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Friday, March 5, 2010

Two Black Shoes

After I got dressed this morning, I asked my mother, "Am I
wearing two black shoes?"

She laughed as she confirmed that I was. The reason for her
laughter is that she knew exactly why I was asking such a
question.

Here's a news flash: I can dress myself. It's amazing how many
people assume that my mother dresses me. Or that she picks out
my clothes each morning. I may be deaf-blind but I am NOT
stupid. I can dress myself, thank you very much.

People who are blind can pick out their own clothes. It is
possible to deal with colors. You just need a good organization
system. There are sets that you can buy with braille clothes
labels or you can make your own. There are lots of ways to deal
with the problem of picking out clothes that match.

I use a system I bought online. It uses safety pins and plastic
shapes. Each shape represents a different color. Squares are
black. Circles are for white. The triangles are pink. There
are 16 shapes in all and I can put two on a pin for multi-colored
items. I take the pins off while wearing the clothes then put
them back on at night. The pins can go through the washer so
laundry is not a problem.

Texture also helps me identify clothes. All clothes do not feel
the same. I might have two shirts marked red but I can tell
the difference by touch. One is a sweater while the other is a
sweat shirt. Some clothes have hoods, collars, buttons or
raised designs.

Today I am wearing black slacks, a black t-shirt, red and black
sweater, black socks and black shoes. Even my leg braces are
black. I am very color coordinated and did it all by myself.

However, there is suddenly a flaw in my system when it comes to
shoes. The problem is red-orange, has four white paws, a long
tail and lots of teeth that like to chew on things. I am
referring to the new family puppy.

In truth, I'm quite lucky. While the puppy seems to have a
great fascination with my shoes, he is not destructive. He just
likes to re-arrange them for me. He particular likes my brown
leather boots. If I'm not wearing them when I come downstairs in
the morning, he will run up and get them for me. First one and
then the other. Plop, plop. He drops them in my lap while
wagging his tail furiously.

I've tried to tell him that I don't want to wear the boots every
day. He doesn't seem to listen. He just delights in moving my
shoes around. I only have three pairs to choose from. I know
which is which by location. That isn't working out so well
anymore.

It's a battle of will. Who is more stubborn? Who will crack
first? Either the puppy stops moving my shoes around or I find
a new place to keep them. Hmmmm..... Since re-organizing my
closet is on top of the "to do" list this weekend, I think I know
who's going to lose this fight.

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