OSLO DIARY PART 3

Diary of Oslo part 3

I tried to call teen, to see how he was. Hmm. That is all I’m saying at this stage.

We slept so well the first night must have been a combination of the travel, fresh air and nerves.  

The heat in the room though was so stuffy. We could only open the windows an inch. The bed was lovely and comfortable and I couldn’t wait for the next day, to walk through the woods again and there was a really important dinner in the evening, where there was an award for a very special Lord, and friend of my Hubs.

The next morning, we woke early. Jumped in the shower and got dressed for the day. I wore my new long purple skirt, which went to my feet and my tighter than I would have liked white t/shirt. Tight because of the style, not because it was too small, so I think I proved I was for sure a female….

Hub looked beautiful in his suit. He is so handsome. Off we went to breakfast. Poor Arty had some bad news. Her Uncle, who had been ill for a couple of weeks, remember I told you about him? How they didn’t operate because of his age, and how they would not think about the age with someone like Prince Philip?

Well, sadly, he died, but Arty, was just relieved he was out of pain, though of course she was sad about his death. I really felt for her, wanting her to have a nice time, I’m sure she did, she said she had and at least it took her mind away from her loss a bit.

Well, we walked along the tactile walkways to the place of our breakfast. Sat with Alan and the three Maria’s from Spain. That was really funny. We joked that all Spanish ladies, were called Maria.

Breakfast was really delicious. Oh the food was so lovely. I have put on 5lbs in the two days I was there. I am surprised as I walked a bit and ate quite healthy. Much better than I do at home. So many salads too. I had two tiny slices of the bread. Oh it was wonderful, so healthy tasting. As though it was made from nuts. I loved it.

There was a feeling of happiness in the room. It was as though being back at boarding school, not the cruel house staff, or being away from those we loved, just the knowledge that I was with people like me.

I have never ever been institutionalised in fact always fought against that, but for the first time this weekend, my views have changed. I loved being around blind people. Does that sound weird? Sad? Or mad?

Most meetings Hub goes to, he is the only blind person, but this was a members meeting so fifty percent of people there were blind or partially sighted.

Because they were from all countries in Europe, they were good kind people. Educated too and just at one with the environment.

I always thought of myself as a blind person of difference. I didn’t like being around blind people because they reminded me of my future when I was young, I knew there was a possibility of me going blind in my life, and didn’t want to look at myself in others. Some groups I tried to join when I was younger were of people with more than blindness, they also had some learning difficulties, but these people, this weekend, were all clever. More than clever, brilliant. I had huge respect for them and they didn’t  do things like make cane chairs, knit, play dominos,  Braille cards or stick shapes onto things to make houses, like I was asked to do at one group I used to attend. They talked as a sighted person would. They laughed as a sighted person would. They worked as sighted people do and wanted what sighted people want. They were sighted people, without the closed minds of some, sighted people. They were sighted people trapped in a blind body and world, but who lived in that blind world with positive vibes.

Now then, you do get the super blind people and they were not them. They were normal, who had huge challenges in life and were not afraid to express how hard life was. So they were not like the person I used to be friends with, remember my x friend who stayed at ours last year, the one who smoked in our house, and went out into my front garden in his short short dressing gown? And worse, bent over and picked his guide dog mess up showing all to our neighbours? Ha. He was dreadful, he was rude when sighted people tried to ask if he needed help and he obviously did, but he would refuse help, as he could do it?

But in the meanwhile, he would make so many mistakes, he looked silly. He would try to be as so called normal in the sighted world as possible, and end up looking as abnormal as he could.

No one   there was like that. These people were all strong people with hearts. Who admitted they made mistakes and learned how to live as best as they could in such circumstances?

These people were interesting and alive.

I made good friends with a man from Turkey, who told me of such stories about the latest awful goings on over there. Oh it was amazing to hear all about it from the people’s perspective. He told me about things that never got or will get publicised in the media.

How people were carrying lemons and vinegar, with gas masks. They would rub the lemons and vinegar in their eyes and nose to stop the pepper bombs from affecting them. He said how 12 people have lost sight in one of their eyes because of the obscenities going on there.

He said how he went to protest and was told by the government workers there

“Why are you here, what can you do? You are blind.

He said yes, I’m a person like everyone else. They were heavy handed with him. He told me of his life story and it was amazing to hear. We spent a long time talking and what a wonderful powerful man he is. What a fighter in a calm way an yet will never back down on anything, until he has result.

He has had an awful life too, but one of a super hero. We spoke of history and politics, but we joked to and laughed. I just looked to him with great admiration. I can’t tell of all we spoke of I can’t tell of what was said between me and a few people, but what I can say, is I heard some tails this weekend that made me think. I am still in a very odd situation.

To tell you the truth, I feel like a puzzle that has lost all of the bits from the box, but need to make a picture from the shapes of wood. I found myself in a place this weekend crossing with heaven, perfection, hell, deep sadness, death and excitement with admiration. So many feelings all in one box. A place so different and far from my normal life, an yet a place I will never forget or want to let go of. A place which has changed my mind but in what way? I’m not sure. I just know that something in my life has to change. Something in the world has to change, but what I also learned is, corruption lives on.

More tomorrow Bloggets. x