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Hello, and welcome. I set up this blog in early December of 2008 primarily to promote my first memoir. The date is set years ahead so that this entry will always be first. My clever friend Sarah did that with hers and I thought it was a great idea. My first book, "Carmella's Quest: Taking on College Sight Unseen," was released in early 2009 and is published by Red Letter Press. http://RedLetterPress.GooglePages.comThe book is about my first year of college at a small Baptist school (North Greenville) located in the upstate of SC. The story takes place in late 1994 and early 1995. In this reader-friendly and simple story, I recount my experience of leaving home for the first time, friendships, academic challenges, romances, and the life lessons I learned during that very important year. To read excerpts, press releases, and other information about Carmella's Quest, click here http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=carmellasquest&keyword=%2A&filter=allWhat makes this book different from other college memoirs is that I also describe unique situations that arose for me as someone who was legally blind but not totaly blind. Some of my choices around that issue will be frowned upon by members of the blind community. I am prepared for that. I do things differently now, but am honest about where I was in my own acceptance of the "blindness thing" at the time. Another aspect of this story that may set it apart for many readers is that the book does not include offensive language, or descriptions of wild college parties or other content that might concern parents or offend some readers. I just wasn't into that stuff and being at a Christian college meant such things weren't so much a part of the culture there. I'm sure I'll take some teasing from family members just based on what I was willing to share about my dating life, simply because I had one and said so. I'd give it a PG rating if it were a movie, I think. It has a few "questionable" or "edgy" segments . I enjoyed writing this book, believe there is enough diversity of experience to keep readers engaged, and am excited to be able to share it and to see where it takes me. It can be ordered through the publisher or through Amazon.com. For autographed copies, indicate that when you send a check ($14.95 + $2.00 for shipping) and Bob will let me know. If you are blind and want or need an electronic copy emailed to you, as well, please include a note letting us know that and I'll forward one to the email address provided in that note. If you ordered from Amazon and want an electronic copy, simply forward your order confirmation email to me and I'll email you an electronic copy of CQ. Through this blog, I'll also share some of the other pieces I've written, books I have enjoyed, other writing related stuff, current happenings in my life, and my thoughts on other topics. I'll also do some singing, as that is another way I express feelings and creativity. So, who am I? I ask myself that a lot so let's just stick to facts here. I'm originally from a small town near Augusta, GA. I have been legally blind since birth due to complications related to prematurity. I live and work in the Columbia, SC, area. I am passionate about my career as a Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist. I have two undergraduate degrees (North Greenville College and Columbia Bible College/Columbia International University) and a graduate degree from the University of South Carolina. I am passionate about truth, relationships, and writing. Living in a world set up to accomodate those who can see is not always easy, especially since life still offers a range of other difficult experiences that have to be dealt with on top of the "blindness thing." I strive to live a life of independence, authenticity, and integrity and am sustained by faith in God, my family and friends, and my wonderful guide dog, Maggie. One of my favorite things, as I say on the Dedication page of CQ, is being an aunt to my sister's three great kids. Spirituality and a sense of humor that can tend towards sarcasm and edginess also help a lot. Despite life's challenges, I consider myself very blessed. I hope you enjoy this blog. Check in often. I can be contacted at CarmellasQuest@hotmail.comCurrent Mood: productive
Current Music: Three Doors Down
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Prologue “Now, I’d like to present the award for Female Resident Student of the Year,” announced a voice I recognized as Michelle’s. “The Resident Assistants chose the recipient from among all of our on-campus girls.” I wonder who they picked, I thought distractedly, a lot more concerned about the algebra final looming over my head. Everyone was assembled for the second to last chapel service of the year. The staff of Student Services was onstage presenting awards in various categories. The past twenty-five minutes had been a jumble of flowery speeches, applause, and stage crossings. RAs had been honored, and various students had received awards for excelling in specific academic or athletic pursuits. Several staff members had been recognized for their support of student organizations. “The award goes to Carmella Broome.” I sat frozen for a moment, unable to believe what I’d just heard. My heart began to pound as the auditorium erupted into applause. I knew I should be thrilled, but all I felt