Off The Beaten Path Episode Three- Krista Webb

Today I welcome blind wood burning artist, Krista Webb to the Off The Beaten Path studio. Krista has Usher's syndrome and is a huge advocate of staying in the game. We talked about her life as an artist, family life and her time as a young athlete. I know you will find her story inspirational!
 
Krista is 37 years old and is a wife of 16 years, mother of 2 boys who are 10 and 12, and a wood burning artist. Krista has Usher syndrome which is hearing loss and vision loss through Retinitis Pigmentosa. Krista has been using her white cane for as long as she discovered wood burning art since 2019. It’s been a journey building a relationship and feeling the pride she currently has with her white cane. Krista uses her Instagram sharing her wood burning art, educating the world that blindness is a spectrum, and simply connecting with other low vision / blind people globally.

To see Krista's wood burning art follow her on instagram by clicking the link below:
http://www.instagram.com/blindlove.woodburning

Thanks for listening! Off The Beaten Path is brought to you by Dave Epstein and Awarewolf Gear, makers of the All Terrain Cane and the Urban Xplorer. To purchase a cane or find out more visit https://awarewolfgear.com/awghome

Join our community!
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from Sedona Dave and Awarewolf Gear: https://awarewolfgear.com/signup

Follow us on Social!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awarewolfgear/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Awarewolfgear

Transcript

00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:45.000
Hey, everyone, Sedona, Dave here, and this is off the beaten path.

00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:48.000
In the studio with me today is crystal web.

00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:58.000
Krista is an amazing wood burning artist. She's 37 years old, is a wife of 16 years, and a mother of 2 boys, age 10 and 12.

00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:05.000
Krista has usher syndrome, which is hearing loss and vision loss through retinitis, pigmentosa.

00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.000
Chris has been using our white cane for as long as she discovered wood burning.

00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:12.000
Since 2,019.

00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.000
It's been a journey building relationship.

00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:18.000
And feeling the pride she currently has with her white cane.

00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:25.000
Krista uses her Instagram to share her wood, burning art, to educate the world, that blindness is a spectrum.

00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:30.000
And to simply connect with other low vision and blind people globally.

00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:38.000
Krista was also a speaker at the hero for sight event this year, with sight savers in Alabama.

00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.000
Krista.

00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.000
Welcome aboard!

00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.000
Thank you. I'm happy to be here.

00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.000
Great great to have you here we met.

00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:48.000
On the trail.

00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:57.000
About a year ago you came on out to Sedona with your us moms. Great group, great group of people.

00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:02.000
Those really my 1st immersion into a group.

00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.000
Of ushers, and and I've got Rp.

00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:09.000
And and just. It was very interesting for me to learn.

00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:19.000
Different element of rp, so so your group really brought a lot to my awareness.

00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:29.000
You're an amazing artist. You presented to me on that weekend a gorgeous plaque of your of your art, of your wares.

00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:33.000
No beautiful gear plaque.

00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.000
I'm dying to know it all. So, Krista, please.

00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.000
Who's Krista? And how did you get to be so awesome.

00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:57.000
Yeah, hey? My name is Krista, and it was awesome meeting with you, Dave, last year on the trail. And yeah, it was quite an experience doing this hike in a group of people who have a sure syndrome.

00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:27.000
So it was a bit challenging, but in the end it was rewarding, and thanks to you for being a great guide, and we had a blast, for sure, as you know, I have ushers syndrome. I was diagnosed with that condition. Age 19. I am 37 right now.

00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:32.000
Yes, it is.

00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:47.000
So I have been driving until I stopped driving. That's 1 of the 1st symptoms to rpm, so yeah, I stopped night driving to my mid 20, and that was extremely hard to accept, because I think it was reality that it was hitting me. Oh, wow! You really do have this condition, and then fast forward to age 31.

00:09:47.000 --> 00:10:01.000
That's when I hung up my driving keys, and I was relieved. I didn't have to worry about hitting anybody or or being in that kind of situation. And and then, soon after that, maybe a couple years later.

00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:20.000
That's when, as you stated earlier, I started building a relationship with using a white cane, and that kind of gave me that source of freedom to get out and about and navigate this world that we're in.

00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:21.000
Interesting.

00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:22.000
Yeah.

00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.000
You mentioned that that you.

00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:31.000
Experience night, blindness or difficulty, seeing at night 1st my experience as well.

00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:32.000
When did?

00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:50.000
The hearing loss kick in was that before or after you noticed, the vision issues.

00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:51.000
With 2 kids.

00:10:51.000 --> 00:11:02.000
So right away. I was 2 years old when I started wearing aids, so I do wear hearing aids in both ears, and I'm deaf without them, which is quite frankly nice. I do like having the quiet and peep when I when I want them. I do live in a household of boys. So it is half the time the boys they recognize when I'm not responding. Oh, she must have her hearing aids on mute.

00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:03.000
Yes.

00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:04.000
Well, mom, trick, mom.

00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.000
I know.

00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:08.000
Nice.

00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:15.000
It's great. I love it. But visualize that. That didn't happen till later on, and that was pretty hard whole different ballpark.

00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.000
I bet, and and and having to.

00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:20.000
Acknowledge the vision, loss.

00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:25.000
Giving up the keys to driving at honestly, compared to me, an early age.

00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:30.000
That must have been very difficult, because I you just getting your freedom.

00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:31.000
And then.

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:34.000
And you know that must have been hard.

00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:36.000
Transition.

00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.000
For sure.

00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:58.000
It's definitely really hard. And I think we all go through some sort of journey when we are diagnosed with a condition, and we go through that denial. We go through that grieving phase, and it's a whole roller coaster ride just our emotion, our up and down, up and down, and figuring out how to get through this.

