Ask a New Yorker: I just came to pick up my new friend Karen Gray. Where did
we meet?
Karen: We met on the 7 train when you kindly offered me some assistance.
Ask a New Yorker: How did that work out?
Karen: I don’t know, but it did!
Ask a New Yorker: Where are we headed?
Karen: We’re going to a new Thai restaurant in the area, Yum Yum.
Ask a New Yorker: Yes, a lovely place here in our neighborhood in Sunnyside.
We’re rolling.
Karen: Are you taping?
Ask a New Yorker: I am.
Karen: You’re not going to play me back. Please don’t. I don’t
like to hear my voice.
Ask a New Yorker: Promise. So what did you do today?
Karen: I did my volunteer work today from 12-3. I volunteer as a receptionist
for this building for the blind. What did I do? I answered phones and greeted
people when they came in.
Ask a New Yorker: I love the necklace.
Karen: Someone gave this to me and the bracelet. It’s an African handmade
necklace. They’re cowrie shells.
Ask a New Yorker: Cowrie?
Karen: Yes, C.O.W.R.I.E
Ask a New Yorker: Are you a good speller?
Karen: Yes. I love words. Love words. You have to use your spell check in your
computer?
Ask a New Yorker: Exactly.
Karen: I never use it. And I don’t like it. I don’t like computers.
Don’t like them, wish they were never were invented.
Ask a New Yorker: I just ordered the Thai ice tea, have a taste.
Karen: It’s got a chocolate taste. Maybe cinnamon. It’s nice.
Ask a New Yorker: I’m in a prayful-thinking mode. I’m lucky I met
you.
Karen: I thought you forgot about me because I didn’t hear from you. I
said to myself, “he forgot about me”.
Ask a New Yorker: I hope you don’t mind me being straightforward.
Karen: Sure.
Ask a New Yorker: How long have you been blind?
Karen: Forever. That made it easier. I didn’t have to adjust. That was
just life.
Ask a New Yorker: You must have an amazing imagination. Can you imagine a rainbow?
Karen: Colors. I never saw colors. You can’t imagine something you’ve
never experienced. I’ve never seen light so how would I know what a color
is? I mean I know what they are by name, but that’s it.
Ask a New Yorker: So dreaming while sleeping. How does that work?
Karen: I don’t dream visually. It’s sounds and things like that.
You can’t dream in ways that you have not had. It wouldn’t work.
It’s like a deaf person, they don’t know what sound is. So they
would dream visually probably.
Ask a New Yorker: What would you like a sighted community know about the blind
community?
Karen: Well, first of all you never grab anyone by the arm. You let them take
your arm. That’s the first thing. A lot of us have that complaint.
Ask a New Yorker: People will just grab you?
Karen: Yea, that’s not the way to do it. They should think about if they
would want to be grabbed, especially by a stranger. Probably not! Also, give
us a fair chance in the job market. That’s definitely not done. We all
say that, a lot of us say that. They don’t want to hire you. I was lucky
I got to work, because it was with the government. Private industry, no. You
can’t force them. The ADA law is not real. Most of us don’t work
at all, a very small percentage are able to get jobs.
Ask a New Yorker: How would you describe New Yorkers in terms of being helpful?
Karen: The ones that speak English are O.K. The ones that don’t, they
don’t bother. I’ve tried that and they get you lost. They don’t
even know where they’re going themselves. I really don’t waste my
time.
Ask a New Yorker: Obviously you read braille.
Karen: Of course. But there is not much in braille anymore because it’s
very expensive to produce. It’s very big. The braille population has changed
now. It’s older people getting blind, people with diabetes who don’t
want to learn braille-recorded things, which I don’t like.
Ask a New Yorker: Have you read a book recently in braille?
Karen: No, there really aren’t many now. That’s what I’m telling
you.
Ask a New Yorker: Most restaurants do not have braille menus.
Karen: They should, but very few do, only ones that are near a blind agency
or something like that.
Ask a New Yorker: What kind of music do you like?
Karen: I like jazz and the blues. I like old jazz. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Eckstein
people like that. Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole.
Ask a New Yorker: Have you been following the news lately? Lot of stuff happening.
Karen: I’m not a news person not much. So much of it is depressing. I’m
not a political person. I’m very glad we got our first African American
president, though. That’s very great to me. I always thought it would
never happen in my lifetime. I think he’s trying his best.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s the likelihood of having a woman president in
our lifetime?
Karen: Well, if we could have a black one I guess we can have a female one.
I hope! But I don’t know anyone…not Sarah Palin. Not that one. I
think women could do as well as a man.
Ask a New Yorker: Another straightforward question: If you had the ability to
see…
Karen: I don’t think I want it right now. I think I’m fine. I wouldn’t
want to have to adjust to a whole new way of life. The only thing I would want
to know is colors because I like clothes. It would be just as big of an adjustment
as someone losing their site. It would be the same thing. I know no one thinks
that.
Ask a New Yorker: How long have you lived in Sunnyside?
Karen: Almost 19 years. There’s really not much around. There are no stores.
No supermarkets. Everything is on the other side of Queens Blvd.
Ask a New Yorker: How does the food taste?
Karen: Delicious. I knew it would. This is what I’ve had. This is delicious,
vegetables with coconut milk.
Ask a New Yorker: What did you have for breakfast?
Karen: Strawberries, and in the winter I have pineapple. I don’t eat a
big breakfast. The strawberries are not too sweet yet, too early in the season.
Who knows, they may spray them to look red.
Ask a New Yorker: What else can you share?
Karen: I’m a morning person, 5:30 or 6:00 wake up time.
Ask a New Yorker: I think we did it. This was great. I love meeting new people.
Thank you, Karen. It was a real pleasure meeting you again.
As we are walking towards Karen’s home…
Ask a New Yorker: Do you have a favorite flower?
Karen: Gardenia.
Ask a New Yorker: Me too! That’s my favorite too. Love the scent. Beautiful.
