Memories forever: Some favorite memories of Dad

I always find it a joy, pleasure, and a delight whenever I can drum up some of those favorite memories of my dad!  Of course, there will be always so very many to choose from but here is a sample.

Riding my bicycle with Dad on the beach!  How much I enjoyed those times with Dad and me riding along the beach and enjoying the afternoon’s fresh air when the tide was out.  Going swimming with Dad and my brothers or so many times when we did it together with Dad teaching me the back stroke, the butterfly, and the crawl.  The sea was so very calm and as the sun shone down on us, there we were with me, the student, and Dad, the patient teacher.

Then there was Dad teaching me how to fly a kite in the savanna and playing ball with my brothers and me.  Oh, how I loved those precious times.

Then how about the time when we traveled to South America and there was Dad sitting next to me, holding my hand and making sure that I was not scared as the plane bobbed up and down.  He explained to me that we were going through air pockets and this is why the plane was bobbing up and down like this.

Then those cherished times when he would read to me.  There I was, lying in bed, and he would be in his chair reading all kinds of news articles to me. Or those childhood nights when he told me stories that came straight out of his head.

Finally, this one: Dad and I walking in our garden and my holding onto his comforting hand as he caught butterflies and placed them in my hand and told me not to close my fingers around the butterfly because if I did so I would kill the butterfly.

I could go on and on but these are just a few and I thank my darling dad for having brought me all of this.

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
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There you will not only learn about me as an 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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Such cherished memories: Learning to ride a bike with Dad

I can tell you straight up that memories of Dad teaching me how to ride a bike are some of the most precious ones.  Dad taught my brother Jeffrey and me how to ride a bike but for me it was extra special.  How so?  Because as a vision-impaired kid it was simply awesome that my dad never hesitated to teach me how to ride.

Dad took me through the various stages of being able to ride on my own. First it was him putting me on a bike and then holding onto me as he told me what to do.  It was a two-wheeler bike and we spent countless hours riding around the large yard.

I would pedal slowly and then pick up speed and there was Dad, hanging on to me as we rode.  He never tired of doing this with me and I often felt guilty that I made him work so hard.

Then Dad slowly let go of of me but he made very sure that the bike I was riding had stabilizer wheels on it.  This did not last for long and soon I was on my two wheeler all by myself with Dad close by, watching very intently to make sure that I got things just right.

These were such fun times.  My dad was the best teacher!  Patient, always encouraging me, and if he had any nervous moments he never let me know.  The yard was my first riding area and then we went riding on the beach.  Dad bought a bike for Jeffrey and me when we turned 7 and then I graduated to using my elder brother Robert's bike later on.

Dad and I rode so many times on the beach.  We rode side by side and up and down the sandy beach with the sun shining down on us in the mornings and the cool sea air surrounding us in the evenings and sometimes we raced each other. It never really mattered to me who won, just that Dad and I had lots of fun!

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

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an 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.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Bike races on the beach

This is yet another precious memory that I shall forever hold close to me. It was all about Dad and me racing our bicycles on the beach.

Maybe I am wrong but it always seemed to me that my dear dad allowed me to win those memorable races. He never seemed to mind each time I won but there was the odd time when he was victorious.

I used to marvel at how he never seemed to be afraid whenever we raced along the sand. The sand was so firm and we usually raced whenever the tide was out so that there was more room for us to speed along with the sea breeze pounding on our backs.

Most times it was Dad who called for a race and I never backed down. We would start with a nice easy ride and then his call would come. Gosh! He never seemed to care that I was blind!

I never seemed to care if anyone was watching. All that mattered was that Dad and I would be racing along. What wonderful memories and who knows! I may some day get to race him along that long stretch of sand in the next world!

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 heroes 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!"

My exercise bicycle

When I bought my exercise bicycle I knew that I would need sighted help to familiarize myself with it, but first things first. I had to find a way to get it assembled.

My superintendent was ready and willing to help me with this task and it was done in quick time. Then came the moment for me to learn what it could do for me and now I had to learn all about the various options and programs. Of course, the menus were not accessible to me because there were no spoken options. Nothing spoke and so for a blind person it was totally unusable.

You are probably asking yourself, then why did I buy it? I am yet to find an exercise bicycle with audio instructions and it is not for the lack of constantly asking the sellers and manufacturers why this continues to be so. I do not really get an answer to my question. The most I get is for the service folks to say that they do not know.

