January 6, 2008
By Judy Wilkins / The Daily News Online
On Dec. 26, my mother, Carol Johnson, and I were sitting at the kitchen table. My mother noticed the article titled, "Longview couple raises guide dog presented to woman." She read it to me, because I'm a blind person who has been a guide dog user since 1981.
Both Lenore, my first guide, and Billy, my current guide, are from Guide Dogs for the Blind.
For my first year while attending Portland State University (1980-81), I traveled with a white cane. Then, in July 1981, I received my first guide, Lenore, a yellow Labrador retriever from GDB's main campus in San Rafael, Calif. Billy, my current and fourth guide, is from the Boring, Ore., campus. Both campuses are fine, but smaller is good. The Oregon campus has smaller classes.
Lenore opened my world to new and life changing adventures -- giving me more traveling confidence at my college and other places in Portland. In fact, Lenore opened up physical doors for me at PSU. Upon Lenore's arrival on campus, people came from absolutely nowhere and would hold the door open for us. I pondered, where did all these people come from and why was I not noticed the previous year with a white cane?
Missy, my second guide, a golden retriever, furthered my confidence level with our part-time employment at the Portland airport as a page receptionist. On occasion, Missy would step so proudly into her second employment as paging assistant (paging voice barking); it was really neat to have her at my side paging people to the white courtesy phones. Our customers really enjoyed her style of paging and were very supportive of us. No complaints. At first customers would be startled, but when it was explained about Missy, then their startled reaction would turn to laughter. Missy received her own ID badge, stating her position through the airport as Airport Paging Assistant.
Merlin, my third guide, furthered my confidence level. We traveled within the Portland area, sometimes on semi-unfamiliar routes. When we would lose our way, Merlin helped me to keep a level head. One thing, Merlin didn't enjoy was the lady's shopping trip for me to try on different garments. His reaction to garment try-on sessions was squirming. Merlin was a take-charge guide dog.
Billy, my fourth guide, continues to further the confidence building; e.g., traveling in semi-unfamiliar routes in Longview while at home during this past fall's Thanksgiving week. We did some errands for my mother and for us. I didn't fully realize the street intersections had changed a bit here in Longview. An uneventful walking tour took two to three hours. My transportation back to my mother's home was via a local cab company; I was too tired to walk home.
My trademark is my guide, me and sometimes a cart to bring home the groceries, or maybe dog food.
Thank you to the puppy raisers, Billy's special puppy raiser and all GDB staff.
Judy Wilkins, who resides in Portland, is a former Longview resident.