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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>During the decades my vision slipped away, a dog kept me company - not a flesh and blood canine, you understand. My companion was, nevertheless, real to me as I grappled with the many challenges blindness brought to me in middle age. No matter how frightened or sad I felt, the thought of, one day, having a guide dog in my life cheered me immeasurably. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>A life-long dog lover, I could think of nothing more comforting and helpful than handling one of these highly trained canine partners by my side as, together, we navigated the world I could no longer see. In my early fifties, my dream became a reality when I was fortunate enough to receive my first guide dog, a female black Labrador retriever named Boise, from the specialized training program of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Boise was followed by Greta, a petite and sweet yellow Lab.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>When Greta retired in my early sixties, my current guide, Laurence, entered my world. We have spent almost four years together, and, while I cannot imagine life without this intelligent and loving black Lab, I realize, due to my age and physical condition, he might well be my last guide dog.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>Working with a guide dog in middle age was easier. I had more energy and fewer medical concerns. An extraordinarily conscientious and intuitive dog, Laurence is the best guide I could ask for as I approach seventy in a few years. He leads me confidently through our daily routines and, almost as importantly, into old age.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'>What follows is a chronicle of one year of our teamwork. I never know what life will bring from day to day, but, with Laurence as my partner, I can face the vagaries of old age as a blind woman with other disabilities. My imagined dog is now a living and loving friend who accompanies me on this journey. In turn, Laurence and I invite you to travel with us as you turn the pages of this book. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>Sally Rosenthal <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>