And so it begins. Many times I have considered a blogging/journaling exercise such as this, but the practice, until present day, has seemed both challenging and uninteresting. Quite frankly, I didn't see the point in providing the whole wide internet access to the things I have seen, done, read, experienced or what have you. And, as I write this very paragraph, I am inclined to reflect on my motivation for this yet again. Perhaps for your entertainment, because in actuality, my day to day experiences are rather amusing. Maybe to educate, and shed some light so those of you who witness some of these stories in the future can intervene, or use something you may have learned to provide insight on an otherwise poorly executed human interaction. Whatever my motive for writing, and whatever yours for reading, enjoy. I do warn you of two things before we can move on:

1: I will likely offend some of you who read this. If I do, I'm not sorry. I lack a filter and you've been warned.

2: The saga that you will witness unfold if you so chose is both weird and complicated. At times you'll be confused. There are few on this planet who can truly comprehend my thoughts as I do not articulate them all that well. If you find yourself confused, take comfort you're not likely to be the only one. That being said, I will not be much help to you. So I would encourage you to seek out a translator if you find yourself too unsure.



Some of you are likely to be wondering about my title selection, and are probably confused on several fronts. Those of you who do know me, will immediately recognize the Scruffy Mutt, my canine sidekick who experiences all things with me. For those of you who stumbled into this mess, or have been too afraid to ask since we've been friends for two decades, she's my guide dog. She's a mix of all things wonderful. I adopted her this year and trained her as a guide dog myself. She is not the traditional "Seeing Eye Dog" or whatever, but she does her job and I like the way she does it just fine. (usually).

Even more of you are probably perplexed by the term "blinker". Valid. A blinker is defined as someone who is totally blind or has a low visual acuity. It's a word adopted by the visually impaired community in the US to refer to someone with little or no vision. I'm one of these. I don't' see all that great. I can't see faces (at least, not in any way that is socially acceptable), small printed words, or anything more then five feet from my face. I have albinism and I am sensitive in excess to light, sun etc. I could explain forever but the basics are that I don't see much. (also, I tend to respond violently if you ask me to count how many fingers you are holding up, or if you wave your hand repeatedly in my face to see if I can tell. You've been warned. )

Myself and my Scruffy Mutt navigate this very visually oriented world together. We work in both a college setting, and primarily, with a program providing services to domestic and sexual violence victims. The work we do is hectic and busy, but worth every second. We work odd hours, and find ourselves facing regularly unusual circumstances , particularly as we adjust ourselves to the recent location change at work. You will read about all of our journeys, experiences, and regular life adventures. You will read about our friends, both two legged and four, and probably also some of our enemies. Those nearest and dearest, to souls we know nothing of, will find their way within these lines.

It is often said that you have to walk a mile in someone's shoes to understand them and their lives. But I think that there is more to be learned not from taking on another's role, or even just observing, but by joining in that journey and taking it side by side. If you assume that role you are still thinking like you, and if you watch, it's just like another bad reality show. But if you join in the journey, and move forward together, you can develop an understanding and a unity unlike any other. So, if you are curious, intrigued, bored, culturally incompetent, or simply a long lost friend, journey with us. And witness as the saga unfolds....