00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:59.000
Yes, yes.

00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:00.000
Yeah.

00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.000
Advocacy, asking for help.

00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:10.000
They're not. They're not our 1st go to. Myself. I try to pride myself in being more or less independent.

00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:13.000
And yet asking for help is such an easier way to go.

00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:25.000
Yes.

00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:26.000
Done.

00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:41.000
Oh, yeah, I I have learned over the years to ask for help, and it makes a big difference. And you know what it makes them feel good when we ask for help. It makes them feel good. Hey, I yeah. It makes their day, because maybe they're not having a good day, or they feel like they're not making a difference in this world, and when they can simply help us cross the street safely or give us a ride to.

00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:52.000
This destination or give us some verbal direction. Something like that. Okay, hey? I just made a I just made a difference for this person. I just helped them out.

00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.000
That's a.

00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.000
We need more of that. We need more kindness.

00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:58.000
That's that's an amazing, really good point. I.

00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:04.000
I want to pick that open a little bit more.

00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.000
People, asking for.

00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:13.000
Let me help you. There's a spectrum on that, you know, grabbing your shoulder. Let me help versus may I help.

00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:17.000
I'm here to help when they're offering the assistance.

00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:22.000
I try to go through life really with a path of least resistance.

00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:23.000
Mentality.

00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:36.000
And if I got it you know what I appreciate help. But I got it. But at some point yesterday, walking the dog, for example, guys back of his driveway, and he stops and it's like, No, you go and like, No, no, you go. And we're doing that dance.

00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.000
And finally, like, you know what.

00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.000
We'll go.

00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:45.000
And as we pass by the back of a truck, thank you very much.

00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:48.000
Sometimes it's just easier, I find, to take the help.

00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:52.000
And a and you're absolutely right. They.

00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:54.000
Want to.

00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.000
Be of assistance.

00:13:55.000 --> 00:14:01.000
And and if you I find that if I throw their hand away and say You know, please, you know, don't grab and growl.

00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:02.000
Yeah.

00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:09.000
That's probably last time they're gonna try to offer assistance to a blind person, and that doesn't serve anybody. So.

00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:15.000
Knowing that there's a line between accepting and being independent, I think you bring up an amazing point.

00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.000
What gets us all through the day easier.

00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.000
And with kindness for that.

00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.000
Kindness of yes, thank you for the assistance.

00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:25.000
It's.

00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:45.000
Yeah. And another way, I look at it is, say, if if I responded poorly, no, I don't need your help go away, sort of a thing right? I wouldn't speak to them like that. But then, what if there's another disabled person and they needed help, but then maybe they're afraid they're gonna get barked at. Get yelled at.

00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:47.000
And so.

00:14:47.000 --> 00:15:08.000
That's just kinda giving me perspective there. Okay, you know what? If they wanna help me? It depends on the situation, maybe. But I really appreciate it. I think you know, like you said kind of goes a long ways. And if whether we need it or not, we just. We want kind of to continue to be passed on to the next person. So.

00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:09.000
Yeah.

00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.000
Absolutely.

00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.000
I'm right there with your sister right there.

00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:16.000
Yeah.

00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:17.000
Yeah.

00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:20.000
Dying to get into your wood burning

00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:27.000
Of course I'm I'm a blind guy out here, and my my tongue in cheek philosophy is look at, possibly go wrong.

00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:31.000
And and here's Krista with Rp. And.

00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.000
And hearing issues playing with. I don't know.

00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:40.000
Wood burning irons, you know.

00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.000
Would into a submission.

00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.000
Again, what could possibly go wrong?

00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.000
Right.

00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:51.000
Take us into this? What! You? What were your inspirations, what guided you towards not only art, but.

00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:53.000
Burning things.

00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.000
It's a fascinating

00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:58.000
Medium to work with. So I'm very curious

00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:11.000
Yeah, well, it's it's pretty awesome. I love. I think I take great pride in being.

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.000
Right? What could go wrong?

00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:29.000
Deaf, blind, more particularly blinding artists. Imagine a blind person playing with a fiery pen, and it's kind of fun to talk to people about that, and it definitely raises some eyebrows and and questions. And so I kind of elaborate.

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.000
Almost have.

00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.000
Which you will share. Of course.

00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:58.000
Sure. Sure. Yeah, I thought I, well, I also have a hand a little handheld. Okay, like a little handheld torch. And I'll use my little torch to burn along my wood pieces to give it that vintage look, and so apparently, when I turned it on, there's a lock feature on there. Well, apparently I didn't unlock it, and so the torch was still running without me seeing it running, and.

00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:03.000
And here I'm I the fire alarm goes off of my house and.

00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:16.000
And my kids were in the house. They were younger at that time, and they know protocols from school. You hear the fire alarm, fire alarm you should evacuate. And so that's what they did. They were upstairs, and they left.

00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:21.000
And here I am. I am. They left, and I'm like.

00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:25.000
Something like calm, but I call my husband, who's at work.

00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:27.000
And I'm like.

00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:48.000
There's a fire, but I don't know where the fire is. I smell it. Is it different? Kind of smell? Okay, did a fire. I don't know where it is, and he's like, okay. And so he's probably like 8 min away and and so I hang up. And really I should have called 911.

00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:49.000
And.

00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.000
Right. It's a harder number to remember, of course.

00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:57.000
Yeah, by by then I figured out where the fire was in front of me, but I

00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:27.000
With my tonal vision that I have. I can't see my whole desktop one. So basically, my desk is going on fire. Just a little portion of it with on fire. It was small enough where I could blow it out sort of a thing, and but it did burn some of my you know my wood burning machine wires and burn part of my desk, and and things like that. So since then I invested in a couple of fire extinguisher.

