Blindfold Walk

I can’t remember the last time I wore a blindfold. It was probably years ago and involved some sort of spinning around and around before swinging at a fixed object hanging above my head.
This past Thursday I donned a blindfold again, but this time it wasn’t in search of sugary treats and mystery prizes. This time I was in search of perspective – a chance to walk in the footsteps of a visually impaired person – just for a few minutes.
Under the direction of Fidelco trainer Tommy Mourad and the guidance of Frisco, a German shepherd guide dog, I set off on a walk through a mock obstacle course. Standing level with Frisco’s front paws and holding onto the harness with my left hand I embarked on a path of discovery and a journey of trust. Since I couldn’t see anything, I had no choice but to invest 100% trust in the successful completion of the obstacle course in my newly found four-legged friend.
I consider myself a pretty fast walker, thanks to many of shifts in the restaurant business, but once I took my first few steps with a blindfold on my pace severely decreased. As much as my mind wanted to trust Frisco’s ability my body was saying, “let’s take it slow!”
Frisco maintained a steady pace as he steered me around obstacles in the middle of our path. And then he stopped – on purpose. Frisco and all other Fidelco dogs are trained to stop when they reach an obstacle that could be dangerous and/or be a cause for a change of direction. In my case we had come to a narrow pathway.
The space was big enough for Frisco to freely pass through but not for the both of us at one time and he recognized this so he stopped. Tommy instructed me that once the dog had stopped I was to investigate the area to determine the issue by using my left foot. If feeling around with my left food didn’t reveal the problem, I was to reach out with my hand. After determining that two cones in the walkway had created a narrow pathway, Frisco knew to take the lead so we could both freely fit. Tommy explained how the dogs are trained to compensate for extra clearance room when they have their harness on which signifies they are working. To continue on I said Frisco’s name, the word forward and motioned forward with me right hand and we proceeded.
Frisco would make a few other stops along the path whenever he came to other obstacles and changes in terrain such as curbs or even the seams on level ground of the pavement and the sidewalk.
In the end we successfully completed the course, a bit slower than my normal pace, but with a new found perspective for the visually impaired and appreciation for all the work that goes into raising, training and trusting a Fidelco guide dog. I can’t begin to comprehend what life would be without my sight, but knowing that there is an organization like Fidelco to offer assistance to those in need is warming and reassuring.
www.fidelco.org