Relaxing times! Enjoying my hockey games

 

It was definitely a relief and a wonderful time for me as I enjoyed watching my beloved Montreal Canadiens march through the Stanley Cup playoffs for 2021.  Especially so when they were never even expected to make the playoffs.

I am not usually one to gloat but it sure felt great when they upset the Leafs, the Jets, and the Golden Knights to reach the finals.  However, it ended here and no matter what I was tremendously proud of what they did! They sure did upset a few apple carts along the way!

My beloved Canadiens did me so very proud!  It was great to follow them on some of those warm days!  It sure brought back memories of when I was able to watch them on TV close up because in those days I had enough vision to do so.  However, the fun and pride will never end despite losing my vision!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

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Memory of a first ice hockey game

This is a memory that I shall always cherish for as long as I live, memories of a first ice hockey game when I had to use my imagination to help me figure things out. For, at that time I did not have enough vision to see what was taking place on TV and so I had to depend on the announcers on the radio to provide the description. I must admit, however, that when I did get new vision and was able to see what was going on, I was not too far off.

There were some things that I had to readjust to after getting my new vision. Things such as the shape of the player's stick, the net and goal posts, and the actual shape of the ice rink. My imagination fell short in its job to help me out when my vision was not quite there.

My first memory of a hockey game was when Montreal played Boston and from the get go I took to hockey like water off of a duck's back, as they would say. I loved the speed and quickness of the game! I loved the excitement in the commentator's voice, and I enjoyed it most whenever I heard a goal being scored. Montreal won and I was happy because this was my home town!

Ah yes! A great memory of a first hockey game!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"Each time we raise our voice at someone else we are engaging in bullying! Each time we raise our hands to slap or punch someone else we are also engaging in bullying and each time we engage in actions to either manipulate or force someone else to do what we want we are also engaging in bullying!

There is no room in this world for bullying and each day we fail to take action against bullying it is another day that we allow others to bully us and our kids. Our heros and role models are the ones who have made us proud, those brave young men and women who gave their lives for us in past wars and those who continue to do so. They are not the ones who choose to be racists and those who believe that their bad behaviour in public is acceptable.

I write and record audio mysteries that are being used at such events as murder mystery evenings as well as at public awareness and team building events. I promote understanding, tolerance, and problem solving and my audio mysteries continue to be broadcasted around the world and you can listen to them anywhere! On the plane or train! In the car or right there in your home! On your i device or computer!

Please join my campaign against bullying (CAB) by supporting my efforts to keep on writing and recording!
If you truly care then you will certainly dare!"

Frozen in memory forever

One could easily say that many of us freeze things in memory forever but my frozen memories have a bit of a twist to them. It goes something like this. All of the memories that I collected and stored in my memory back when I had enough vision are now stored forever, despite knowing that my memories will now be forever out of date with reality. Please allow me to explain a bit more clearly.

Our features change with time and facial looks also change with time. The memories of nieces and nephews when they were younger have all changed since my last visual sighting of them. They are older now and some of them have grown from preteen years into teenagers and beyond. True it is that many faces remain a semblance and are a mature version of what they were as younger ones, but my memories of what they looked like at the time are frozen forever.

Memories of hockey games are frozen forever. Memories of my favorite ice skating figure skaters are also frozen forever and memories of strolls through the malls and walks through the parks are also frozen forever. Some memories will no doubt be like history in that memories of the past are history but when it comes to changing features and facial looks, that's a bit different.

I hope that I am not confusing anyone with this but I am really trying hard to explain myself. Maybe it is something like this: I remember Marcus as a preteen and Faith as a toddler and now that they are both older, my memory of them remains the same.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to visit me any time at www.donnajodhan.com.

Then and Now

I am not really sure why Easter time affects me like this but I usually call it my time for remembering and thanking. This is the time of year when I go back in time and remember what I had, and then thank God for what I have. What am I referring to?

Up until five years ago I had enough vision to do so much on my own, but a wicked turn of events conspired against me. In the matter of just a few months it was all taken away from me. Today I sit here with precious little sight but am extremely grateful that I still have enough to see the light of day.

