Man Adjusts to Life with Guide Dog

March 7, 2008

LINCOLN, Neb. – James Faimon is not the type of man who asks for help. Blind since infancy, he’s made his way for 70 years, accustomed to life without sight. But retirement brought a change the former assistant city attorney never envisioned for himself.

A dedicated Lincoln city employee, Faimon didn't take a sick day for the first 25 years of his career. Now on permanent vacation, he's spending his retirement with his wife and an animal companion that at one time in his life, might have slowed him down.

“With all the people coming in and out of the office, I thought it wouldn't be such a good idea to have a dog,” said Faimon.

Years of service in a position that one colleague described as “probably one of the absolutely most thankless jobs in the city – dealing with claims and the people who file them, sorting out what may or may not be the city's fault” Faimon's full attention was needed every day.

But when it came time to retire, the opportunity to relax was finally at hand. But that did not mean unplugging from the world. Faimon is still an active man – as he always has been. In fact, in college he was a letter-winning wrestler.

But being 70 and blind, a bit of assistance here and there isn't a bad thing.

Now, able to be distracted, Faimon has taken on Murphy, a guide dog, as his partner. Like all guide dogs, when the harness is on, it's all business – not unlike Faimon, who spent his entire career under the same notion.

Murphy is a two year-old yellow lab. Provided by Leader Dogs for the Blind of Rochester, Mich., he's worth about $38,000 – a cost that was gifted to Faimon through the organization.

The Lincoln Journal Star described one of Faimon's first experiences with the dog – when Murphy “got lost,” or so to speak.

While walking in the park with Murphy, Faimon bent down to clean up after the canine when he accidentally dropped the leash. Thinking he had lost the dog, he spent the next few minutes calling the dog.

A passerby asked him if he needed help. Faimon asked him to help find Murphy.

“He's been sitting right next to you all along,” said the man.

Although Faimon is still learning how to work with his new partner, it appears to be a positive thing.

“Jim bathes, brushes his teeth and feeds him,” said wife Bonnie Faimon. “You can really tell that Murphy loves Jim very much.”

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Special contributions to this story by Hilary Kindschuh and Argenis Villa, The Lincoln Journal-Star.