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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>This is the third time I have sent it, but Leonard hasn’t received it, If no one else has, it is obviously a problem at my end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This is late, but hopefully you will be able to critique it anyway.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>College Co-eds<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My mom, baby sister Christina, Tammy and I drove north from Santa Ana in late August. We were headed to the small farming community of Turlock, located<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in the San Joaquin Valley near Modesto. I had been accepted at both San Francisco and Stanislaus State Colleges, but found the idea of living off campus<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and learning my way around San Francisco overwhelming. Stanislaus was actually smaller than the high school I had graduated from in June. It was then<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the youngest of the California State Colleges. The dormitory was located across highway 99 from the college. There was a pedestrian signal activated<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by a push button to permit students to cross the highway. Then we had to follow a tarmac path through fields a long way to reach the two buildings that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>made up the campus. The library, cafeteria and administration offices were in one building and all classes were in the other. A field house was the only<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>additional structure completed when Tammy and I started our freshman year. The college was barely ten years old and most of my professors were holders<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of P.H.D. degrees. Except for some of the freshman introductory courses held in the theater, classes were small. When the college had first opened, some<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>classes had to be held in barns at the fairgrounds. So our unflattering nickname among the other Cal State Colleges was Turkey Tech. Rather than being<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>stung by this designation, we had a cheer that went, “Gobble gobble, that’s our cry, Turkey Tech, do or die!” The cheering crowd broke out with an imitation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of a turkey gobble. It was a lot of fun. Actually, the school wasn’t an agricultural college but was noted for its business department.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mom helped me carry in my things and I sort of rushed her off because I was scared and didn’t want to prolong the good-byes. I left my door open and put<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy on a tie-down while I unpacked. Two girls from Stockton who had known each other in high school came along and introduced themselves. Annie Williams<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>became my best friend during our freshman year. Like me, she was the first member of her family to go to college and the eldest child in a family of five<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>siblings. We were both able to attend college because we had won scholarships and qualified for education opportunity grants. Although she was an art<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>major while I was leaning toward psychology, we had a lot of things in common. Cathy Dent was more outgoing and interested in the social scene. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>All freshmen were required to live in the dormitory, unless they had a waiver signed by their parents granting them permission to live off campus. The<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>dorm was an L-shaped two-story structure with a separate cafeteria building and a swimming pool located between the two buildings. It was co-ed with women’s<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>rooms upstairs and men’s on the ground floor. The entrance was at the junction of the two wings. Tammy and I had the third room along the left wing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We didn’t have a roommate. The dorm wasn’t completely full and it was decided that rooming with a large dog might be too crowded for anyone to share the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>room with us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My room had two beds, two desks with shelves above them, a large closet and a sink. It was connected through an adjacent bathroom that held a shower and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>an enclosed toilet to the room next door. Two older girls shared that room. Sandy and Virginia had attended junior college and were transferring to Stanislaus<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>as juniors. They were from Los Angeles and were friendly. Another upper classman named Carol came by and invited me to join her and some others for tea<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in her room after I finished settling in. I began to feel a little less nervous. Everyone seemed eager to help make me feel at home. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The freshmen started off on a bus the next morning to attend a freshman get acquainted camp in the mountains. There was a dance and several activities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>designed to give us a chance to meet and to be talked to by upperclassmen and teachers. Tammy never stopped wagging her heavy otter tail as we moved with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the group from one area to another. It didn’t matter to her if we walked on a dirt path or a sidewalk. She followed the crowd and located a seat or whatever<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I asked such as the exit or entrance door. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy enjoyed the opportunity to meet and greet each new person that we encountered. I made the first time guide dog user mistake of allowing everyone<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to pet and fuss over my beautiful girl. She was definitely an icebreaker encouraging people to approach and introduce themselves to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When I was fourteen years old, I had decided that I couldn’t afford to allow my natural shyness to continue. When you are different from others, people<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>who don’t know you tend to keep their distance. I realized that if I wanted to make friends, it was up to me to make the first overtures. My high school<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>classmates were generous about helping to carry my heavy books or braillewriter, but it didn’t occur to them often to invite me to join them in after school<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>activities. Tammy made everything so much easier by serving as a topic of conversation. Other students approached us to introduce themselves, rave over<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy’s beauty, and ask questions. They talked about favorite pet dogs and that led naturally in to discussing other topics. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If someone offered to show me how to get to the dining hall or other place, I knew I could find it again with Tammy’s help. If I wanted to go to a concert<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or play held on campus, I could just go on my own and friends came over to sit with us. I was no longer dependent on the time schedules of others. If<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I needed a break from the noise of the dorm, I could take a quiet long walk confident that I wouldn’t get lost. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The only hitch in all this was that I soon found that everyone knew Tammy’s name and almost no one remembered mine. Since DeAnna seemed to transform into<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Diana, Dina, Daria, Dena and almost anything else that began with the letter D. I started using Dee to make things easier.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our room was next to the pay phone for the two women’s wings. The phone rang and rang. Finally when I couldn’t stand the noise another minute, I gave<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in and answered it. Sometimes I got bored saying “Yosemite Hall.” I substituted “Hello, devil speaking. Who in hell do you want?” Or using my sultriest<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>voice I’d vary my routine to say, “Good evening, this is Peggy’s house of fun and games. Who is your pleasure?” That one got me in trouble when the caller<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>was one of the other girls' mothers. Things usually went something like this. The call was for someone at the other end of the hall. Tammy and I ran<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>down the corridor only to find the girl wasn’t in her room. Then we ran back to take a message. I typed the note and we ran back to the right room to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>post it. This gave us lots of practice locating rooms and meeting more people. Tammy became so popular, that a group of fraternity guys decided to run<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>her for freshman princess. They made up posters claiming that she was a perfect size twelve, (her collar size) and had a winning personality. Everywhere<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>we went, people called out greetings to her. I began to feel invisible!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy loved to wear a string of bright beads, scarf or other ornament. Annie gave her a blue plastic peace symbol and she seemed to know she was especially<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>pretty when decked out in any little bit of finery. Her step had an added bounce and became almost a prance. One day, we walked past a yard where some<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>students were holding a barbecue. A girl’s voice exclaimed, “Look at that beautiful dog!” Then a pleasant male voice answered, “The girl’s not bad either.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I felt like doing a celebratory dance. I wasn’t invisible after all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One of the people I met at the freshman camp was a quiet young man named Curtis Noriega. He made such a fuss over Tammy, she hurried toward him in any<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>crowd to say hello. It wasn’t until we had been going out for a burger or movie on occasion, that he admitted he didn’t really like dogs. He preferred<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>cats as pets. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I discovered that I would have to put a stop to Tammy’s desire to meet and greet her friends. When she saw Curt as we were coming down the stairs at<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the dorm, she surged forward pulling me off my feet. I fell badly spraining an ankle. Some lessons just have to be learned the hard way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It is often difficult for the general public to understand the insistence guide dog handlers must make that their dogs not be spoken too, petted or fed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by everyone. They are so beautiful, intelligent and friendly, people long to reach out to pet or speak to them. However, a moment’s lapse in attention<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to their job can cause a serious injury to the person they are guiding. Seeing a friend across the street might lead them to start the crossing without<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>checking for traffic. A scrap from someone’s lunch could upset the dog's stomach, causing an embarrassing accident at a crucial moment. It could impair<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the dog’s ability to guide due to feeling ill. It could lead to bad habits like begging or scavenging. Un-authorized snacks might also result in an unhealthy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>weight gain and shorten the guide’s working life. For both our sakes, I had to curtail Tammy’s social interactions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As winter set in, a group trip was planned for those living in the dorm to go up to Yosemite for the weekend. I was still finding it difficult to manage<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>on my sprained ankle received when Tammy bounded down the stairs to greet our friend Curt. Since I had already paid my fee, I decided to go. Sandy and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Virginia, the two girls from the room next to mine asked Curt to drive us up into the Sierras. Since he drove, the girls didn’t want him to stay in another<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>cabin, in case we wanted the car. He got teased about his four female roommates, three human and one canine. However, we each had our own bunks. Since<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>all of us were quite modest young ladies, he wasn’t treated to any free floorshows. Everyone got to practice getting into pajamas with lights turned<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>out. Tammy loved the snow. She thought catching and eating snowballs great sport. Also high on her list was burrowing through snow banks rolling and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>snorting. Of course this necessitated a vigorous rubdown with a towel upon our return indoors. The trip was fun and Tammy and I had many more visits<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to this lovely valley in the Sierras over our years as a team. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I put up a one foot Christmas tree in my dorm room and discovered that my dog loved packages as much as I did. Two of them were of particular interest<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to her. She took every opportunity to steal and try to open them. The crackle of the paper always gave her activity away. When I heard that sound I<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>demanded the return of the plunder. One gift was actually for her. I don’t know how she guessed that, as it was in a box. Perhaps her nose led her to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>believe that no one would be giving me a rawhide chew toy. The other present though was one meant for me. It was a closet sachet filled with some kind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of scented mixture of flowers and herbs. This made me wonder if there was a comparable plant to catnip that appealed to dogs included in the blend.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy loved the cold. Whether we walked through the central valley fog and rain or into a brisk sea breeze, her pace and pull increased as the temperature<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>dropped. Best of all she loved walking through falling snow. Her tail wagged constantly. She could brace me over patches of ice if I slipped, but just<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>loved striding out into a cold wind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy’s retriever soul manifested itself in a new way. She began to pick up things she could easily carry in her mouth. She didn’t chew or damage them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>However, I did feel obligated to pay for the can of soup, bunch of bananas and candy bar she carried to the checkout line at the grocery store. Odd tennis<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>balls, ashtrays, and candlesticks began to appear in our room. I finally solved this tendency for indulging in kleptomania by giving her a small change<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>purse to carry when we went out. It didn’t interfere with her guiding, and eliminated her desire to appropriate other people’s possessions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She loved to retrieve anything I dropped and proudly presented me with lost pocket change, my shoe or anything else she thought I was searching for on<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the floor. Soon she associated a name with my sweater, or jacket, my tape recorder case, my backpack, her leash and harness. I could ask her for any<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of these items and she dashed to find and bring them to me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Her habit of making a dive for anything I dropped was finally curbed when I accidentally allowed a bar of soap to slip from my hand. Not realizing that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy had snatched it up. I kept searching the bathroom floor. Finally, Tammy thrust the bar of soap into my hand and charged off to get a drink. After<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>this bubble blowing misadventure, she waited to be asked to retrieve dropped articles. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy’s skill at choosing good footing made it possible to work safely at any speed. When I hadn’t allowed enough time to make it to a class, she enjoyed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>covering the distance along the paved path at a dead run. Although she moved quickly with a strong pull on cold, windy or foggy days, on hot sunny ones,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>she hurried across hot tarmac and slowed down to walk in the shade of trees. Whatever our pace, she focused on her work. Her alert eyes scanned for hazards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>took note of people and animals but concentrated on navigating the best course to keep me safe. She took her work very seriously. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tammy had an exceptional memory. One day when I was wearing new sandals, I left the classroom building by a side door. I slipped on rain slick steps. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Whenever I subsequently used that exit, Tammy approached those steps cautiously. She seemed to think that they were likely to cause me to slither down<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>them again if she didn’t take special care. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Her sense of fun was a constant source of laughter to everyone. I was taking her out on leash to relieve when a football whizzed past us. Tammy was off<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>after it in a flash. Catching it by the laces, she entered the impromptu football game being played by some of the fellows from the dorm. It took them<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>nearly ten minutes of chasing her around the swimming pool before she returned to me so I could give back the ball. If she got bored watching me study,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>she began a game of tossing her tennis ball for herself and chasing it around the room. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Her favorite toys were ones with squeakers in them. I am sure people were slightly concerned about that poor blind girl’s sanity when I took her shopping<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for a new toy. I made each type on offer squeak and placed it on the floor in front of Tammy. She sat cocking her head listening to the sounds. Finally,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>she picked one from the line in front of her. After I replaced the rejects, she walked proudly to the cashier carrying her selection so I could pay for<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the winner. Life with my best friend and college roommate was never dull.<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>