“I was born blind. I’ve always walked because I don’t drive. I walk with my dog. For us to work as a team, we have to practice. I’ve had 9 dogs for over 43 years. I’ve had labs, goldens, and lab/golden mixes. They’ve meant so much to me. So much so, that for my 65th birthday, I got some people together and we gifted the University a statue in honor of guide and service dogs over in Centennial Hall. Before I got my first dog, I used a cane. I was able to get around. I did my undergrad at Michigan State, which had 42,000 students and grad school at Purdue. I did all of that with a cane, and I could. But it’s easier and so much more enjoyable with a dog. Also, there’s a bubble around people with disabilities. Nobody ever came up to me before and said oh what a handsome cane. Where as with a dog, people are more likely to interact with you, which is great. One of the joys of having a dog, is being out in the world with her. I was a clinical psychologist. I thoroughly enjoyed my 30 years as a psychologist at 4 different universities. But when I retired, I wrote 3 books and got into a lot of advocacy stuff. I love that I get to get up another day and do all the fun stuff that one does in retirement. I wrote the book Occupying Aging: Delights, Disabilities, and Daily Life because half of people over the age of 65 will develop a disability and those of us who’ve been around the block have some tricks to share. I’ve been very lucky to have people in my life that have taken the extra effort to help me live my dreams. I’ve swum with dolphins. It was amazing. It took 3 other people to help make that happen, but it did. I realize, I have it good. I don’t know if I’ve ever been bored in my life. I’m blessed with realizing there’s so much out there to do, and things to make the world better.”