HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-03-13, Page 13,
Second Section -March 13, 1996
Blindness does not stop passion of sport
EXETER - It's a weekday afternoon and Gerry Dobrindt is watching the
Canadian Labatt's Brier curling competition.
A remarkable feat, considering he is legally blind.
Dobrindt, 89, suffers from macular degeneration, a condition that has
slowly robbed him of his eyesight. However, Dobrindt hasn't let his vision,
or`his age, deprive him of the things he enjoys in life.
An avid curler for years, Dobrindt played with his deteriorating vision
as long as he could, with the aid of the skip describing the situation to
Dobrindt who would throw a rock guided only by memory.
"It was hazardous sometimes because I couldn't see a stray rock coming
my way. More than once a friend would have to pull me out of the way."
Dobrindt finally resigned to watching the sport on television 10 years
ago when his eyes prevented him from playing. He is able to see light and
dark movements but couldn't distinguish between the two different colored
rocks on the TV screen.
With the help of his wife, Erma, he constructed a miniature scale model
Where Are
Erma Scof lelds above, moves a rock on a scaled•
down model of a.curling rink allowing legally blind
Gerry Dobrindt f.0 follow tlhh Canadian Labatt's Brier
playing on the television.itthe background.
eat left, with tt�t9'. ', puter 4)obrindt,_ 89,
021#1141.ar�1 11!q q as�'nv-0+ayl?
nalurpna. Irma is . th Orli % end muse- fi r QOtf%ihdt.
who enjoys sharing his literature With her. The couple
were married last year.
of a curling rink with a three -colored target head. Erma places black and
white crokinole discs on the model as they are played live on TV.
Thro:.gh this "manual -vision" Dobrindt is able to follow each end as it
develops.
"I forgot my curling shoes," he jokes as he sits across from Enna, his
face only inches over the board, analyzing the situation.
"I'm always telling those guys how to throw their rocks," he adds
giving both skips on the screen strategy tips from time to time. Especially
for the Ontario team competing in the men's Brier in Kamloops, B.C., '
The team is skipped by Bob Ingram, his grand nephew.
True to`his nature, Dobrindt appreciates the unwritten courtesies in
curling noting how players observe a code of behavior toward members
of the opposing team.
"I've been on a lot of winning rinks for different bonspiels, but it's the
fellowship I like. It's a game of courtesy," he said.
Undaunted by his blindness, Dobrindt has also continued to pursue his
other passion - writing. Dobrindt has authored severaltextbooks and
teacher guides during his lifelong career as an educator, principal, and
'superintendent of education.
. After retiring, he continued to freelance for the Shoreline News in Port
Elgin writing columns at his leisure.
"I like to take a light commentary on current affairs and focus on the
human impact," said Dobrindt.
With the aid of magnification glasses, Dobrindt feels his way across
the touch -coded keyboard barely able to read the large letters on his
computer's monitor.
Unlike others his age who may be intimidated by computers and word
pr!ocdesors, Dobrindt credits them for allowing him to practice his craft. l
"I think they are wonderful! They enable me to do something I would.
have lost."
Shill, writing is a slow process for Dobrindt who relies on his memory
to remember what he had written in previous pages.
"I keep the whole framework in sequence in my mind, but if the phone
rings in the middle of a sentence, I'm lost," he said.
Four years ago Dobrindt was awarded a plaque from the Govemor
General of Canada for his book A Travel - Canada Journal, a compilation
of his thoughts and experiences during his journeys across parts of the
country.
However, he admits his first love is poetry, and so far he has published
three books of poetry covering many topics. Like most poets, Dobrindt
writes from his personal feelings and experiences and he says once he
gets the urge to write he can't rest until he does.
"To me writing is like a mosquito bite...you have to scratch it," said
Dobrindt, who rarely suffers from writer's block.
Behind every good writer is a good editor, and Dobrindt credits his
wife Erma for diligently picking out typing mistakes and sharing her
thoughts on his work. .
He met Erma more than 69 years ago when he just started out as a
teacher and she was a student in his class. However they both went their
separate ways before meeting again in 1990. They were married last year
and now both live in Exeter.
