More thoughts:

I have discovered that I am more comfortable in a group if I have a job. So, I
belong to three organizations and I have an office or a job in all three of
them.

Today, we went to the family get together before a big wedding tomorrow. These
are events that sometimes leave me feeling very lonely and isolated. But,
today, I helped with the party and that kept me busy and gave me an excuse to
mix and mingle. I find that I am feeling much less depressed that usual!

Joyce, it sounds like you might have a very kinisthetic way of experiencing and
remembering the world--you remember and relate to the physical sensations.
Perhaps smells and music might be good cues for you also.

How nice of your husband and friends to do the photographs with you!

I have always wondered what it would be like for a faceblind person to sit and
talk with a friend or relative with both of them blindfolded. Would that give
the non-faceblind person a little sample of what it is like NOT to be making the
major connection visually? Would that enable the FB person to focus on the
voice, smell, touch, etc. of the other person?

If I were doing a siminar on what it is like to be FB, I might ask people to sit
talking in a room (blindfolded) and then meet up in another room and try to
relate the conversations just had with the now unblindfolded people (the same)
in the other room.

OK, enough rambling thoughts. Vivian


--- In faceblind@yahoogroups.com, "hilsweetpea" <joyce.balancingact@...> wrote:
>
> My husband gave me a digital photo frame for my birthday. It is a perfect
gift! I am working on taking photos that help my sense of touch enable me to
feel more connection to my friends and family when I am not with them. I have
several photos of myself holding hands with friends. I don't recognize people by
their hands. But when I know whose hand I am holding in the photo, I can feel
the connection with them in a way that a photo alone doesn't do. So my digital
photos are becoming a mixture of regular pics of people I love plus pics of
touching. I am also planning to try pics of my hubby touching my neck and his
hand on my back. I think these will also help me FEEL our connection better.
Same for friends. It's an ongoing process. One of my friends helped me take a
picture of her holding my hand against her cheek. This photo really moves me and
makes me feel loved. I have felt lonely and apart and different from people all
of my life. I am not willing to feel that way any longer, and I will keep trying
any way I can to find something that works to help me feel connected. I figure
if the brains of blind people can do it, then so can mine.
>
> I also figured out the perfect song to play with the photos, A Song for a
Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot. It is really about being able to remember
connections through touch with everyone I love and who loves me. Here are the
lyrics if you don't know the song.
>
>
> Gordon Lightfoot
> A Song for a Winter's Night
>
> The lamp is burning low upon my tabletop, the snow is softly falling.
> The air is still within the silence of my room, I hear your voice softly
calling.
> If I could only have you near to breathe a sigh or two,
> I would be happy just to hold the hands I love upon this winter night with
you.
>
> The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead, my glass is almost empty.
> I read again between the lines upon the page, the words of love you sent me.
> If I could know within my heart that you were lonely too,
> I would be happy just to hold the hands I love upon this winter night with
you.
>
> The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim, the shades of night are
lifting.
> The morning light steals across my windowpane where webs of snow are drifting.
> If I could only have you near to breathe a sigh or two,
> I would be happy just to hold the hands I love and to be once again with you,
> to be once again with you.
>
> Hugs to all of my faceblind kin,
> Joyce
>