{"id":15825,"date":"2021-04-07T01:15:57","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T01:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/?p=15825"},"modified":"2021-04-06T19:44:13","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T19:44:13","slug":"keeping-an-eye-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/07\/keeping-an-eye-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping An Eye Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Frommer the dog guides young Hailey man\u2019s life<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Eric Valentine<\/em><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n one of Raymond Carver\u2019s most famous short stories, \u201cCathedral,\u201d a man who\u2019s blind asks a man with sight to describe for him a cathedral. But he doesn\u2019t have the words. So he draws it, with the blind man\u2019s hand grasping his. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the drawing is completed, the man with sight closes his eyes: \u201cMy eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn\u2019t feel like I was inside anything. \u2018It\u2019s really something,\u2019 I said.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a remarkable story about the difference between the physical act of looking and the mental reality of seeing. And it\u2019s a lesson one day Hailey\u2019s Walter Elias, 20, might be helping folks understand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Frommer, a black lab just over 2 years old, is the lifelong wish of his owner Walter Elias. Photo credit: Walter Elias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI know I want to travel and I\u2019m not sure exactly what I\u2019ll be doing as a career, but I know I want to be doing outreach in some way,\u201d Elias said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea of travel is fast becoming a whole new reality for Elias, who is blind. That\u2019s because of a 2-year-old black Lab named\u2014appropriately\u2014Frommer, who has been serving as Elias\u2019 guide dog since March 1. Frommer is named after the famous brand of travel guidebooks. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWalking around is easier, safer, and faster,\u201d Elias said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Elias explains that\u2019s because, prior to Frommer in his life, he\u2019d use a cane to make his way around. While canes are useful for finding obstacles, dogs are able to just move their person around those obstacles. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m able to get around so much faster now,\u201d Elias said.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the things Elias does more often now is go on long hikes. A challenge to navigate alone before, trails are becoming a place for Elias to take in nature. Not by looking at it, but by experiencing it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love just listening to nature, the quiet of it, the wind through the trees, the sound of all the birds,\u201d Elias observed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Frommer also allows Elias to go about his everyday life inside his home with less dependence on people. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need to rely so much on people telling me where stuff is,\u201d Elias said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elias got connected to Frommer thanks to John Turner, a family friend back in Texas who also uses a guide dog. Turner, 85, said the confidence and independence he gained after bringing a guide dog into his life years ago is immeasurable. But some metrics after eight guide dogs include having been to 48 states, 40 countries and serving on the Texas Commission for the Blind for six governors. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom day one I\u2019ve just felt more dignity walking around with a dog than with a darn stick in my hand,\u201d Turner said. \u201cThese dogs are so helpful sometimes people think that you can see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Although assimilating into regular community life is the goal for anyone with a disability, Elias does hope Valley residents are aware of certain things. For instance, interacting with Frommer is a natural tendency for dog lovers. People, Elias said, see his dog and want to pet him right away. But Frommer is not a regular pet dog. Frommer is particularly trained to look out for Elias.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is approaching me that he doesn\u2019t know, it can be stressful for him,\u201d Elias explained. \u201cIt\u2019s best if people ask me first for permission.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Elias also wants to eventually advocate for more accessibility around town. Specifically, he said sidewalks should be more consistently maintained to promote easier access. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSidewalks in the Valley are not always super accessible for everybody,\u201d Elias said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Elias also said it would be helpful for people to know that guide dogs are trained to stay on the left side of a roadway or walkway. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost people have no way of knowing that, so people are not looking out for it,\u201d Elias said. <\/span><\/p>\n

And for folks seeking a guide dog for themselves or a loved one, Elias has advice, too. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese are dogs that can really get into things and need supervision. They also need exercise. So you have to be mobile. They\u2019re not just dogs for inside the home,\u201d Elias explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for Frommer, he\u2019s not only getting plenty of exercise outdoors these days, he\u2019s also been keeping out of things he\u2019s not supposed to get into inside the home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s super super mellow,\u201d Elias said. \u201cHe just pays attention to me and what I need. He doesn\u2019t get into trouble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve wanted to get a guide dog ever since I was little and I can\u2019t believe I actually have one now. And I feel super lucky to have Frommer, he\u2019s the best dog in the world,\u201d Elias said.<\/span><\/p>\n

And it\u2019s really something.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Frommer the dog guides young Hailey man\u2019s life By Eric Valentine In one of Raymond Carver\u2019s most famous short stories, \u201cCathedral,\u201d a man who\u2019s blind asks a man with sight to describe for him a cathedral. But he doesn\u2019t have the words. So he draws it, with the blind man\u2019s hand grasping his. As the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_pvb_checkbox_block_on_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,88,18,24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community","8":"category-local","9":"category-news","10":"category-pets"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15825"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15832,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15825\/revisions\/15832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}