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:32.000
The small cute one. I like that.

00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.000
Okay.

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:44.000
So I have. I have a like a small cute one. It looks like a hairspray really. That kind of gives me that peace of mind. I haven't had to use it yet, but I definitely quadruple check when I play with my handheld torch aside from that.

00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:45.000
Nice nice.

00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:46.000
Wood burning had lit that fire in me unintended.

00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:47.000
They are punished. Yeah.

00:18:47.000 --> 00:19:00.000
Yeah, yeah, it's just 5 years ago this month actually is, when I discovered wood burning and I didn't. I didn't even know wood burning was a thing.

00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.000
Okay.

00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:11.000
And my husband my husband. He does woodworking on the side for fun, so he likes to build things here and there, and he had bought this cheap $10, wood, burning pen.

00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:18.000
And I just I've always been a crafty person. I like to reuse and recycle things, and I wanted.

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:21.000
To

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:38.000
I wanted to put together this little cute with this wood that I found in my husband box, and I asked him, Can you draw a couple lines with your Woodburn pen that he had only used once for this project, and he was busy, so he asked me, he's like.

00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.000
Hey? You do it! You give it a try.

00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:45.000
Oh, okay. So I plug it in like.

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.000
How does this work, this suck.

00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:49.000
It looks. It looks horrible.

00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:54.000
And then I go on Facebook and I type in wood burning.

00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.000
I did wood, burning wood, burning art, or something.

00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:13.000
Join this Facebook group and boom, and all of a sudden became a religion like I was addicted. I needed to learn everything about wood burning. What kind of wood to you? What kind of wood machines are better? Because then I eventually upgraded from that $10.

00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:18.000
Woodburn pen up to like a $300 machine.

00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:19.000
Wow!

00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:37.000
Wow!

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.000
Yep. Check.

00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.000
What a change! But it's also the techniques involved. You go a lot slower. You can control the temperature. What kind of wood to you. Some wood is easier to burn on. The prepping you want to make sure the wood is super smooth, like a baby's bottom. And what? Yeah, what finishes to you, and I know I could.

00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:45.000
Bore you to tears, talking about wood burning, but.

00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:46.000
Hmm.

00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:47.000
Absolutely not. That's why we're here.

00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:51.000
It. It's fascinating I've got. I've got so many questions about.

00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:52.000
Specifically the wood burning.

00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:59.000
Art.

00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:00.000
Look.

00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:09.000
Oh, yeah, yeah. So it started off with soifting is my love language I love to give. And early on we it was like a month or 2 away, until Thanksgiving at my parents.

00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:14.000
And there were maybe I don't know 40 people a family.

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:23.000
And my mom and I. We had brainstorm like, oh, what if I madechange for everybody? But I wouldn't tell who's key.

00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:28.000
It was 4. It was customized with a picture that.

00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:32.000
Oh, my uncle is a big 40 niners fan.

00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:33.000
Okay.

00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.000
That one's oh.

00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:56.000
My dad is. I see, a Seattle Seahawks fan. Oh, she has a husky, her, her dog husky. You know my uncle is a musician, you know my cousin Da, and so what we did. We scattered the kitchen. Everybody had a different kitchen, and they had to figure out who's keychaments for who, and surprisingly, everybody.

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.000
Figured out, oh, after so and so, that's for so and so, and just.

00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:10.000
Just watching them. Huge smile. A couple of them had tears. They just love their personalized keychain, and it just took off.

00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.000
And then, maybe a year later, I.

00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:17.000
And I joined the Instagram World.

00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:21.000
And so I think I've had Instagram for about 4 years now.

00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:26.000
But Instagram. It was a place I just wanted to.

00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:29.000
Share some of my wood, burn pieces right.

00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:36.000
And then all of a sudden, people started following me, and they liked my art. I'm like, Oh.

00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.000
Wow! 20 followers. Holy, moly!

00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:42.000
8.

00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:47.000
And then suddenly, I'm at a hundred followers, and then it's just grown since. And I started connecting with the.

00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:50.000
Burn community, to burn club community.

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.000
Okay.

00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:59.000
Yeah. And then, a year later, that's when I started connecting with the deaf and blind community.

00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:06.000
And that's when I started connecting with people all over the world with low vision, and my mind was just.

00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.000
Was just a.

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:14.000
Let's see, there was so much to learn out there about blindness.

00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000
And disabilities in general.

00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:18.000
Yeah.

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.000
And I did really.

00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.000
And I still am.

00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:25.000
Been learning a lot about.

00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:32.000
How to be a better advocate? How to make a difference to.

00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:37.000
This person or to that person, and I try to utilize my Woodburn pieces.

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:47.000
And hopefully inspire those, or teach them that blindness or not just blindness, but.

00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.000
We can do things. We can make cool stuff.

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.000
We can do. We can do cool stuff right?

00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:58.000
I'm very. I'm fascinated that.

00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:02.000
From what I'm putting together.

00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:07.000
Love and passion for your art, for wood burning.

00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:15.000
Helped you to integrate your vision and hearing loss into the those communities.

00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:18.000
That's fascinating. That's that's fascinating, that you've embraced.

00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:23.000
What what I can do. The art, the creativity.

00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:31.000
Bring that into. Hi. I'm blind as well. Welcome to welcome to my group or our group.

00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:34.000
Very interesting. That's.

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:36.000
It's an amazing.

00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:37.000
Progression.

00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:38.000
Always.

00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.000
Awareness, acceptance.

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:47.000
It's really helped me own up to my disabilities, talk about my disability, talk about stories, and.

