November 9, 2020
What would be the hardest thing for you to give up?
It’s one of my deepest fears. That someday I’ll go blind. Oh, I know that I’d be able to “read” books on audio, and even train myself to “write” using one of the dictation programs out there, but they wouldn’t make up for the loss of sight.
I can’t imagine never seeing another snowfall glittering among the pine trees. Or watching my grandchildren grow, even if it is by internet calls in these days of distancing. It would be hard to be unable to create another needlepoint piece or even sew a button back on a shirt.
Image by Helmut Strasil from Pixabay
It hurts to wonder what it would be like to never gaze upon the glory of the mountains or experience the joy of stumbling upon a field of mountain wildflowers. To feel the warmth of sunshine on my skin but never see the light. To live in darkness.
I can’t imagine the sadness of lying by my husband, to feel him, to touch him, to smell him, but not to see him.
The hardest thing for me to give up? My eyes.
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Until next time, stay safe.
November 9, 2020
What would be the hardest thing for you to give up?
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My sight has deteriorated slightly as I’ve got older and undergone radiation therapy. To have sight is a wonderful thing, and I appreciate the sight I still have.
I didn’t have to wear glasses until I was over 40. (unlike the rest of my siblings, who had to get glasses as kids) My eyesight use to be so good that I could get a needle through the same spot in a piece of cloth. No more.
Nope, welcome to my world.
There are so many tasteless blind jokes. Read a book in grade school about a kid who went blind after a firecracker accident, always scared me. Rode my bike past a creek where some guys were playing war with BB guns. A BB went through my glasses, just missed the pupil of my left eye. That was an experience. Happened to be an eye doctor on call who’d been a MASH doc or I’d be blind in that eye. As it is, I’m not much worse for the episode. Wait, this wasn’t about me? Damn… The wonderful thing about sight is perspective. Nothing like seeing the Pacific pound the cliffs or gaze over a mountain range to order your significance.
I had a near-blinding encounter with a barbed-wire fence as a kid. Got lucky, and the scar is hidden under my eyebrow.
My eyesight’s always been good — I come from people with better-than-20/20 eyesight. So even at 60, my eyesight’s still pretty good — not what it used to be, but I don’t need reading glasses except for phone books and Chinese restaurant flyers. Way back in high school, a guest speaker in a creative writing class suggested we blindfold ourselves and let someone lead us around to get a feel for what it is like to be blind. She was blind. I’ve done a lot of things to test out writing scenes and that has got to be the one that struck with me the most.
I’ve done the blindfold exercise, but the experience that had the greatest impact on me was taking a tour in a deep cavern and having the guide turn the lights off.