GOD'S TOUCHINGS, A MEMOIR - Outline

Prologue: That the Works of God Might Be Manifest in His Life

Chapter 1: Turning Point (January, 1977)

Her Continuing Presence and its Influence
Regrets about Insensitivity
Funeral

Chapter 2: First Memories (1940)
- A Bit of Background
- Birth of a Sibling (Julie, January, 1940)
- Visits: Mayo Clinic and School for the Blind (summer 1940?)
- A Dog With Rabies (?)
- Mother Breast-Feeding With Children Gathered Around (?)
- Electrification of Farmhouse (?)
Chapter 3: The Minnesota School for the Blind (September, 1940?, June 1949)

Embarrassment About Public Toilets
Learning to Dress Self
Homesickness
Kindergarten
Roommates and Friends
Learning to Read (1942?)
Effort of Writing Braille on a Slate
Digging an Illicit Cave (1943?)
Religious Instruction
Staff and Teachers
Reading Aloud by Staff and Teachers

chapter 4: Home Life on Vacations

Not Required to Do Chores
Siblings Required to Entertain and Read Aloud
Butchering a Pig (?)
A Close Lightning Strike (?)
Summer of Broken Arm and Tonsilectomy (1944)
Family Moves to Town (december, 1944)

Chapter 5: Trauma and Awakening (May 1945, September 1949)

The Worst Trauma for a Blind Child
Losing Hearing in Right Ear (March?, 1944)
Losing Hearing in Left Ear (May, 1945)
Summer of Sickness (1945)
Remembered sounds: birds, echoes, songs
Traumatic Return to School (Fall, 1945)
Futile Hospital Stay in Twin Cities (January, 1946)
Another Birth (Jane, April, 1946)
Keeping Cats, especially Coda
In and Out of School
Town Installs Sewers and Paves Streets (1948?)
Swimming in lake and Playing in Stream
Turning to Books
Interest in Science Awakens
Frustration at the scarcity of good science books in braille
Religious and Family Thoughts
Imitating Edison
Summer School in Michigan (1949)

Chapter 6: The New York Institute for the Education of the Blind (September 1949, June 1956)

Memories of Arrival
The Deaf-Blind Department
Attempts by School to Keep Pets
Unavoidable Long Separations from Family

Rough Kids and Unsympathetic Teachers

Class Time Wasted on Polishing Shoes and Demands for Apologies

Liking for Solitude Begins

Excluded from Class for a Week Over Some Minor Infraction (Spring, 1952)

Brouhaha About "Talking Back" (Spring, 1952)

Accusation of Masturbation (Spring, 1952)

Teacher Writes Bad Report (Ssring, 1952)

Religious Instruction: Father Darcy

Happiness While With Family on Vacation

Discovering and Misunderstanding Sexuality (Summer, 1952)

New Teacher (Fall 1952)

The "Radio Class" and the Best Blind Teacher (1953 - 56)

Better Experiences with Other Teachers and Kids

Reading Literature Beyond Requirements

Attempts at Poetry

"Science Whiz"

More Frustration with Lack of Good Books

Desire To Be An Electronics Engineer

Chapter 7: Romantic Awakening (1954?-1956)

Another From Afar
Woman as Civilizer

Chapter 8: Preparing for College

Scholarship for Interpreter
Year of "Work Experience" Beforehand (1956)
Choice of School (1957)
Finding an Interpreter (1957)

Chapter 9: College (september 1957, June 19617

Living Off-Campus and Learning to Cook
All Books Hand-Transcribed (But only textbooks)
Interest in Philosophy
Religion Classes
Chosing a Career in Computer programming (1958?)
Dream of a Company for "Disabled" People (Inspired by Henry Viscardi) (1959?)
Studying Mathematics
Interest in Psychology
Changing Interpreters (1960)
Graduation (1961)

Chapter 10: Romance Continues

Not With College Girls
A Bolt From the Blue (October, 1959)
Studying Spanish
First Kiss (December 1960)
Motivation for Independence
Living alone in an Apartment (September 1961, September 1964)
First Job (Sheltered Workshop) and Riding the City Buses (1962?)
Designing and Building a Hearing Aid (1962?)
Becoming an Agnostic
Quarrels and Disappointments
A long Visit and Disillusion (Summer 1963)
Desire for Marriage and Children Heightened and Persistent