00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:48.000
Yeah.

00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:49.000
And educate.

00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:53.000
Yeah. Own? Up. Interesting.

00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:56.000
Your your words are brilliant.

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.000
They absolutely brilliant.

00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:07.000
My dad was a very passionate woodworker as well when he wasn't doing everything else. He's always in the wood shop, so I did grow up with.

00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:10.000
You know, wood and tools.

00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:16.000
It was a forester, so I was on the other side of the trees, the live end of trees, for for a spell.

00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:19.000
Then into firefighting, and then it was that end of trees for a spell.

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:21.000
But.

00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:24.000
I want. I want to talk about woods.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.000
You know a lot more about.

00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:29.000
The woods that you're working with, and I do.

00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:34.000
Tell me about the differences in the woods in this species like, what do you.

00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.000
Why is one? Would a better for wood burning, or do they have different properties, or different.

00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:43.000
Results. What would you look for in a good

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:45.000
Medium, to work.

00:25:45.000 --> 00:26:09.000
Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, it also depends on the size that I'm wanting to work on. And what kind of custom pieces I prefer wood burning on basswood, and you can get that through this company, Walnut Hollow. They're everywhere. They're at any storage you can think of. Hotmail, Joanne fabric Michael Walmart, online. And they're great.

00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:18.000
Company, and I've you know, collaborated with Walnut Hollow, and they're just fabulous.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:26.000
And I've done. I've used a lot of their pieces. I also enjoy burning on cedar smells really good.

00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:41.000
Yes, thank you.

00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:42.000
Yeah.

00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:51.000
Really soft wood to burn on, and even sand when I'm sanding it. I'm like covered in the cedar saw dust, and I'm like I smell good. I don't know if I want to take a shower, and then maple is another favorite wood that I like to burn on my least favorite wood to burn on are pine.

00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:52.000
Sure.

00:26:52.000 --> 00:27:01.000
Because of the rigid grain. It makes it harder to have a smooth, crisp burn line when you have the rigid.

00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:09.000
Grain. It doesn't matter how smooth you get it with the sander. A grain will still pop in the.

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:11.000
Pain, for the most part.

00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:21.000
Another would.

00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:22.000
Sure.

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:23.000
Sure.

00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:25.000
That is not really my favorite, but I'll burn on it if, say, I got Freewood right. It's hard for me to turn down. Freewood is a oak.

00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:28.000
Oakwood is hardwood to burn on.

00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:35.000
So that's not really my go to, would. So I think my go to would.

00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:38.000
April, and cedar are the top 3.

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:40.000
Okay, interesting. Yeah, we mentioned.

00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:49.000
And there's there's easier to burn a nice, smooth, crisp line.

00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:50.000
Sure. Yeah.

00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.000
Right? Right? I imagine Birch would be fairly interesting as well. But yeah, I hear that.

00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:53.000
Yeah, with the pine that.

00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:58.000
Here comes my forestry nerd coming in. The difference between the hard.

00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:03.000
And the software, the difference between the rings and how they were formed, and under what conditions the rings were formed.

00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:09.000
The difference between the hardness of those rings in pine is just really extreme. So.

00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:10.000
Yeah.

00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:16.000
Fighting through the hard stuff, and then it goes everywhere on the on the soft I'm imagining, and then that's all resonate to

00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.000
Without that.

00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:36.000
And and needing to make sure that wood is dry, because, say, if I get free wood off the road well, this is wood that was probably cut from a tree from someone's yard, and usually when someone has fresh cut tree you have to let it sit out for 6 month, maybe 2 years. It depends on the size of the wood.

00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:37.000
Right.

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:51.000
And because if it's if it's wet, and if it's too fast it will crack. The wood will crack, which isn't.

00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:52.000
Ice.

00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:53.000
So great but wood burning. But I have been getting into epoxy. Art, too. I don't know if you're.

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:56.000
I don't know if you're familiar with epoxy or resin art. Yes.

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.000
Yes.

00:28:57.000 --> 00:29:00.000
Yes, yes, you mentioned the cracks, and the 1st thing I thought of was Filler with turquoise resin.

00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:22.000
Yes, yeah. So I have been playing with epoxy this last couple of years, and it's a lot of fun. It's a gamble, though you never know how it's gonna turn out. It's a hit or miss. Sometimes, if it doesn't cure right or just depends on the humidity level outside, I live in Texas. So it's a the humidity is pretty high over here.

00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:24.000
I bet. Yeah, yeah.

00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:25.000
Yeah.

00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:28.000
Funny you mentioned Res, and I just started dabbling in that myself.

00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:29.000
Oh, yeah.

00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:34.000
And it is fun, and you can get sample color packs.

00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:39.000
All these different colors, for you know, inexpensive, and just start dabbling in those and.

00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:42.000
It, it's it's.

00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.000
For a creative mind.

00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:49.000
Your mediums are are just fascinating, and I'm very interested to see.

00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:53.000
What you come up with next working with the resins.

00:29:53.000 --> 00:30:15.000
Yeah, yeah, it's it's fun. Kind of expanding my what I've been used to with wood burning. And I really don't like to add too much color, because I feel like color takes away from my wood burning. And I you know, I color's okay. You know, a little bit of color can be fine, but.

00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:20.000
Adding resin is a whole different dimension, and.

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:40.000
I've recently been used toling. It's all with some of my wood pieces, and either pour a pakty in there, or lately I've just grabbed some little pebbles from my backyard, and I put the pebbles in there, and I pour a poxy, and I get that added tactile that that texture.

00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:48.000
And I think I have, and you probably we have a deeper appreciation for tactile. Our hands-on feel it.

