focuses on my writing and Clandestine please go take a peak and sign up. It is a fairly new blog but it’s getting updated all the time. I even do contests. My first will be ending today but I plan to do more in the future. This will be especially true around the time that Clandestine releases this summer. You can visit my other blog by clicking Here
Have a good day everyone. If you ever have any questions please feel free to share them in the comment section of this post or by sending me a private message using the contact link.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
I Want To Talk To You!
I am interested in interviewing people for Playing The Blind Card. The beauty of it is you don’t even have to be blind or even visually impaired.
Do you have a blind friend or family member? If so I’d like to talk to you. Sighted people who interact regularly with the blind community have an interesting perspective on the subject of blindness. It is also possible that you have a funny story to share. Maybe you have a message you would like to share.
If you have never met a blind or visually impaired person I’d also like to talk to you. Just because you’ve never met one of us doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable thoughts or opinions to share with readers. We can have a conversation that might inform readers about preconceived notions or stereotypes you may have learned in your lifetime. Don’t worry! This is a learning exercise only! It is not to make a person feel bad for something that they do not know. After all, no question is a dumb question. And no opinion is a bad one as long as it’s respectful to others.
Are you a professional working in the disability field? Do you offer a special service for the blind or visually impaired? If so, Id’ also like to talk to you. I would love to have the opportunity to tell readers about the special service you provide. If I fall in love with it, I will even put a link to your site on Playing The Blind Card.
Last but especially not least, if you are blind or visually impaired I want to talk to you. This is a call to all my fellow Blindy’s! Standing together we can make a difference. I would like you to help me inform readers about blindness. Have you accomplished something that might surprise people? Do you have an interesting job? Do you have kids? Do you have a guide dog? Do you just have something to say?
`If you fit any of the descriptions above I want to talk to you. Please either leave a comment under this post or use the contact link to the right to Email me directly. I would love to interview you for future posts. I hope to hear from you soon and remember… Together we can make a difference!
Do you have a blind friend or family member? If so I’d like to talk to you. Sighted people who interact regularly with the blind community have an interesting perspective on the subject of blindness. It is also possible that you have a funny story to share. Maybe you have a message you would like to share.
If you have never met a blind or visually impaired person I’d also like to talk to you. Just because you’ve never met one of us doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable thoughts or opinions to share with readers. We can have a conversation that might inform readers about preconceived notions or stereotypes you may have learned in your lifetime. Don’t worry! This is a learning exercise only! It is not to make a person feel bad for something that they do not know. After all, no question is a dumb question. And no opinion is a bad one as long as it’s respectful to others.
Are you a professional working in the disability field? Do you offer a special service for the blind or visually impaired? If so, Id’ also like to talk to you. I would love to have the opportunity to tell readers about the special service you provide. If I fall in love with it, I will even put a link to your site on Playing The Blind Card.
Last but especially not least, if you are blind or visually impaired I want to talk to you. This is a call to all my fellow Blindy’s! Standing together we can make a difference. I would like you to help me inform readers about blindness. Have you accomplished something that might surprise people? Do you have an interesting job? Do you have kids? Do you have a guide dog? Do you just have something to say?
`If you fit any of the descriptions above I want to talk to you. Please either leave a comment under this post or use the contact link to the right to Email me directly. I would love to interview you for future posts. I hope to hear from you soon and remember… Together we can make a difference!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
I'm Hosting A Give Away!
Hey everyone! I hope all is well with you. Things are going really good for me and my girls. I just wanted to let you all know and give you the opportunity to enter a contest that I'm hosting on my other site "Nicole Rae's Blog". I'm giving away a $15 gift card to one lucky winner. Sign up is easy and it only takes a few minutes of your time. You have until May 25th to enter and the winners will be announced the 26th.
You can find all the contest rules and details on my other site where it's being hosted. The web address is http://authornicolerae.blogspot.com
The best part of this contest is you have the opportunity to be entered twice. Some of you may already have a leg up on this so be sure to go check it out.
If you have a mail box and you reside in the United States you meet all the qualifications for the contest. So what are you waiting for?? It's so easy and if you win you get free money from your choice of several stores. How cool is that? Be sure to tell your friends in any way you can. Share it, Tweet it, Text it, EMail it...whatever it takes. Help support an emerging author and win a gift card.
Thanks guys and I hope you enter:)
You can find all the contest rules and details on my other site where it's being hosted. The web address is http://authornicolerae.blogspot.com
The best part of this contest is you have the opportunity to be entered twice. Some of you may already have a leg up on this so be sure to go check it out.
If you have a mail box and you reside in the United States you meet all the qualifications for the contest. So what are you waiting for?? It's so easy and if you win you get free money from your choice of several stores. How cool is that? Be sure to tell your friends in any way you can. Share it, Tweet it, Text it, EMail it...whatever it takes. Help support an emerging author and win a gift card.
Thanks guys and I hope you enter:)
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