New York: it's where dreams are made of and there is nothing you can't do

Good evening:

I just finished listening to the magnificent game 2 of the 2009 world series where the Yankees beat the Phillies by a score of 3 to 1. I really feel proud to be a Yankees fan after watching that game, some of you might think that sounds silly but it is not. Ok, so this is just a sport played by millionaires, I’ll give you that one. However, the pitching was superb, Mariano was, well, Mariano, and we finally earned our first world series win in the last six years.
I feel lucky to be a New Yorker, no matter what anyone says. After living in different parts of the country, and trust me I have, I found that this is the best city for me: accessibility, convenience, and great food! This year alone, I have commuted to the Bronx on a daily basis from Manhattan, then to Brooklyn each day in the summer, and to another location for my internship. This city makes me feel very independent, which other cities can’t do because of either a lack of transportation, quality of transportation, or because they are suburban or rural and you need a car to get around. In my neighborhood I can locate restaurants of varying cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian. In addition, I really enjoy going to local businesses just by walking a couple of blocks from my apartment, I think you get my point.
My semester is just about half done and I am feeling positive but a bit nervous. I haven’t received grades for much of my work in different classes and so it makes it hard for me to feel certain about how I am doing. I work hard and always submit assignments on time, but I find myself going on blackboard (the college’s online system) almost every day to check for new grades that have been posted, maybe I should relax. (Insert sound effects of drinking cold water and taking a deep breath) Ahhh, that feels better.
This life is complicated, I don’t mean that in a bad way, it just feels sometimes like I am like the pre-2009 Yankees version of Alex Rodriguez. (And no, I don’t mean that I’m taking steroids!) I’m trying to say that I over think things occasionally, when what I really should do is go out there and just live my life. In any case, welcome to my diary, it’s almost midnight and these are my strange thoughts.
Stay tuned for clips from my next blog:
The Yankees did what?
There’s a new restaurant called:-----
Something something something disability.
Take care!
Dan

turning thirty

What can I say? In two and a half weeks, on august 24th, I will be 30 years old. This feels like a very significant birthday for me, and it will begin a new phase in my life (not old, but headed towards middle adulthood in the Erikson’s stages of life). Depending on who you talk to, 30 can be viewed as young or old: last week a 23 year old girl at the VCB institute called me “over-the-hill”. On the other hand, people who are 40 or 45 years old thought that I was still pretty young.
Overall, I feel satisfied with the fact that I have done so much by the age of 30: I’m graduating from lehman in December with a BSW (and currently a 3.9 GPA, sorry I don’t mean to brag, actually yes, I do), , I owned a business, made a few close friends, and found and lost love. Isn’t that quite a lot of things to accomplish early in life?
I have big plans for the future: (trust me on this one, I wouldn’t just say “big plans” without really meaning it): first, I plan to get my masters degree in social work by the end of 2011. Next, I want to find a job where I can help people with disabilities like myself. Next, I will start hanging out with Bill Gates in order to try to get a part of that Microsoft fortune (just kidding, maybe).
All joking aside, I am proud that I am totally blind and totally independent (well, maybe not totally, but I can at least manage my little money, cook a little and be somewhat self-sufficient). I don’t want to become a statistic, one of those people with disabilities who is unemployed. No matter how long it takes, I have a firm belief that I can find the right job with ambition, motivation, perserverance, and connections? (For me, it’s not who I know but what I know, that’s why I watch Jeopardy).
Stay tuned for the next exciting and action-packed episode of: blind blog!
Dan

I don't want to talk about it!

I am done talking about my weight: I like myself the way I am. I am done talking (at least for now) about the Yankees: I hope we win the World Series and I will support them forever (especially the captain Jeter) but I have my concerns.