00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:49.000
Oh, sure!

00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:50.000
Sure.

00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:51.000
Yeah.

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:52.000
Yeah.

00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.000
It's that element.

00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:57.000
Another element that we can appreciate.

00:30:57.000 --> 00:31:00.000
And then, when our is is tactile in.

00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:02.000
By design.

00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:04.000
I appreciate that as well.

00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:06.000
Yeah.

00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:09.000
Yeah, absolutely. I'm glad you're getting into the 3 dimensional.

00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:13.000
Elements. It's great to hear that you're broadening your artistic horizons.

00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:15.000
Yeah, a little bit, a little bit. I am.

00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.000
No, that's awesome.

00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:18.000
So.

00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:23.000
Have you always had an artistic side?

00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:28.000
Where did the creativity, the imagination, the

00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:30.000
The drive.

00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.000
To produce and be creative? Where did that stem from.

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:52.000
It probably came from my parent. They're both pretty creative. My dad also does woodworking on the side, and just very, very good at building things and creating things. And my mom is actually really creative, too.

00:31:52.000 --> 00:32:16.000
Just rearranging the room or this, this could use that or and here's the thing is, we've always deals. So we go to garage sales and like, Oh, we can do this. We could turn this thing into that thing. And so I think, growing up with that has kind of sparked my enthusiasm for being.

00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:24.000
Of just reusing the reusing that, and because we try not to.

00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:25.000
Beautiful.

00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:34.000
Add more to the landfill. Right? So why not do something fun with it if you can. And so I think that has given the drive to just try to be creative.

00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:41.000
Nice. Well, well, sounds like you had a good supportive environment for that as well. With the.

00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:43.000
The philosophies of.

00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:50.000
You know. Let's try not to waste. Let's try not to fill up the landfills. Let's reuse and be creative.

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:53.000
There was a good good support system.

00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:56.000
At an at an early age.

00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:58.000
If you were to go back to.

00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:00.000
Your childhood.

00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:02.000
Back when you were. You know the

00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:04.000
Influence.

00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:05.000
In.

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:10.000
Able to be influenced by you. Know your parents.

00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:13.000
If you were to go back and and bring your.

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:22.000
Your your younger self, you know, off to a corner of of the field or a room, and just have a little chat with her.

00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.000
Hmm.

00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:25.000
Knowing what you know now, and knowing where you are in life. Now.

00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.000
What advice would you give your younger self.

00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:31.000
If you have one piece of advice.

00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:36.000
Yeah, that's a good question. I think.

00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:40.000
Nowadays. I feel like we talk about this a lot.

00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:41.000
But.

00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:49.000
To my younger I would say, disability is not a bad word. That there are all kinds of different.

00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:52.000
Kinds of disabilities out there.

00:33:52.000 --> 00:34:09.000
So I have an older sister 4 years older, and she has the extreme version where she is in a wheelchair. She needs help going to the bathroom. She does have a G-t-tube. She doesn't speak clearly, so she's super limited to doing things.

00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:12.000
And so

00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:22.000
Growing up with a sister who is disabled. I actually never saw myself, even though I had the hearing loss.

00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:28.000
But I think I thought disabled. Meant like you couldn't walk toward a thing. That's it.

00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:38.000
But there are different kinds of disability. And so it wasn't until I became legally blind in my early thirties that when I accepted.

00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:41.000
That I do fall in the disability.

00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:47.000
So that's been an interesting perspective.

00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.000
Yeah.

00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:53.000
Interesting with the with it, with a sibling also with.

00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:56.000
Special needs.

00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.000
And.

00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:01.000
Kind of going along with your question.

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:18.000
What I would tell my younger self. I'm glad that I was involved with sports, and, you know, did a lot of fun things with my family.

00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:19.000
Love you alone.

00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:20.000
My mom mentioned, and she's she's awesome. I gotta say she's great. I love you, Mom, if you're listening to this. But she said if she knew.

00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:25.000
If she knew about my disability of having usher syndrome.

00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:28.000
At an earlier age. If she knew my vision.

00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:34.000
Was going to go bad. She said she probably would have kept me from doing sport.

00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:36.000
It would have made her feel nervous.

00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:37.000
Oh!

00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:42.000
And so maybe she would have felt the need to.

00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:48.000
Make me feel limited, you know, and so she said, maybe it's a good thing she didn't know.

00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:49.000
So Andrew.

00:35:49.000 --> 00:36:12.000
So I was really involved with sport. I played on a fast pitch softball team on 2 different team. One of them, the select team did a lot of traveling with that team, and just really involved with softball for the most part, and did a little bit of basketball and soccer when I was younger, but and also skiing. I was a big skier. In fact, I was a ski instructor.

00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:14.000
Couple of years.

00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:15.000
Nice.

00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:17.000
Yeah, yeah.

00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:32.000
Yeah. So I was pretty active in in busy. My parents were great with, you know, giving us kids opportunities to be involved with activities and sports like that. So

00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:38.000
For anybody who's listening out there, and like a parent found out their kid who has a disability.

00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:49.000
You know. Let them go after what they want to go after, give them opportunities before it may be too challenging, or may not be able to do that anymore.

00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:54.000
Thank you. Thank you for putting that out. I so appreciate.

00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:59.000
That that that PA, that public public announcement was.

00:36:59.000 --> 00:37:01.000
It's priceless. Thank you for getting that out there.

00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:02.000
Yeah.

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:06.000
1 1 quick question about softball.

00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.000
What position were you playing out in the field? In in.

00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:14.000
1st base to them. Paul, I'm I'm 5, 10. So.