My life has changed drastically over the past five years, and I have had to make so many adjustments in order to remain independent. But that's okay. What keeps me going are those wonderful memories that I captured while my vision was good enough. I consider myself to be extremely lucky because there are not many persons who can obtain new vision after being born with precious little. I am one of the few, and I shall share some of my precious moments with you.

In my hay day as I like to refer to it, I was able to read and write with the aid of special magnifying glasses. I used to play air hockey, ice skate on my own, jog along the sidewalk, and enjoy the wonders of nature. I was able to watch the sun come up over tall buildings and set below the line of the horizon. I could see the trees bending and bowing, the flowers swaying gently in the wind, and squirrels scrambling over snow banks. I could watch my favorite hockey team on TV flying up the ice in their red jerseys. I was able to see the blue skies with puffy white clouds chasing each other. I could see the fat white snowflakes falling gently to the ground, the thick green grass, and kids playing innocently in the park. I was able to admire the gorgeous orange plumage of my beloved Scottie Bird, my canary, and see the faces of my family.

One of my favorite memories is that of the silver Air Canada Jet floating lazily over a jade green Caribbean sea with the sun streaming down from above. Another is that of a beach with white-capped breakers rolling gently towards golden sand and pleasure boats laden with merrymakers. Yes, those were good times! I miss them, but it's not the end of the world. I can go on for pages, but I think that by now you are getting the picture. My world today is very different.

Now I have to depend on my senses of smell and touch to help me along. I use my memories to help me picture such things as layouts of stores and restaurants. I use my memory to picture what others may look like. I can find my way around familiar territory based on my memory of what it looks like. I may not be able to play air hockey anymore, but I have taken up chess as a substitute. I still ice skate but now I have to depend on someone else to guide me. I still enjoy movies but now I have to listen more attentively to what's going on. I use my sense of smell and touch to tell me if food is either going bad or if a fruit is rotting. Before now I was able to use my sight to do this.

You see, my world has changed but I am still here -- alive and well to tell the story. My message to you is this: There is always a silver lining in those thick dark clouds. If something is taken way from you, then it is always possible to find a substitute. Be thankful for what you had and what you have.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and urging you to enjoy life no matter what.

Why I Learned to Ice Skate

Growing up in Canada often means that ice skating is par for the course, but what about for blind and visually-impaired kids? Many of you may think that it is not possible but I am here to tell you that it most definitely is. Really!

You're probably trying to figure out how or why would someone want to skate on ice if they are unable to see where they are going. Why would they want to put themselves through such torture? How on earth would they be able to retain their footing and keep from falling? These are all very logical and legitimate questions.

I'll be very honest with you. I took the step to learn to ice skate in order to improve my confidence. Skating without much vision can be very daunting and scary, and that was indeed my experience when I first started, but I was determined to overcome.

When I first learned to ice skate I had some vision; so it was not too bad for me; it has helped me tremendously to continue on now that I have lost most of my vision. I managed to complete four of six levels and learned to do such things as: glide on one foot, skate backwards, skull, do cross cuts and hockey stops, plus more. I still skate regularly, but without much vision I have to use different techniques in order to stay on my blades.

Ice skating gives me the feeling of power, self-control, and togetherness. Up until five years ago, I used to skate on my own with limited guidance, but now I skate by holding on to a friend’s arm. Ice skating brings me freedom! The feeling of pure bliss and exhilaration! I can be myself when I step on to the ice. I can fly high by feeling the wind on my face and smelling the fresh air and as Whitney Houston says in one of her songs: “Give me one moment in time. When I’m more than I thought I could be! When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away and the answer is all up to me.”

When I am on the ice, I am on the top of the world and sight or the lack thereof really does not matter to me. I know that when others see me ice skating they stop and stare but I do not really care. My friends often tell me that occasionally skaters bump into each other while staring at me. Let them! I am blind but I can skate and have fun just like them.

I even played ice hockey! No, not within the mainstream environment, but with a team of blind and sighted players. This hockey team has been in existence since the 1970s and has traveled to such places as Russia and Finland to play other teams of blind players. If you would like to learn more about this team, then please visit www.iceowls.ca.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant inviting you to go out there and tell everyone that yes! Blind and visually-impaired persons can learn how to ice skate and enjoy it like anyone else.