was a sense of dread. How was I going to handle this? I had to make my way to the stage to accept the award, and I didn’t have my cane with me. I considered turning around to ask David for help, but I wanted to go by myself. I’d been up there before. There were steps and cords, and probably podiums and chairs. I could trip or run into something and really embarrass myself in front of all these people. I might fall down the stairs or step right off the edge of the stage. Was I familiar enough with the stage to chance negotiating it without help? Deciding that I was, I got up and, trying not to step on anyone’s feet, made my way toward the center aisle. “God,” I begged silently as I walked toward the stage, “I know I’m being really stupid, but please help me get around up there.” Climbing the steps, I was relieved to hear Reverend Crouse’s low instructions. “Watch these cords. Good. It’s a straight shot.” I walked forward into the brightness of the spotlights, mentally coaching myself to keep my head up and not shuffle my feet. “Here I am,” Michelle whispered, placing a plaque in my hands. “Congratulations. Look to your left a little so they can take your picture for the paper.” I turned my head and smiled. The camera flashed. Amidst another round of applause and cheers, I turned to make my way back across the stage. Now came the hardest part. How was I going to find that top step? I slowed down when I neared where I knew the steps to be, probing the area with my foot. I felt Reverend Crouse’s hand on my arm. “There’s the step,” he murmured. “Thank you,” I whispered, descending the steps carefully. Thrilled that I’d made it down from the stage without incident or embarrassment, I turned up the center aisle and counted rows until I reached the sixth one. Trying not to step on anyone’s feet once again, I counted my way past the first seven chairs. As I sank gratefully into my assigned chapel seat, thankful that I hadn’t miscalculated and wound up in someone’s lap, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. David’s voice whispered, “Congratulations.” With the ordeal of accepting the award behind me, I was finally able to turn my attention to the plaque Michelle had placed in my shaking hands. No one could possibly guess how much it meant to me. I had no idea what it said, but that didn’t matter. The public recognition wasn’t what made it so special, though that was certainly nice. To me, the plaque’s truest value was what it represented. It was a tangible symbol of success. I had done something I hadn’t been sure I really could do. I’d successfully completed my first year of college. ------------------ Carmella’s Quest Copyright © 2008 Carmella Broome All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of the publisher. Published by Red Letter Press 6148 Rutledge Hill Columbia, SC 29209 RedLetterPress@gmail.com http://redletterpress.googlepages.com First Edition Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Control Number: 2008930745 ISBN-13 978-0-979-44206-3 ISBN-10 0-979-44206-0 Tags: excerpts
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: WXRYFM.org The Independent Alternative
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I’m a little self-conscious about writing a “Christmas update” letter because they’re the topic of so many jokes. I’ll do my best to keep it interesting. I’ll talk about the most exciting thing first. After being 13 years in the making, Carmella’s Quest (a memoir about my first year of college) finally came out. The launch party was held in March. Of course, my wonderfully supportive extended family traveled to Columbia to celebrate with me. Since then, I’ve been busy trying to promote CQ while working full time. I’m trying to have the attitude of the tortoise about the book and its promotion; slow and steady wins the race. In early Feb., I joined other Red Letter Press authors to participate in the SC Book Festival. I spoke at the SC State Library’s Center for the Book in March. That resulted in a podcast and YouTube clips. I also spent time throughout the summer recording the book at SC Talking Book Services so other readers who are blind can listen to it. A local TV station did a piece on that, which ran in early October. That was pretty exciting. I’ve also spoken to a couple classes at USC, one at Midlands Tech, Covenant Christian Academy, and the Friends of Lamar Library. I also did a podcast interview for a program called PsychJourney. The Lexington Chronicle and the USC Carolinian ran pieces on me and CQ, as well. More events are planned and in the works. I’ve been at Crossroads Counseling for 4.5 years now. I enjoy positive relationships with my colleagues there and with my boss and her husband and am so thankful for them. They’ve all been wonderfully supportive about my book, as well. Lately, I’m really enjoying the adolescent girls I work with. Relationship stuff continues to be what’s most interesting to me. I received an unexpected raise several months ago and they decided to pay for various continuing education workshops and even licensure renewal fees this year. These gestures make me confident that, despite the way the economy is, my workplace is financially stable and my job is secure. I gave a professional presentation at a local psychiatric hospital in May. I’m told about 65 mental health professionals were there. I was recently asked to do another one at the same place in January. I