00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:25.000
Yeah. 1st Facebook, my position. I was really good at jumping up high for the bathrobe. I was gonna scooping the balls with the bathro. My position.

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:30.000
I like that. I like that. My my perception is like.

00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:32.000
They'd stick me out in right field or something.

00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:33.000
Yeah.

00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:40.000
And just keep me quiet. And then waving back in at the end of the end of the day.

00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:43.000
But it's nice that you are like in the diamond itself.

00:37:43.000 --> 00:37:44.000
Oh, yeah.

00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:46.000
Pole, position.

00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:56.000
Oh, yeah, pretty intent. We're in the mouth guard, and you never know in softball you're a lot closer to the home plate than you are in regular baseball.

00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:59.000
Yes, yes.

00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:00.000
If.

00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.000
Someone were to approach you today.

00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:06.000
And say, Krista, in this, in this can here.

00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:08.000
I've got a cure for you.

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:10.000
I can cure your vision.

00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:11.000
You're hearing.

00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:20.000
Drink this, and you will be cured today. Would you take it.

00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:21.000
Okay.

00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:22.000
In a heartbeat. Yes, now I know I've heard.

00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:26.000
Some mixed responses to that kind of question.

00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:28.000
But.

00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:30.000
Maybe it's different for.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:32.000
For for me.

00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:35.000
Because I have rp, which.

00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:41.000
Every day we are continually eyesight getting worse. We are.

00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:50.000
Continually grieving. Our cells are dying every day. And so it's like the waiting game we're waiting.

00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:57.000
To get to the dead end. Basically like, okay, it's the end.

00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:58.000
At 1 point.

00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:03.000
Eventually I will have no more vision, no more sight.

00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:04.000
Is, what.

00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:08.000
Some people have said I don't know. It's a lot of unknown.

00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.000
Rp. Is a tough one. They did.

00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:15.000
There's a lot for our mental health is playing the waiting game.

00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:17.000
So.

00:39:17.000 --> 00:39:19.000
If someone gave me.

00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:22.000
That special Kool aid, drink.

00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:30.000
Yeah, I would take it now if it was a different kind of beverage, for maybe just from a hearing loss.

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:42.000
I might hesitate.

00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:43.000
Okay.

00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:44.000
Because I like being. I like muting my hearing aids and having that quiet, and I like being able to stream my music directly to my hearing aids, you know. So there are some perks with.

00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:53.000
Being a part of like the depth and hearing world. I'm in the deck world.

00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.000
That one I would.

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:58.000
Probably hesitate, but.

00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:01.000
For the vision. Yes.

00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:08.000
So interesting. I you're the 1st usher I've asked that to, and I did not expect that response.

00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:09.000
Yeah. Yep.

00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:11.000
I didn't. I didn't even.

00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:14.000
Think that you, you chip them out and treat one.

00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:15.000
And another.

00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:18.000
And that.

00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:20.000
And that you can use.

00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:23.000
Your hearing aids, and your.

00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:25.000
Hearing, loss.

00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:27.000
To serve you.

00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:30.000
Where you know what I want peace and quiet, so.

00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:33.000
I have the choice. I can turn the switch.

00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:35.000
Fascinating.

00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:43.000
Because the vision we don't have that choice. We can't just put on our superman glasses and boom. We can see everything.

00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:44.000
Up.

00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:51.000
Right exactly, although in the going in the other direction. Yes, I've got Rp, but over the.

00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:54.000
Course of the the of the past year my right eyes been really.

00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:56.000
Falling off the cliff.

00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:57.000
Yeah.

00:40:57.000 --> 00:41:07.000
What choice do I have? Well, at night, if I'm trying to watch TV, and it's falling away, and it'll drift off to the right, and it'll get all blurry, fuzzy, and just unreliable and annoying.

00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:08.000
Hmm.

00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:09.000
You know. I'll just shut her down.

00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:11.000
Putting on an ipad.

00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:14.000
And and that way I whatever I see.

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:16.000
I can count on.

00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:19.000
And it's not distractive, and it's not annoying.

00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:20.000
But that's.

00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:27.000
That's in a way of. I guess it would be in the same light as as turning off a hearing aid. I don't want the distraction.

00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:28.000
Of.

00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:31.000
You know, a blurry, dark, fading.

00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:33.000
Eyeball, so.

00:41:33.000 --> 00:41:37.000
i i i'm totally on board with.

00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:38.000
Shut it down.

00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:39.000
Oh, yeah.

00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:40.000
It's not service. Shut it down.

00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:46.000
That's totally relatable, Dave, because it was just within the last year or so my invite. I has been wonky, and I have.

00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:48.000
What's up with our eyes.

00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:54.000
I don't know, and so I'll cover my right eye, too, or I'll just close my right eye to.

00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:56.000
Get an ipad.

00:41:56.000 --> 00:41:58.000
And give it a break.

00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:01.000
You know I I carry. I've got one next to.

00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:05.000
Next to the couch on the table. I have. I carry one with my pocket.

00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:06.000
Okay.

00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:08.000
All the time.

00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:12.000
You know the grandson calls me. What does he call me like? He goes our pirate.

00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:13.000
Love it.

00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:18.000
37 he gets to get away with it. So I'm like our pirate. Dave is here.

00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:20.000
It's. It's a different.

00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:29.000
Element to life. It's it's an almost a new phase where I have to be okay with wearing a patch. And okay, that these straps are really annoying and.

00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:32.000
It's it's a new dimension, a new element.

00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:33.000
Yeah, yeah.

00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:36.000
It's like it's like bringing a kitty into the house suddenly knew mayhem.

00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:37.000
But it's.

00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:38.000
It's a tool.

00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:40.000
That.