Chapter 11: Career in Computer Programming

Training at University of Cincinnati (1964)
First Programming Job ĀMedcomp, 1965, December 1969)
Writing One of the First Braille Translators (1966)
Hiring Assistants
Joining the Unitarians (1968)
Second Job (Willoughby-Eastlake School District, May 1970, May 1972)
Romantic Encounters and Disappointments
The Optacon: opening the World of Printed Books (1972)
"Programming Whiz"
Third Job (University of Wisconsin-Parkside, may 1972, January 1978)
Training a Guide Dog (October, 1972)

Chapter 12: Hazel (November, 1972)

Meeting at Church
of Love, Dogs and snakes

Chapter 13: Till Death Do Us Part (March 1973, January 1977)

Wedding and Honeymoon (march, 1973)
Raising Rabbits: The French Connection
Diagnosis of ALS (1974)
Learning French
Trip to Paris (Summer, 1975)
Beginning Graduate Studies at Northwestern University (1976)
The Last Year (September 1975, January, 1977)
Computers Might Have Been Helpful

Chapter 14: "Go forth ... to a land which I shall show you." (Gen 12:1) (January 1977, January 1978)

Hazel's Continuing Presence
Disappointments in Seeking Remarriage
Reinvestigating Religion, Elaine
"Journeys end with lovers meeting." (Communion) (July, 1977)
Using Computers in God's Service
"You must do everything possible, and I will do the impossible."
A Severe Mercy
Setting Out Ā(January, 1978

Chapter 15: University of Wisconsin-Madison (January 1978, September 1987)

Living in a Dorm for the First Semester
Buying a House Next to Computer Science Building (June, 1978)
Studying Whole Books With the Optacon
Interest in Artificial Intelligence
Master's Degre (1982)
All But Dissertation (1984)

Chapter 16: Depression

Romantic Disappointments
Disappointment with and Resentment Towards People
Fighting Depression With Thoughts of the Resurrection
Despite Despondency

Chapter 17: But a Dream Comes True - CHPI (May, 1981, present)

On Less than a Shoestring
First Computer: Apple II
First Employee - With Cerebral Palsy (1981)
Grant with Independent Living (1983)
Remodeling the Building for Accessibility (1984)
Training Others With Disabilities (1986)
The Grant With the Trace Center (1991)
Beginning Braille Prroduction (1992)

Chapter 18: Meanwhile, the Personal Side

Decision for Solitude (1987)
Death of Father (may, 1989)
The Cochlear Implant: Reopening the World of Sound (August, 1989)
Increased Sensitivity Makes Optacon Unusable
The Shingles Episode and its aftermath (December, 1991)
Disagreement With City of Madison (May, 1992)

Chapter 19: CHPI Grows

Developing a Computerized Braille Math Translator (1993-1999)
Moving CHPI to Bigger Quarters (June, 1994)
Advice From an "Angel" (September 1995)
Change of Mission: Applying Computer Technology ...
Starting the CHPI Website
Starting the Technical Braille Center (January, 1998)
Night School at MATC
The Trials of Nonprofit Entrepreneurship

Chapter 20: And the Spirit Grows

Firm Decision for Celibacy (1996)
Investigating the Diaconate (July, 1996)
Counseling for Depression (August 1996-March, 1998)
The Ministry Formation Program for Deaf Catholic Adults (September 1997, May 2001)
The godtouches Internet Ministry (December, 1997)
Religious Poetry
Spiritual Stories
Catholics with Disabilities (February, 2000)

chapter 21: Up Till Now

The Various TBC Managers
Death of Mother (February 1, 2002)
Writing Another Grade 2 Translator (February, 2002)
Fall and Hospitalization (December, 2002)
Greater Solitude (December 2002)
Oldtimers Leave or Are Dismissed
Writing a Driver for the Tiger Embosser (December 2002)
Death of Hazel's Son (August, 2003)
Writing a Memoir (November, 2003)
Incorporating the godtouches Digital Ministry, Inc. (March 2004)

Epilogue: Expanding the Dream

Providing Science and math Books for the same price as the printed book
Helping the Blind in Developing Countries
Finding Sponsors for Technical Reference Books and Manuals
Developing a Free, Technically-Oriented, Cross-Platform Braille Transcription package
Math Literacy for Blind Children
Funding Braille Displays and Embossers

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