hope to have other opportunities to speak about counseling related topics. Same for doing more counseling related writing. Maggie turned 12 this summer. We celebrated 10 years together around the same time. I’m so blessed to still have her healthy and happy. Her guide work is still good and she is of the firm belief that everyone who comes to Crossroads pays money and schedules appointments just to see her. I was concerned that she would need cataract surgery earlier this year, but the vet ophthalmologist said she doesn’t. He was great with us and didn’t even charge me for the visit because she’s a service dog. She takes a glucosamin supplement, which works great to keep her joints from getting stiff. I have to give her meds for allergies sometimes and an occasional antiinflamatory if she’s been playing too much and has sore joints or muscles. Otherwise, she’s doing great. Family is good. A tornado did massive damage to my grandparents’ neighborhood and surrounding areas in May. Fortunately, damage to their home was minimal but there was plenty of general destruction. Mom says the area looks very different now. My Mom is doing great in nursing school. She comes to visit pretty often and went to Philadelphia with me in October for my friend Lindy’s wedding. Dad spent a lot of time this year helping my Grandma, who took another bad fall in the spring. She’s doing a lot better now, thankfully. Dad has also discovered the joys of the Internet and shares his opinions on comment sections and forums related to current event topics he feels strongly about. I think he sends the occasional letter to government officials, too. My sister is up to her nose in children between hers, the ones she babysits, and the ones at the daycare where she works. Rodney says his automotive repair business is going well. He’s been hunting a lot (along with Chandler) and making some killer deer jerkey. Darren found/rescued a tiny black Chihuahua a few months ago and she has been his shadow and protector ever since. Chandler started middle school this year and is taller than me now. Kristy is in kindergarten and excited about reading. She still comes up to my place with Mom occasionally for a “girls night.” We’re still BFF. Being their aunt is still one of my favorite things on earth. I hope these holiday greetings find you well. I wish you and your family a peaceful Christmas season and many good things in 2010. Tags: christmas
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About a month or so ago, I was asked if I would take the time to read and review a novel soon to be released by Red Letter Press called "Merrimen's Second Chance." I did and my blurb was selected for use in the book. The author, Wilmot Irvin, wrote me a very kind note of appreciation and sent me a copy of the book, as well. I'm honored that my comments were included and appreciate the publicity for Carmella's Quest. Here's what I said: "Merrimen is a well-written novel that explores such timely subjects as morality, power, and ethics. The plot involves professional rise and fall, racial issues, women who stand by their fallible husbands, men who strive for career success, and court room drama so popular in today's fiction and television. Its a hard book to put down, a thought-provoking read, and another quality edition to the diverse collection of writing published by Red Letter Press." So, since I write blurbs about books now, apparently, I've recently read a couple worth mentioning. The first one is Shelf Life: Romance, Mystery, Drama, and Other Page-Turning Adventures from a Year in a Bookstore by Suzanne Strempek Shea. This is the author's memoir about the year she spent working at a friend's book store while recovering from breast cancer. She's written several novels, and in addition to talking about the various goings on with employees and customers at the store, she talks about book promotion and tours for her own writings. The book was a pretty light read and I enjoyed it both as an author and as someone who loves books. Its not tremendously exciting so not a "page turner" in the usual sense, but I found it enjoyable and entertaining. I read this book on cassette through National Library Service for the Blind. The other was Behind the Stories: Christian Novelists Reveal the Heart in the Art of Their Writing by Diane Eble. I don't read much Christian fiction anymore, but was interested in these authors' stories of how they became interested in writing, influences, finding inspiration, and tips on being a successful writer. I learned about important events in their lives, as well, and that was really interesting. I was familiar with a few of those profiled, had heard of others, and completely unfamiliar with many of them. Christian fiction has become a booming genre in the past few years since I was into it in high school. My faith does influence my writing and my thoughts on why and how I write so it was relevant to me from that perspective. It was an easy read, as each brief author profile read like a human interest article with quotes and biographical information, etc. Enjoyable, inspiring, and an easy read. I downloaded this book from bookshare.org. Two cool websites I've also been enjoying recently are where you can read tons of older fiction through this website, a chapter at a time. I read Jane eyre for the first time, as well as becoming more familiar with novels by the Bronte sisters. Fun site. I am signed up for several email book clubs through Every business day of the week, subscribers receive excerpts from a book in the body of an email message. Each day contains maybe about five minutes worth of reading. By Friday, you have the first 17 to 23 pages or so of the book. Categories include mystery, religious, fiction, nonfiction, horror, teen, business, and several others. Of course, the nonfiction category includes memoirs (my favorite), but other types of nonfiction are included, as well. Its fun and an easy way to be exposed to lots of books. Very neat. Current Mood:  blah
