By Megan Homrighausen

(Editor’s Note:  This article appeared in News and Views, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona.  I reprint here because it is a good summary of the experience of so many of us, and perhaps an encouragement to others.)

When I first heard about the NFB, it didn't impress me too much.  I thought there were too many rules and regulations and I just felt like I didn't fit in.  Mind you, I was a lot younger back then and when you're young like I was, the last thing you want to do is follow another rule.  I tried to like the NFB because all of my friends had joined and so I went to my first state convention in 2005.  I had fun staying at a hotel and I took in all the information that I could.  I went to all the meetings and the banquet and had a lot of fun but I still was skeptical.  I wasn't quite ready to be independent yet because I didn't really believe that I could be.

Years later, as I got older, I thought to myself, I should go to state convention again; I have the money right now.  It literally changed my life and my world.  I found out that the NFB wasn't just a bunch of rules, but a way of life.

Because of the NFB, I am feeling more independent than I ever have even though I've lost more eyesight recently.  My friends in the NFB teach me the NFB way by example every day.  I get the encouragement that I need from the NFB and I've found that I can do more things myself than I ever imagined possible.

I encourage you to do some research on all the things that the NFB has changed over the years.  You would be truly amazed.