00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:46.000
We get to choose to use, just like your hearing is, I choose to turn them off.

00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:47.000
What?

00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:49.000
Mental health.

00:42:49.000 --> 00:42:50.000
Yeah.

00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.000
I, that's such an easy term to gloss over. And you did mention that.

00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:57.000
As as how we can use our.

00:42:57.000 --> 00:42:59.000
Choices, our switches, our patches.

00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:04.000
And turn off the distractions the aggravates in our lives.

00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:05.000
And they add up.

00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:12.000
Is that aggravate us that are hard to deal with that I can't find the mouse. Where's the mouse on this computer?

00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:14.000
Right, the day.

00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:18.000
All the challenges, all the challenges.

00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:20.000
Right.

00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:23.000
One more question for you.

00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:24.000
Okay.

00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:26.000
Considering from from day one.

00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:29.000
To present day, 37 years old.

00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:33.000
Your biggest life challenge.

00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:34.000
Oh!

00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:35.000
What?

00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:37.000
And how you overcame it.

00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:39.000
If there's 1.

00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:41.000
Singular big challenge.

00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:53.000
The biggest challenge. Hmm! Well, I can think of 2 at the moment. One was to accept my diagnosis.

00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:59.000
Didn't happen right away. Took some years, so I was diagnosed at age 19.

00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:05.000
Hung up. My no, didn't hang up my key. It was when I stopped night driving.

00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:16.000
At age 25, my mid 20 s. When I stopped night driving. That was really hard for me to accept, and how I got through it.

00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:24.000
Well, probably experiencing different emotion. I never knew what depression was until.

00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:26.000
That time.

00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:29.000
I think I think it was around that time when.

00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:49.000
I now kind of understood what people meant when they talked about depression and just talking about life sucks, and and you kind of go down this deep rabbit hole and just kind of question your existence, your purpose in life.

00:44:49.000 --> 00:44:51.000
And

00:44:51.000 --> 00:45:01.000
I think when how I got through it I don't know. I've always had this mantra to live.

00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:02.000
One day at a time.

00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:06.000
Live one day at a time, who focus on today.

00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:07.000
Right now.

00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:09.000
What am I grateful for?

00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:13.000
What can I see? What can I do today?

00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:15.000
Worry about the future too much.

00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:24.000
But there's always something to be grateful for, and that has helped me get through each day. Now, when I stop.

00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:28.000
Driving entirely. This is my second challenge.

00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:38.000
When I was 31 years old, and I stopped driving entirely. That wasn't the hard part the hard part was owning up to using a white cane.

00:45:38.000 --> 00:46:01.000
That was really hard. It probably took a few years until I got on training at leader dogs for the blind. There are multiple places where people can get white cane training. But that's where I got my white cane training, and it definitely gave me it boosted that confidence to really own up to using the white can. I saw the purpose.

00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:02.000
Oh!

00:46:02.000 --> 00:46:07.000
Well, Duh, why don't more blind people use a white cane.

00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:08.000
I mean, they're so much.

00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:13.000
Cause we're so exposed.

00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:14.000
Yeah.

00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:21.000
Positive there's so much positive with using a white cane than there is negative. Yeah, more people see you. But that's kind of the purpose you want them to see. Oh, blind person!

00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:24.000
Don't get in their way.

00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:32.000
So I finally got that mentality to forget about what people think. And just.

00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:34.000
Exist, live, do your life.

00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:40.000
Don't just hide in a corner. You know what. Maybe I will walk to Cbs today and.

00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:45.000
Yeah, maybe people will look at me. But oh, well, you know this is my life.

00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:46.000
And.

00:46:46.000 --> 00:46:48.000
One thing that helped.

00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:57.000
Get over. It is what a friend had asked me. This question is, what is wrong with adding to diversity.

00:46:57.000 --> 00:47:01.000
Nothing's wrong, and that's actually I never even thought of it that way.

00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:02.000
And so I'm.

00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:09.000
I think diversity is cool, and with me being out there using my white cane.

00:47:09.000 --> 00:47:11.000
That's speaking loud.

00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:12.000
With.

00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:17.000
Just being out in public.

00:47:17.000 --> 00:47:18.000
I.

00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:20.000
Some tremendous points.

00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:24.000
Giving up the driver's license. What a huge.

00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:27.000
Relinquishing of independence.

00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:32.000
Can no longer run to Home Depot for that 2 by 4. I desperately need.

00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:40.000
That's a big one. i i i totally agree. That was one of my hardest as well.

00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:42.000
Yeah, big big stuff

00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:43.000
Oh, yeah.

00:47:43.000 --> 00:47:44.000
Yeah.

00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:49.000
And and the advocacy is, is also tremendous.

00:47:49.000 --> 00:47:52.000
I'm so glad you're here with us. You are.

00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:56.000
Shedding some really bright lights on some difficult topics.

00:47:56.000 --> 00:48:01.000
How we get through life, how we make.

00:48:01.000 --> 00:48:09.000
1 1 really quick share on my end about the white, and and being not only accepting the white cane, but embracing.

00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:11.000
Hmm.

00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:12.000
You know.

00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:16.000
Embracing our blindness. Really quick story. I was on a beach in San Diego one day, and.

00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:21.000
I had my cane out very vulnerable, every staring at me.

00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:25.000
Until somebody walked down the beach with crutches on and nobody.

00:48:25.000 --> 00:48:33.000
And I'm looking around like, well, that person's got sunglasses and eyeglasses and a walking cane and crutches, and that's a wheelchair.

00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:40.000
Nobody cares, nobody's looking, nobody's staring, and yet everybody's looking at me and my reflective way. Come on, Dave, get over it.

00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:41.000
Right, right.