Current Music: King of the Hill re runs
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October was a pretty busy month for me. Mom, Maggie, and I flew to Philadelphia for my friend Lindy's wedding, which took place at a beautiful renovated barn on Oct. 10. We had fun, though there wasn't time to do much sight seeing. The biggest challenge we faced was finding a patch of grass so Maggie could pee. We missed our connecting flight in Atlanta on the way there, but were able to catch a plane leaving a couple hours later so that all worked out. I haven't flown since our last trip to NM so was glad Mom didn't have classes Friday and could go with us. She's fun to travel with and I was glad for the company. Congratulations to Lindy and Steve! Their "God did all this" love story makes me a little nauseous, but in a good way, not in that "trying to eat an egg McMuffin and almost threw up because I hate eggs" kind of way. For some reason, about a week ago, I decided to see if I really still had such a strong reaction to them. I have hated eggs and gagged over them since childhood, but thought maybe that was a thing of the past. The result of that experiment was almost egg McPuke all over the desk in my office. So guess what? I still can't eat eggs in any form in which I can smell them, taste them, or experience their weird rubbery texture. But I digress in a major way. It was a beautiful and joyful wedding and I'm honored to have been invited and to have been asked to toast. I didn't know Lindy when I was at North Greenville, so she's not in Carmella's Quest. She'll be in the sequel, though. Lindy was roommate and friend to me and my yellow sidekick my last semester of college and my first semester of graduate school. I've never met anyone easier to get along with and we had a lot of fun. Over the years since then, Dad has asked me on several occasions if I couldn't convince Lindy to come back and room with me again. I said I didn't think so and that seems pretty for sure now. Hopefully, she won't have to change roommates again in this lifetime. No huge developments as far as new CQ stuff, though I did have to ask Bob to drop off another box of books. The last of the ones I had were bought out by the Friends of Lamar Library and my Great Aunt Bett. The last book I had left went to my friend and colleague Richard Greenfield, who always makes Fridays a little brighter with his kindness and encouragement. I'm taking orders for the holidays if folks want to give autographed copies to loved ones so expect this box to have a pretty good dent in it shortly. I'm working on an article about the colaboration with the SC State Library Talking Book Services that I'm going to submit to one of the national blindness related magazines. I've also been posting in comment sections on various blogs that discuss memoirs and writing to increase the web presence for me and CQ. I'm in communication with the media specialists for Clinton High School and the Spartenburg School for the Deaf and Blind, as well as a local Catholic school, about speaking to their students. Three different people from the Spartenburg school have approached me so its high time I got there. Clinton HS already bought 10 copies that I know about. I was planning to speak there at the end of October but needed to reschedule due to conflicting birthday plans that took me to Greenville for a few days of R&R with Bryan. We're trying to decide on a date in Feb or March. I enjoyed my time in Greenville. I really do love the upstate and am sometimes tempted to move back there. It just feels cleaner and the weather is great and its so quiet. I have several friends there and used to go up more often to visit my friend Trent. North Greenville friends are still in the area, as well, including Tim's parents and Lynn. I turned 33 in the company of someone who has been a special part of my life for many years. I celebrated my 19th birthday with Bryan way back in 1995 and was glad to get to do so again this year. Lover of gadgets that he is, he got me my very own Sonicare electric toothbrush. He has one and Erik had one and I've been saying I wanted one for myself. He said he knew I wouldn't get one for myself so now I get to think about him every time I brush my teeth. That means at least once every couple days. Just kidding. I actually just went to the dentist for a cleaning and am maintaining the "no cavity" run I've been having since I was nine. I celebrated with my family last weekend. My niece/BFF has an October birthday also and we celebrate them together when we can. I spent the weekend at their house on her actual birthday so Oct. has involved a lot of traveling for me. This blog has been in existence for almost a year now. I'm glad about that. Its been an interesting year. Tags: cq updates
Current Mood:  calm