Hello New York City, the world, and cyber-space:

Thanks to all of you who made my internship and semester go smoothly. This seems to have been a successful time for me, and I am appreciative of all of those who helped me along the way. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I feel that I am in a positive place right now. I am happy about who I am, hopeful about the future, and I am trying to be optimistic.
I experienced a very disturbing incident yesterday. I was walking down Lexington avenue (towards the Lighthouse for the blind on 59th street) when someone grabbed my backpack before I was about to cross the street. He didn’t really remove it from my back; he just took hold of it very strongly. When I asked the stranger why he would do such a thing, he replied “there’s a big puddle in front of you.” While I was a little glad that I avoided the water, I was more frightened by this man’s actions. Do people think that the only way to communicate to a person who is blind is to grab them or their belongings? I can’t tell you the amount of times that someone has either grabbed my arm or pushed me in order to “help” or “guide” me. Your intentions are good, but your actions have a negative impact.
I want to say this to all of you: (this will sound like a simple thing, but it is rarely done): If you would like to help someone who is blind, you should actually ask them how you can help! Don’t grab me, push me, or try to steal my backpack. I am a human, aren’t I? I am just like you, how would you like it if I grabbed your purse and then said “watch out for that puddle.” I think you get my point; this kind of thing really makes me frustrated. Sometimes I feel like I’M the only “normal” one, but then again, what does that even mean?
Your cliché of the day: do unto others as others would do unto you.
What should I talk about next? There are a limitless amount of possibilities. I would like your input on this please.
Dan

guess who's back?

Greetings to all:
I have been sick for the last week and a half, so excuse me if this blog comes out a little random.
1: Please comment on the blog, otherwise how will I know who is out there?
2. The A-rod "injury", and note that I used quotes around that word, might be devistating for my team the yankees, but I am just about fed up with all of the a-rod headlines.
3. If you learn one thing today, it should be to mind your own business. Today at my internship, I had an "incident" with a staff member who decided that it was her job to monitor me, and to judge me regardless of what the facts were. I admit it: I got frustrated, and yes, a little angry. Excuse me for saying this, but don't tell me how to do my job, especially if you are not my supervisor. I think that nurses and doctors should stick to medicine, lawyers should continue doing work related to the law, and leave the counseling of people with disabilities to the real social workers, even if that means letting a soon-to-be college graduate take control over a situation which can be tense or challenging at times!
Ok, that was a bit harsh, sorry. I just had to say it, regardless to the consequences, I hope someone understands or has gone through the same thing before. I hate to end blogs on a negative note, so let me say this:
I miss Mtv. Yes, I mean the old mtv. Not the current channel with so many reality shows, I mean to say "music television", with actual videos. I prey that this country gets on the right track, and I wish the best for all of you.
Sincerely,
Dan the man

when I can't sleep, I eat?

Hey folks, well I have had a long weekend of eating out at nice restaurants, why am I celebrating so much?
No reason, of course, each occasion has been special on its own. However, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking that it is a victory lap after enduring what they call a
"sleep study".
That sounds nice, that terminology puts it in a welcoming frame of reference. My experience differs slightly:
I arrived at a "sleep study" center on friday night and within a half of an hour I was being hooked up with wires and tape to a large monitoring machine. Let me say, first of all, that the technician had no idea how to deal with a person who is blind. He was treating me as if I had a psychiatric disability, or as if I was extremely dependent. So, where was I? They taped up most of my body with wires and monitors, and then told me to go to sleep. Great! That's exactly what I wanted. Did I tell you about the wires on my head?
They put some kind of goop or cream on my head and then taped down several wires to it.
To make a long story short, when I woke up, I had already laid in bed for 8 hours but I probably got five hours of sleep. While this is normal for me, it feels very uncomfortable doing so in that position. Finally, the technician untaped me, which is painful by itself. The bottom line: I have to wait a month to figure out why I don't sleep well at night.
So yes, my weekend was worth every calory.
Update: I am nervously awaiting the results of that sleep study, I can't wait to find out what is really happening with me. Now that I wrote that, I am going to bed.
Dan