I hope that this changes some day sooner than later. Suffice it to say that for now I'll use the bicycle's basic functions.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Discovering the gym

My curiosity got the better of me some time ago and I decided to bite the bullet and ask my friend to give me a tour of the gym. I am really not sure why I was always a bit hesitant but I was sure glad after I had my tour.

My friend was a very good tour guide. She placed my hand on each piece of equipment and explained each knob, lever, and button to me. She then allowed me to explore for myself and described all aspects of each piece of equipment to me.

I tried out the exercise bicycle, the treadmill, the stepper, and the rowing machine. I felt these pieces of equipment from front to back and at the end of it all I had a much better idea of how things felt and looked. My introduction to the gym.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. Come by and listen to some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

Bicycling with Dad

These precious memories shall forever remain in my memory bank. As early as I can remember, Dad and I used to bicycle whenever we could. In those days, my vision was very limited but it never stopped me from wanting to bicycle with him.

My first bike was a four wheel one and then I graduated to the three wheel and finally to the two wheeler. Dad was always there to be with me. At first, he walked alongside me as I rode and then when I got good enough he bicycled next to me.

My favorite memories were those of riding on the beach with him. He cruised along with me and allowed me to cycle as fast as I could. Then, when he felt that I was ready, he challenged me to races. I am almost sure to this day that he almost always allowed me to win. That was my dad: always encouraging, motivating, and challenging.

We rode mainly in the morning or late in the afternoon. As I rode I would look towards the waves breaking gently against the shore and then down at the golden sand. Dad never failed to give me a running commentary of everything that was around me as we rode. From a description of the blue skies and white clouds, to the rolling waves and blue green sea and fishes jumping in the ocean close to shore to children playing on the beach and parents strolling close by. So many wonderful memories to last a lifetime.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and share my blogs with others. Come by and visit me at www.donnajodhan.com and there you will find some really interesting and exciting audio mysteries written by me.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.

The joys of biking

So many of us enjoy the sport of biking and I am just one of them. As long as I can remember, I was able to ride a bike and you are probably going to ask how could a blind person be able to ride a bike?

I thank my dad for having made this possible. At an early age, he placed me on a four wheel cycle and gave me the confidence to go from there. Then he put me on a two wheel bicycle and spent endless hours teaching me how to hold my balance.

Dad and I would ride around our yard and then we would do it whenever we went to the beach. We had so many enjoyable races along the beach and I shall always remember this. Sometimes he would ride alongside me, talking to me as we rode and describing everything around us. Then he would sprint ahead and dare me to catch him. Sometimes I did and sometimes I could not.

My brothers also rode with me but I know that they were always watchful to ensure that I did not bump into anything. Now I ride a tandem bike with friends and I still enjoy my biking activities.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and tell others about my biking activities. Visit www.rnib.org to learn more.

Can Blind Persons Play with Toys?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions that I get and my simple answer to this is why not?  Blind kids do not have to see in order to play with toys.  Blind kids play with all kinds of toys and enjoy many of the things that most of their sighted counterparts enjoy.  That is, except for those high tech toys.

 

When I was a kid, I played with dolls.  I had doll houses, played ball games with my brothers, rode bicycles, and flew kites.  I even had toy guns and played with my brother's toy soldiers and you know what?  I had a whale of a time doing all of it.  I developed ways to play football and cricket.  I learned how to pitch marbles, and I even participated in hide and seek games.  Boy did I ever play with all kinds of toys; from the regular girl's stuff to kicking tin cans in the road and playing ball hockey.  True it is that my family and friends had to adapt things somewhat for me to play with them but despite this I had a world of fun.

 

If you are thinking of giving a toy to a blind child then please, please do not think twice about giving them something that they can certainly play with.  Anything that does not include technology that is.  Anything from dolls to doll houses, toy soldiers to toy cars, and so on.  How do blind kids play with toys if they are unable to see?  They use the touch and feel technique.

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and urging you to go out there and spread my message to others that yes indeed!  Blind kids can and do play with toys.  Here is some contact info for you to check out.

Connie Leblond

Assistive Technology Center LLC

8880-723-5011 Ext. 1

www.atechcenter.net