Current Music: Andy Griffith
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My guide dog Maggie (yellow Lab) recently celebrated her twelth birthday. It seems only right to spend a few minutes describing the impact she's had on my life during the ten years she's been with me and to appreciate her for the wonderful helper and friend she is. To say that I love this dog and that my life has been so much better because of her seems like such an understatement. She's been beside me through so many life transitions, relationships, and milestones, and has lead me, made me laugh, snuggled with me, given me a reason to get out of the house, and broken plenty of ice for me in her day as the more outgoing of the two in this team. She's helped me to become the independent and dignified adult I've wanted to be. Since we were matched in 1999, here is a list of some of the things Maggie has been beside me to experience. She has borne witness to so many important events and seen me laugh and cry and struggle and succeed and everything in between. If she could talk or had thumbs, she could spill all kinds of stories about me. I doubt that she would, though, even if she were able to. She's just my good friend like that. Last semester of college/dorm life and college graduation Trips to Pawley's Island during the year and however months I spent in and out of a relationship with a man who lived there. These trips included romps on the beach, and learning to use a dog door (That took months!) She loves the beach, though. First apartment with college roommate Lindy and a cat named Yuffy Graduate school and roaming all around USC, especially the horseshoe and Russell House area of campus. The time I needed her most as a guide was probably throughout the several years I spent in graduate school and we got through that together. Moving into our own apartment in 2003 My horrible year of unemployment and licensure exams Everything that happened with Jason, including the several places he lived, his trial, and visits to Lee. Those two were crazy about each other! The four years I've been counseling at Crossroads Trips to and from NM to visit the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with, including an afternoon of playing in the snow. (2008) The publication and promotion of Carmella's Quest, including in the recording studio She's been with me as my sister's kids have grown up and for so many family occasions She's seen various friends and several boyfriend relationships through from start to finish That's so much major stuff in my life, from college student to successful professional and grown up. She has been tremendously devoted and loyal to me all these years and I've never doubted for a second that I was her favorite person on earth. Now, lest I sound overly sentimental or sappy,she is not perfect. She is a dog. She doesn't fly around with angel wings on and is not a human child or a robot or a traffic light reading "Hang on and I'll get you to Wal-Mart" genius creature. I chose to work with a dog and any number of dogs could have traveled this journey with me. I could have done it without a dog. But, for the last 10 years of my life, Maggie has been beside me on my journey. I'm so glad that, of all the dogs I could have worked with during this time, its been her. She has done that as herself, though, and deserves props for that. I wouldn't want her to be anything other than exactly who and what she is. That means she gets distracted at times, plays up that ditsy blond thing, and can be just plain naughty occasionally. That's especially true if she sees another dog. Sometimes, she barks too much. Oh, and she sheds. There's a cloud of yellow hair that follows me everywhere I go. And anyone who knows her will attest to the fact that her breath is bad. Very bad. She's scared of cats and acts ridiculous when she sees a cat. She's also quite opinionated at both home and work if she's bored or tired or unhappy with what she's having to do. She has a lot of personality. I thank God for her every day. Her health remains good. I just found out she doesn't need cataract surgery, and the supplement we added for joint stiffness a year ago has been a tremendous help. Other than some problems with allergies, a period of stomach issues, and a couple of ear infections, she's been very healthy. I'm pretty amazed at how well she's doing and people comment all the time about how she doesn't seem as old as she is. I'm so blessed to have her still with me and still working kind of in semi retired mode. I don't make her walk long distances in the heat or do stressful sorts of tasks very often, but she does still work and she still does her job well. She doesn't always move as fast as she used to, especially during the ridiculous summer heat we have here in SC, but she has always slowed down some during the summer. Some people say they think their older dogs are still working out of obligation. I don't get that sense with Maggie. She continues to enjoy the work, from what I can tell, and likes to get out and about. She's such an extrovert. I'm perfectly content to stay in on the weekends and she gets so bored. This dog really loves going places, seeing and being seen, and interacting with people. That girl can work it when it comes to navigating some obstacles and seems to especially love doing that sort of work. She still does street crossings, obstacle work, and the various other tasks