"I used to mark her work now she's correcting me on the computer,"
said Dobrindt adding the best part of completing a work is sharing it with
his wife.
Whether it's writing or curling, Dobrindt said he feels his blindness is
not an obstacle and will continue to do the things he enjoys with the
support and encouragement of Erma.
"I will never fully overcome my blindness but I won't let it possess
me to the point where I would give up," said Dobrindt.
poem was inspired bay ens Nom„
tographed in Southampton, rartq,
and Naples, Florida. Althoug " a rs vi n has faded the
memory of these three sunsets still burn brightly in his
memory and his. poetry.
Ode to Three Sunsets
Often I've sat with the sun through its daily dying,
Whether on native shores or foreign - it never failed to follow.
I've watched it tear a Huron sky into shreds of fiery torment,
Or plate a Scottish loch with molten copper,
Poured out between late evening clouds and distant rugged bens.
Or shed pale winter afterglow on shoreside Florida palms,
Fixing what stood or grew or moved in lifeless silhouette,
Alerting love to seek obscuring shadow.
But there is benediction in a sunset
And promise of a morning resurrection.
By G.H.(Gerry) Dobrindt
Where Are They Now? is an extended series on South Huron
Di shoo! graduates and their, Forel; choices
-JoAnn Lo veII-Krlstof�rsorn monitoring goods
duirmoloolowo
LONDON - 'The challenge is trying to get the job done," said JoAnn Lovell-
Kristoferson of her commodity specialist career with Revenue Canada, Tiede and
Administration Services. `The magnitude of the expectations of the government today is pretty
large."
She has dealt with "the commercial end of monitoring goods," for the past three years by , .
providing services on site to clients that import and export materials. •
Projects are often on-going and information is constantly changing. She finds it challenging
to familiarize herself with documents such as the detailed North American Free1 ade
Agreement: •
"Essentially a lot of it for me is learning a job all over again," she said.
Lovell-Kristoferson enjoys the research, public relations and training opportunities she's
been offered while employed in Windsor, Santee and London.
Early in her carver sane considered training to be RCMP officer.
While she was a law and security student at Mohawk College, she volunteered for the
Hamilton -Wentworth police force. .
"1 knew I would not survive," she admitted "It just wasn't considered a role for women."
She described the college course itself as "a really challenging two years," partly because
she was "more into sports than into edpn."•
With a small percentage of females enuring line enforcement in the mid 7b'sy'these years
proved a valuable experience for her in a male-darn/bated field.
"Any woman who went into a career at that time was a very, very strong woman," she
explained. "Mai were not implied for women to be on a police force...I think that mentality
has changed:"
While M a college Careen Day she discovered a gelated field and was soon hired as a
Customs officer by Canada Customs hi 1977.
"We enforce over 75 different pieces of legislation," she explained, listing
customs, agriculture, special treasures, taxes, environmental and foreign
'affairs as some etas involved
Because die law enforcement field requires
meeting a wide variety of people,
she advised, "you
have to be
really
strong" and "able to deal with people," without using violence.
, She recalls being threatened with guns and knives while working.
"You have to be very tolerant...There's no room for racism."
She feels skills necessary for the job include communication, computer, accounting and
multilingual strengths as well as the willingness to constantly upgrade education.
"I never stopped going to school and most of the people I work with never have."
She likes the variety her job offers. _
"We deal with so Many types of introduction of people and goods into the country...You •
were constantly doing something different."
She believes some of her career,choices were influenced by teachers she met at South
Huron District High School.
"We had some fairly innovative teachers," she said, adding she especially benefitted from
a Women in Society course.
"It really chellenged...young women
and men brave enough to enter that
classroom."
She acknowledged Principal Joe
Wooden and an era marked by advanced -
thinking teachers who had just graduated,
with prtimoting a self -initiating, free way
of thinking.
Born in Chatham, Lovell-Kristoferson
moved to the Centralia area when she was
in grate 4.
'The people in Huron County have a
collective caring you don't find in other
areas...If you were in trtube you're
neighbors were always there to help you,"
she said. "It was a nice place b pow up."
In her spare time, Lovell-Kristoferson,
who lives in Forest with her husband and
two children, is involved with women's
and children's groups. She also collects
antiques, camps, and travels.