by Dan Spoone
Wow, what a crazy summer! The summer breezes are definitely blowing in our direction. The ACB conference and convention is in the rearview mirror and I could never see much through those mirrors even when I had some decent low vision. The baseball season is finally under way, and my Tampa Bay Rays are still in contention in September. Of course, it helps that we didn’t start playing games until the end of July. My sighted friends are very troubled that there are no fans in the stands, but it hasn’t bothered me. There is good crowd noise on the radio and television broadcast, and I don’t have to listen to those obnoxious Yankees fans.
Leslie and I really enjoyed spending a couple of weeks in Key West. There is a very nice gym only two short blocks from our bed and breakfast. We can independently walk down each morning and get our workout done with accessible equipment. It was a little bit weird the first few days to get used to working out with a mask, but we really got used to it very quickly. It’s funny. I always make excuses for not having time at home to work out, but it’s kind of relaxing to exercise away from home. Leslie says I need to keep it up the other 50 weeks of the year. It’s just hard to satisfy some folks. Seriously, she’s right. I’ll try to do better this fall. It’s just so much easier to watch others sweat and cheer them on from the sidelines. Go Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs!!! It does take some amount of physical exertion to cheer on your favorite team. Doesn’t that count?
The end of the summer also brings the realization that COVID-19 is going to be around for some time to come. We have a full slate of virtual state affiliate conventions to enjoy this fall. Thanks to our ACB Radio team for all of their wonderful support. ACB’s Community Chats are still going strong, and the ACB board of directors has passed several important resolutions that will need our attention over the next few months. We are only 63 days away from a presidential election, and ACB has led the fight to secure accessible mail-in ballots for members across the country. Please stay safe, but we must all exercise our most important right to vote this November. It has been a summer like no other in our lifetimes. We must stay strong and we must continue to support all the members and friends of our growing ACB family. Yes, the summer breezes are blowing in the direction of justice. Let’s make sure that our sails are at full mast and our compass is pointed toward improving the lives of our blind and visually impaired community.