I just read my blog posts from 2010. Keep in mind I started this blog in order to document guide dog school for the benefit of my students and others that I knew at Miami. In reading them now, seven years later, I see that my writing is similar, that I focus on one or two ideas in service of a larger idea and that I like to read my thoughts. Also, Bethany, while not exactly the best guide dog for me, retains her cute sweet demeanor and sometimes bratty disposition, I.e. ripping a toy from another dog’s mouth is so Bethany… She did it to Randall, she does it to Bear. She is just not a dog who likes to share. I am also a person who likes to accentuate the positive, glass half full or, perpetually positive, if you will? That well alliterated name still sticks. Thank you JS Bragg. Even today, I am happy to have those words attached to my name.

The other day, on my way home, a kid got on the bus. Rounding the corner and walking a few paces ahead of his Mom, he saw Bear, who by the way was as tall as he was. The only words to escape him were, “what the…” My thoughts exactly, kid. #bigdog #busfun #lifeasabear

So, to blog or not to blog, that is the question,… Pros of blogging: I like it. It is creative. Cons of blogging: I am not consistent. I get board with updating it. I get to busy with other things. Why I am restarting: I was talking with one of the Trust’s fellow’s Lily about blogging and I realized that I kind of missed it. In addition, my friend Anne was writing her own blog post for a national organization. While my plans are not that grand I will send out some thoughts into the world and we will go from there. So, lets jump ahead, anyone who follows me on Facebook knows that A. I was not pleased about the results of last year’s election and B. I have been trying my best to shine light on the actions of our elected officials and others who reside in the public realm because I truly believe that knowledge is power and the more that we all know and read and question the better. After all, knowledge can combat falsehoods and dangerous group think. I truly believe in the goodness of people and try to do my part every day to include, reach out, remove barriers to participation and generally promote social justice in all that I do,. Some of you may be gagging on the syrupy sweet naivety of this statement but, I mean it. So, once again this blog is coming back, I will not make promises of it being a daily weekly or monthly read but, I do invite you to read on...

TSA Fail

Sadly, I recently had a less than pleasant TSA experience at JFK and while not usually one to cause a fuss when faced with many abhorrent  practices, Thursday morning’s screening passed by a regular threshold of what is acceptable.  Therefore, what you will read below is a first person account of our ordeal, with some quotes from my friend and colleague, who also happened to be my travel companion on this trip. 

I was on a return trip home from business related travel  in New York, with Pittsburgh, PA as a final destination and a  short layover in Boston.  I was travelling with a friend and colleague and my guide dog.  As we had done on the way out and as I have done numerous times before, in security lines, I  asked her to walk in front of me and when she had passed through the metal detector, I passed her my dog’s leash leaving his harness on.  While doing this I informed the agent that my dog  would set off the detector as his harness and leash both contain medal components.  My colleague took his leash and called him forward.  Without skipping a beat, he set off the alarm, as we knew that he would and the agent went to clear the alarm and then allow me to proceed through, when the agent  was stopped by his supervisor, who directed us into a holding area.  My colleague and I then waited. While we waited, dozens of people passed through the line, passing our purses, our bags and my colleague’s iPhone, on top of our belongings, out of mycolleague sight entirely.  No one  asked us what time our flight was; we were ignored entirely with no explanation but "wait here." A number of other passengers passed through with visible disabilities.  My colleague  reported that “a  woman using a wheelchair waited with us about three minutes and then went through after her young granddaughter did.  No problem.  We waited.”

She would say 13-14 minutes passed as one dog on leash, and two dogs carried in the arms of a passenger, went through without being pulled out to wait.

Finally after we had waited there for over fifteen minutes, my colleague caught someone’s eye and asked, "what is the protocol for a person with a visual impairment?"  "Someone is coming for you."  She and I then asked again,  "What is the protocol?  IS there a protocol?"  No answer.

A female agent then turned up.   She brought us back through the small door, back to the front of the line near the conveyor belt.  My Colleague stood in the x-ray scanner first.  While I was again  pulled to the Side.  The female agent asked if they could pat my dog and I down.  I consented, we did hope to make our flight to Boston and then home to Pittsburgh, after all.  Though, I must confess,  I believed this to be an over stepping of my rights.  Remember that my dog did set off the detector, while I had not.  The agent then asked me if I would like to step into a closed off area or be pat-down where I stood.  I opted to stay where I stood and then she proceeded to administer the most invasive pat-down I had ever received and I have traveled internationally, once entering back into the country in 2002, 9 months after 9-11.  She combed her fingers through my hair, ran the back of her hands over my chest and up and down each leg, invading what my elementary school health teachers would have called my bathing-suit area, and in the process made a lot of onlookers quite uncomfortable.  

Again my colleague stated, “People were staring and then looking away.  Some caught my eye and were wide-eyed, seeming uncomfortable and sympathetic to your situation.  Nobody said a word to TSA (including me biting my tongue so we didn't get further delayed). But people reacted unhappily, empathetically, or angrily due to facial expressions I saw.” 

When logging on to the TSA site, I found this; ”You and your service dog/animal will be screened by a walk-through metal detector. You may walk through together or you may lead the animal through separately on a leash. You will undergo a pat-down if you are not screened by the walk-through metal detector.

If the metal detector alarms, you and your service dog/animal will undergo additional screening, including a pat-down.”