00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:46.000
Nobody cares, and once I adopted that philosophy that I'm just another.

00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:50.000
Person on the bus that needs some kind of aid to get through life.

00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:54.000
A hat, sunglasses, a cane. It could be anything.

00:48:54.000 --> 00:48:55.000
A water.

00:48:55.000 --> 00:48:56.000
Yeah.

00:48:56.000 --> 00:49:02.000
And and and just knowing that is like I I'm blind. I'm special. Guess what you're not special.

00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:06.000
You have a you have a a mobility device like everybody else.

00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:07.000
Exactly, and.

00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:14.000
And and to to to acknowledge that the world is not staring at me, and the world does not really care.

00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:17.000
Other than to not walk into me in an intersection.

00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:24.000
Life becomes easier, and then comes the embracing, and then comes, yes, this is my white.

00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:26.000
Embracing. It is a.

00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:28.000
I think.

00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:29.000
Yes.

00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:30.000
Embracing. And and while we're talking about the white.

00:49:30.000 --> 00:49:35.000
I have a friend who has started up this happy hour can hour.

00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:55.000
Name, your team.

00:49:55.000 --> 00:49:58.000
Sure.

00:49:58.000 --> 00:49:59.000
It's.

00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:02.000
Name your cane happy hour. And so basically, we come together on zoom chat once a month and we we talk about you know we brainstorm some ideas. What could you name your white cane? And we don't just talk about that. We talk about stories with using our white canes and funny stories, some bad stories, you know, some good, bad, and ugly stories.

00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:14.000
Freedom, because freedom has given me the freedom to get out and navigate this world. And and it's also kind of fun to say my husband likes to say, don't forget your freedom, or.

00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:15.000
Oh!

00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:18.000
Where's my freedom?

00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:19.000
Yeah.

00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:36.000
Love, that.

00:50:36.000 --> 00:50:37.000
Oh, sure!

00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:57.000
But I have friends who named their cane, or honey, or Ted, or just like super random names, or or name that is symbolic to to them, and they know the purpose. But you know how people they name their cars or their boats and their relationship. It's their baby, you know, and so if you maybe you don't have to. But maybe if you name your cane and you can, if you have.

00:50:57.000 --> 00:50:58.000
That's.

00:50:58.000 --> 00:51:01.000
5 or 10 different cane. You can have a name from each one of them, and that way you kind of take ownership. You own up to using your white cane, and I think that has helped a lot with our group, and for others who have named their white cane.

00:51:01.000 --> 00:51:04.000
That's really brilliant. It's very.

00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:09.000
Your your personalizing, your welcoming the cane into the family.

00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:18.000
What I'm feeling. Funny. My my original onm instructor 1st handed me off 2 different canes, you know. 4 section and the 5 section.

00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:22.000
She says, next time I see you I need their names.

00:51:22.000 --> 00:51:23.000
Oh!

00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:25.000
And I'm very left brain. I'm very.

00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:30.000
Imaginative so she showed up. And I said, Okay, well, this is this is thing one, and this is thing 2.

00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:31.000
Nice.

00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:38.000
Pretty pretty clever. And then, when I ended up developing the all terrain, well, what am I gonna name this? Well, I'm out in the.

00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:40.000
In, in the wild.

00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:45.000
So, of course, call it the wild thing. Unfortunately, that's already been taken.

00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:53.000
I did contact the the writer of that. So hey, can I use this? He never got back to me, so moved on to the altering, but the.

00:51:53.000 --> 00:51:57.000
But yeah, giving them a name personalizing.

00:51:57.000 --> 00:51:59.000
Customizing, making them ours, and.

00:51:59.000 --> 00:52:03.000
Ultimately being proud to bring them out into public.

00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:08.000
For all their worth. See me as a blind person. Don't run me over.

00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:14.000
Hmm.

00:52:14.000 --> 00:52:15.000
Oh, yeah.

00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:16.000
Don't crash into me, please, and everything else on the streets, on the trails, you know you experience out on the trails here in Sedona.

00:52:16.000 --> 00:52:23.000
Yeah, definitely, it was great. When you go to like national parks, we're at Disneyland or airports is a good one.

00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:26.000
Swings swing with reckless abandon.

00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:29.000
Right.

00:52:29.000 --> 00:52:30.000
Nice nice.

00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:36.000
Krista. It's been a pleasure getting to know you sharing your stories.

00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:42.000
Diving deep into your art, the wood burning.

00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:43.000
Here.

00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:46.000
Great to have you on board, and it's really great to have you an advocate for our community.

00:52:46.000 --> 00:52:49.000
You're crushing it out there.

00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:52.000
Bring more, bring more stuff to the surface like.

00:52:52.000 --> 00:52:55.000
I wanna see more resin in your art.

00:52:55.000 --> 00:52:56.000
Well, do.

00:52:56.000 --> 00:53:05.000
I want to see like what colors you're going with. If you're gonna sit with like the black and the earth colors, or some turquoise or goal, I mean.

00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:06.000
But yeah.

00:53:06.000 --> 00:53:09.000
Mother Nature's got lots of colors. So I'm really excited to see what you're gonna crank out next

00:53:09.000 --> 00:53:12.000
Keep smiling. Keep the little ones happy.

00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:13.000
Unplug your ears if you have to.

00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:16.000
Turn off my ears.

00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:17.000
Love, that.

00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:18.000
Chris.

00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:21.000
Thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate your presence.

00:53:21.000 --> 00:53:25.000
You're welcome, and thank you for having me, Dave. I had fun. Thank you.

00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:27.000
It was great. Be well.

00:53:27.000 --> 00:53:31.000
Bye.