Walk softly and carry a big stick

Well, I did it. I finally broke down and got a cane. It has been a long time in coming and a mental fight within myself for some years now. And here is how the story goes. Once we closed our restaurant and began focusing on grad school, I came to the realization that in order for me to be independent, i was going to have to one day suck it up and take the plunge to the land of letting people know i am one without sight. After coming to that conclusion, I psyched myself up for about two months before finally calling my state's rehabilitatio department. This was in November. They told me they had a program where i would learn mobility and that I would probably be able to participate in the spring. It was a bit to wait but we had other things going on and and so I waited. and waited. and waited. Well it is june now, and I am no closer to my training as I was back in November. Finally last month, I had had enough. I began researching online and found that the items weren't that expensive. I had already taught myself an understanding of braille in only a few weeks (i can read it, just not quickly) with no help from anyone other my state or any clases, so i fifigured, how hard can it be to learn how to swing a stick back and forth? After researching how to measure for length, my husband and I went online and found a suitable length with the features i wanted. We ordered from the company Maxi Aids (seems to be a pretty good company, I got my braille slate from there and their prices are decent). We just looked it up on amazon. The price was only $20 + about $7 in shipping. Definitely worth it to me instead of wasting my precious time playing the waiting game with my state. The cane is 54" tall (you measure up to your shoulder to get the correct height). It folds to about 1.5 feet long (I haven't actually measured the length folded, that's just my guesstimation), and reminds me alot of a tent post in the way it comes apart and goes together, with a thick elastic band allowing it to do so. It is made out of aluminum, so it is light, and is white and red,. the applied color is like a plastic coating, so it scuffs kinda easily, but i don't care about that so much. TThe tip is a rolling marchmallow tip, and they weren't kiding when they said marshmallow. It is the size and color of a marshmallow. I will overlook it's hideousness though because it makes the cane really easy to use. You don't have to tap it unless you are on really crappy terraine, like grass or gravel. just roll it along from side to side. After i received my item, i had to let it sit in the closet for a few days just for me to wrap my mind around owning one. After a few days of that, I was ready to give it a try..but only in a deserted area where no one would see me. So my husband too me to the local middle school which had let out for the summer. I closed my eyes (i still have a little vision left, so w wanted to rely fully on the cane and not even see anything to get used to it). We walked around for probably half an hour and it was surprisingly easy to use. I figure once i get to the city and have my cell phone with gps, i'll be pretty good to go. so that is the only time i have used my stick...so far. I am not yet ready to let everyone i know see me with it, even though i know it is only a helpful device. I guess it's like two people standing beside a cold swimming pool. One person jumps right in, gets used to the water quickly ....but the other person has to take their time...first putting in a toe and quickly removing it...then they put in their foot and let is sit there for a while, then the other foot, then the legs up to their knees, and so on. I am that second person when it comes to my use of assistive devices. It takes me quite a long time to get used to the idea But once I am finally in the pool, I am sure i will be able to swim as well as the rest.