of being a guide dog with professionalism and accuracy. She did a great job in the airports last year during our travels back and forth to NM. She enjoys attention and winning friends and influencing people. She would have made a great blond naked politician. What she does most these days is kind of similar to that, I suppose. She serves as a wonderful co therapist in my counseling work. She really brightens up the office for my colleagues and clients, and my colleagues' clients. Maggie considers herself the official Crossroads greeting committee and is fully convinced everyone who comes there is scheduling by the hour and paying money to get to spend time with her. Sometimes, I think she's exactly right about all that. She does have a devoted fan base and has Mr. Bettis wrapped around her little paw. When I had to retire my first dog at a young age, I was very upset and didn't think I could love another dog the way I loved her. Maggie was the dog I needed, though. As I said in a previous post, Poppy's purpose ultimately was to be with Mom and Maggie was the dog to be beside me through all these transitions. I'm glad. I love her. She's something so special. I hope we have a ffew years left together. Current Mood:  nostalgic
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There was no one I could talk to about these little
frustrations at NGC. I didn’t feel that my sighted friends would
understand, and I didn’t know them well enough yet to be open
about blindness-related struggles. I decided it was time to make a
tape to my friend Dawn, who was also legally blind. Dawn and I
had met and become friends over a year ago at the South Carolina
Commission for the Blind’s Summer Teen Program. Since I wasn’t
good at reading Braille, and she couldn’t read print, we’d begun
corresponding by cassette on a regular basis. Dawn had been born
blind also. Like me, she’d attended “mainstream” schools rather
than a school for the blind. I knew she would understand the
difficulties I was facing.
I pushed my studies aside and spent a few minutes talking
into my hand-held tape recorder, relating all the experiences I’d
had during my first week of college. I told her about the lady at the
post office, how the RAs had applauded just because I’d managed
to walk down a flight of steps and unlock a door, how I’d missed
the meeting for voice classes, and the difficulties I was having
reading my professors’ handwriting. It felt good to share thoughts
and feelings with someone who understood my need for
independence and dignity.
From past experience, I knew Dawn would give her honest
opinion on everything I said. She was pretty straightforward when
it came to saying what she thought of a person or situation. I
appreciated that about her. Dawn also valued being self-sufficient.
We had similar philosophies about that. Both of us considered
ourselves smart and capable and didn’t have a lot of patience for
times when blindness, or other people’s attitudes about it, seemed
to be limiting us or slowing us down. I felt better when I finally shut off the tape recorder and
returned to my Western Civ textbook. As I’d expected, it was my
most challenging course. Dr. Hickson had assigned generous
portions of the book to be read and outlined, and I felt
overwhelmed by the amount of reading material. I knew I wasn’t covering material fast
enough and began to worry about falling behind. But I had no
intention of asking for extra time or help. I was determined to keep
up with my classmates and meet the same standards they met. If I
wanted to receive a college education, I would do it just as the
others did, and if that meant working twice as hard, I was prepared
to do so. On Wednesday afternoon, I walked over to the library with
Robin, a friend from French class. We were going to have copies
made of the tapes needed to complete our workbooks and work
through one of the lessons together. We went back to my room so I
could use the CCTV and spent a boring half hour filling in blanks
and translating simple French sentences spoken by the people on
the tapes. After we finished, we went to the cafeteria to get ice-cream
cones and walked around campus as we ate them. We’d been
laughing and talking about nothing in particular for a while when
Robin suddenly grew more serious. “You know, Carmella,” she said. “I don’t think of you as
being different from anyone else around here. I mean, you get
around campus and do your work as well as the rest of us.” I was glad to hear her say that. It meant a lot to me that I
was being accepted as a person. This was the goal I was working
so hard to achieve. For me, the most difficult thing about being
visually impaired was facing the inability of sighted people to look
past my blindness and get to know me on a deeper level. I hoped
that others were beginning to feel as Robin did. I’d received a variety of questions and comments about my
sight loss over the past week and a half. Most of the conversations
I had about it were similar to the one I’d had with Kelly the day we
met. People wanted to know about the CCTV, what had happened
to my eyes, how much I could see, and how I knew who people
were. Others came up with more interesting inquiries and remarks. “Are you angry at the doctors for not being able to fix your
eyes?” someone asked. “Angry?” I echoed in surprise. “No, they did the best they
could for me. They kept me alive, and I didn’t lose all of my sight.