Which is fine but, this is not what took place.  My dog did walk through, sporting his guide dog attire, harness and leash, both were constructed using metal and leather and of course, my dog set off the detector.  I did  not set off  alarms but was patted-down.  Most aggravating of all were the TSA  staff people.  I  would suggest that they go through extensive training with various service animals and their handlers.  They should all know protocols and most importantly , continue to communicate with their captives, as they wait, giving important information like expected wait time, reasons for extra screening measures, etc.  

Debriefing, after the fact, my colleague said, about our original approach and walk through, “This is exactly how we did it in Pittsburgh and it was much more professionally handled” and she was right. In the nearly 15 years that I have been flying through our nation’s airports, I, like most of us, have experienced various screening procedures, sometimes sailing through and sometimes under going further measures, that is the variability of travel.  This time, however, actions and lack of action, prompted this post.  I am asking nothing of the TSA except for some additional training of their staff and only write this account as an educational piece in the hopes that future screenings of service dogs and their handlers are done with a greater level of awareness.

Happy Travels,

Vanessa Braun

Writing: Lately I have been thinking about the art that is missing from my life. You may be perplexed by this. So, yes I work in the arts. Yes, I am planning a ticketed artistic event as we speak. Yes, my job allows me to be creative every day. What could I ever be talking about? I am talking about writing. I have always written for fun. I have many short stories and even a novel that someday I would love to publish. For the past five years or so I just have not felt like writing. Of course I am excluding blog posts, scant as they may be and my witty commentary on Facebook and twitter, neither of which satisfies an outlet for creativity… So here and now, I am announcing, I am back in the creating business. Will anything ever come of this, I hope so but, really, who can tell.

Lately I have been thinking about the art that is missing from my life.  You may be perplexed by this.  So, yes I work in the arts.  Yes, I am planning a ticketed artistic event as we speak.   Yes, my job allows me to be creative every day.  What could I ever be talking about?  I am talking about writing.  I have always written for fun.  I have many short stories and even a novel that someday I would love to publish.  For the past five years or so I just have not felt like writing.  Of course I am excluding blog posts, scant as they may be and my witty commentary on Facebook and twitter, neither of which satisfies an outlet for creativity…  So here and now, I am announcing, I am back in the creating business.  Will anything ever come of this, I hope so but, really, who can tell. 

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Lately I have been thinking about the art that is missing from my life.  You may be perplexed by this.  So, yes I work in the arts.  Yes, I am planning a ticketed artistic event as we speak.   Yes, my job allows me to be creative every day.  What could I ever be talking about?  I am talking about writing.  I have always written for fun.  I have many short stories and even a novel that someday I would love to publish.  For the past five years or so I just have not felt like writing.  Of course I am excluding blog posts, scant as they may be and my witty commentary on Facebook and twitter, neither of which satisfies an outlet for creativity…  So here and now, I am announcing, I am back in the creating business.  Will anything ever come of this, I hope so but, really, who can tell. 

Fantastic Friday- Some days begin with rain. Some days begin with late buses. Some days begin with head splitting construction noise. Today was not one of those days. This morning dawned partly cloudy with a little chill in the air. By the time that I stepped off of my front porch, ready for my three block walk to the bus stop, the humidity and temps had risen to the point where it was a relief to climb on to the air-conditioned bus. It was a large bus, coach style so, it was nice to stretch out over two seats. I was able to zone out for our half hour trip into the city and I have no recollection of the trip in until we hit Penn Station. Our stop was next and Bear had a seamless and sniffing free walk to my favorite coffee shop, where we were followed in by two coworkers, who ended up buying my coffee and pound cake. Tucking the cake into my bag I thanked them again and departed for the temporary entrance in the front of the Benedum. Bear targeted this unfamiliar door like a pro and we were in stopping to greet several coworkers as we followed the serpentine path to my office. Once here, my computer worked, just fine, my communications have gone out and come in without incident. My phone has not rung once and Yes it is true that nothing all that noteworthy has taken place today but, that is why this day is fantastic. Happy weekend!

Insperation: I was inspired today. You may be asking, what could inspire you? Perhaps the reverse could also be asked, why aren’t you inspired daily? Well friends, doing the work that i do, there is often inspiration, it may come from a project, a great interaction, a meeting, or just in something that I read… Today’s stroke of inspiration came from a combination of things. I set a meeting with myself to flesh out a new idea and during the course of reading and writing I needed a small brain break and turned my attention to my Facebook newsfeed. “Your Facebook?” Shouldn’t you be working? Yes, indeed, those are good questions and good points. Although, I am so glad that I took a hiatus from my project. As there on my screen was a post from a dear friend. A friend who I have not seen in 12 years and below her post was a link to her blog. I’m not sure why but, I’ve never read her blog before. I think that I have seen it and new from Facebook that she and her husband, also a former Gator, relocated their family from Boston to TN but, I’d never had the opportunity to click on her blog. Well, today was the day and it gave me a glimpse into their world. That they now had to kiddos, that she taught at a college, that they were still a great couple and right away I was transported back in time, back to Allegheny, to Brooks, to Baldwin, to the Campus Center, to my freshman sem and the amazing people who helped to make me the person that I am today,. All of this came from 15 minutes reading 5or 6 posts from an old friend and bam, inspiration. My brain needed a vitamin