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Monday, November 1, 2021

JOE THE BLIND GUY

 

JOE THE BLIND GUY



 

Have I posted on Joe The Blind Guy before?  Probably, but if I don’t remember than no one else will either. 

Joe The Blind Guy was a person I met on the train virtually every day for a few years during my commuting to work era.  He got on the train the stop after mine and left several stops before my destination. 

He was an amazing person as I think of it.  He could not see a lick.  He found the door with his quick side to side cane work.  When he left the train he click-clacked his way to work without assistance. 

What he did I don’t know, how he got where he was going was amazing.

One has to admire and respect the incredible where-with-all of the disabled.

And yet, Joe The Blind Guy was a big pain in the ass.

I cherished my time on the train to either nap, or read the paper.  It was 40 minutes of ME time, that I did not have anywhere else.  Joe The Blind Guy spoiled this time every day.  As I was either reading or trying to catch a few winks I would suddenly hear the click-clack of Joe The Blind Guy’s cane.

Joe The Blind Guy would not just find a seat and wait for his stop, no, he would stop at EVERY seat, and greet every passenger.

“Hi, I’m Joe, what’s your name?” He would then ask that passenger where he was going, and then move up to the next seat.

Now ordinarily if you did not want to converse with another passenger you would bury your face in the paper or feign sleep.  That did not work with Joe The Blind Guy.  He could not see your face buried in the paper or your feigning sleep.  So you knew he would soon find your seat.  For two cars back you would  hear the click-clack of his cane followed by,

“Hi, I’m Joe, what’s your name?”

Eventually he would reach my seat, and my reading/ napping was already ruined, for the waiting.

“Hi, I’m Joe, what’s your name?”

“I’m Joe also, (knowing the next question) I’m going to Newark.”

“I think we’ve met before.”

“Yes (every flaming day) we have, how are you?”

“OK, bye now.”

And he was off to the next passenger. Damn how I hated Joe The Blind Guy.

You probably are thinking,

“He was looking for someone who got off at his stop to help him find his way.”

If he was, he NEVER found anyone, he always click-clacked off on his own…every morning.

The worst part of Joe The Blind Guy was not his disturbing my reading or sleep, the worst part was feeling like shit all day for hating this poor bastard who was just being friendly and was at the same time conquering more difficulty every day than I could ever imagine.

As I write this and remember back, I feel like shit once again. 

God bless you Joe The Blind Guy, my missed reading or nap was nothing next to your daily challenge.

Still, you were a pain in the ass!  

 

9 comments:

  1. It always amazes me how people with disabilities get on in life. They make me feel so small.

    God bless them; and you too, JoeH.

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  2. I admire the heck out of the guy but also you Joeh for your honesty. Maybe you should have gotten a seat nearest the door and initiated the conversation. Then there wouldn't have been the anticipation. Of course you could have pretend snored. Wonder where he is today?

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  3. When we're younger things bother us much more than when we get older. I wouldn't care for that either.

    Have a fabulous day and week, Joe. ☺

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  4. The guilt is real. I totally understand all your feelings about him.

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  5. I think he was checking to make sure he wasn't the only one on the train.

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  6. I'm guessing he greeted everyone to be sure the seat was occupied so he didn't accidentally sit on someone's lap.

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  7. You can admire someone without agreeing with everything that person does.

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  8. WHAT IF Joe the Blind Guy wasn't really blind, and later wrote a book on human behavior, based on all those years of research...

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  9. i agree River ,most probably he was looking for vacant seat and he found greeting an appropriate way to do so i can say this because i would have done the same if i was Joe the blind guy :)
    nice and enjoyable read dear Joe !

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