They just didn’t know what they know today about preventing that
from happening.” It had never occurred to me to be upset with the medical
professionals involved in my earliest days. I could’ve had
problems that, in my opinion, would’ve been much worse than
blindness. I could’ve suffered brain damage, or developed cerebral
palsy or a number of other physical or mental disabilities. I wasn’t
thrilled to be blind, of course, but I could think of plenty of things
that were worse. “I wasn’t sure about coming here to college,” one girl told
me. “I mean, I’m not really smart, and I don’t like to study. Then I
saw you here and thought: If that blind girl can do it, anyone can.” I wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or not,
but I chose to assume she meant it in a positive way. I was very open to educating others about my visual
limitations and blindness in general. As long as someone
approached the subject in a respectful manner, I was more than
willing to give them honest answers. I would rather they had
accurate information than speculate about how I, or any other blind
person, coped with the problems associated with sight loss Wednesday night, a group of girls from my hall, along with
several other people, decided to go out to dinner. Tim, being from
the area, was called upon to recommend and lead us to a good
restaurant. As we stood in the parking lot next to my dorm
deciding who was going to ride with whom, someone came up
behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s Scott. Are you driving?” “I sure am,” I said. “My parents bought me a new car
before I came up here, and I wanted to show it off. You can ride
with me if you have good life insurance and promise to buckle up.” “Okay,” he said amiably. “I love to live dangerously and
I’m covered.” “There’s a difference between living dangerously and being
suicidal,” I reminded him. “Not much,” he said. Coming up beside me, Tim interrupted, “Are you riding
with me?” We had a good time that evening. Tim was quite a
gentleman. He opened doors for me and was my sighted guide into
and out of the restaurant. That was one good thing about being
visually impaired, I thought. It gave me an excuse to walk around
on a man’s arm.
Tags: excerpts
Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: South Park. "I see dead celebrities."
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Here is the piece on Carmella's Quest that ran on WLTX (local CBS affiliate) on Oct 1.
And here is the press release I wrote which Curtis Rogers (SC State Library) circulated to his local media contacts. This resulted in Ashleigh Walters from WLTX contacting us and doing this story.
For Immediate Release Blind Midlands Author Records Own Memoir At SC State Library Columbia SC, July 27, 2009. Midlands resident Carmella Broome and the Talking Book Services division of the SC State Library will soon be completing the recording of Ms. Broome’s memoir. Carmella’s Quest: Taking On College Sight Unseen is published by Red Letter Press of Columbia and was released in standard print in Feb of 2009. During the past several months, Ms. Broome has spent time reading her book aloud into the State Library’s digital recording equipment so that others who are blind can enjoy it. Ms. Broome does this using her lap top and a computer program that converts text to speech . “I knew TBS volunteers recorded SC related books there at the library,” Carmella said. She decided it might be an interesting challenge to narrate her own book. “Its neat to hear a book read by the person who wrote it,” she says. “That’s especially true of memoirs. I knew I had a way to read it myself and really wanted to do that. Chris was open to us giving it a shot and I think it worked out really well.” Carmella, her lap top, and her Seeing Eye dog Maggie squeeze into a soundproof booth while TBS’s Christopher Yates operates the digital equipment to capture Carmella’s voice. Mr. Yates says he doesn’t know of any other blind author who has done anything like this. Carmella has the text of her book in a notepad file and figured out which margins and rate of speech worked best for her as she moved through the text line by line. She speaks the words as her computer speaks them to her. She wears an ear piece that allows her to hear what the computer is saying without the recording equipment picking up the robotic speech. Instead, the equipment records the author herself reading her own book. If she stumbles over words or doesn’t like the way she reads something, Carmella simply pauses and then rereads the sentence again. “Reading this way takes a little more concentration,” Carmella admits, “but we had a lot of fun making the recording. I can’t wait to hear the finished product.” After Carmella completed reading the book, Mr. Yates edited the recordings. Ms. Broome and Mr. Yates will soon record a few final edits and put the finishing touches on the recording. It will then be made available to TBS patrons across SC and to NLS libraries around the country. Carmella’s Quest describes the author’s first year at North Greenville College in upstate SC in the mid90s. Carmella talks about her friendships and romantic relationships, academic stresses and successes, and the unique challenges of being the only legally blind student on campus. The book is available through Red Letter Press RedLetterPress@Gmail.com. The author can be contacted at CarmellasQuest@hotmail.com. Tags: cq updates
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carmellasquest's journal
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