BLIND VERSES BLIND

BLIND VERSES  BLIND

FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day, I’m not sure of the time, but it is way after the pumpkin hour and I am still awake, because it is far too hot. We have all our windows open and there is no air at all through the house. So here I am, chatting to you. Hub was telling me about blind people in the US yesterday. He said there were two organisations and one of them the people who were blind, were really independent. Children get taught from a young age, to cope in the big world on their own. It was interesting for his sighted colleagues as they watched people. They felt some kind of discomfort, as the people got on their daily mobility. One lady, it took her about four minutes to walk around a large plant pot, to find where she was. Now someone asked if they could help her and you would not like to be the person who kindly offered help? As she was told under no circumstances, was she to help?

Hub says these people stride out into the streets away from the hotel and head for some shops. Not knowing their way, but come back an hour later with bags of shopping.

Now then, how many posts have they bumped into on their way? How many times have they almost been knocked over? How much stress have they envisaged to get their items? If they took a guide, they could do it, in quarter of the time, they would not be as stressed? But, they would not have done it on their own. The sense of achievement to them to be independent, overrides all easy options.

My opinion is, take the easy option, then you have more time to do your job/work.

You have so many times in your home town, to be a super blind person.

My friend said to me last year, if she didn’t learn from a child her independence, she would not be able to leave the house now?

This shocked me, as she is the most independent person I know. She never gets afraid either? I just feel so week compared to her, but she said it is because I lost my sight when I was thirty, she was six. She learned to have no fear, when she was too young to know fear. This is what they did in the group my Husband was visiting.

If the children had some sight, they were told to wear sleep shades all of the time.

They start the course very afraid, they leave being able to face the world.

Amazing. I wish they could bottle their independence and lack of fear.

With my Husband, I feel I can do anything, but on my own? Incredibly week.

I really don’t like the thought that people feel inadequate. Just because we are not as brave as our friends, or those people on the television?

I may have told this story before, I met a lady who was blind, and she was amazing. I wanted to die when I met her. She had a great job; she was well respected and powerful. I was nothing, no one. This was how I felt. How she made me feel. Then I found out, she does not do one percent of housework, she doesn’t know how to use public transport, and she froze when we went to the train station. Froze with fright.

She asked me, who does my cleaning? Who cooks for me?

I told her, I did everything.

She said, and ironing?

I do everything, I exclaimed.

She then told me, her Mother cooks for her, she has a cleaner three times a week and someone comes and takes her out for shopping.

I was speechless, as during the meeting, I felt totally inadequate in comparison to her.  She had made me feel ashamed for being in my opinion, the coward I am in the outside world, in getting from a to b.

I can cook clean, iron, hang pictures on my wall, and do some gardening and more, around my house. Just about take myself to the local shop, go anywhere with my Husband, but she could turn up at meetings, sound so very important. Be someone, earn respect among the sighted people as well as blind, take her home? Close her door? She freezes.

Who is more independent?

Of course, there are blind people, who can do it all, they are amazing. I can’t, but don’t feel ashamed anymore. I’m not happy to ask for help, I would rather do without, but I wonder about the people who go out there and don’t even need to learn routes. They are just brave people. Or are they simply just different to me. Who is right and who is wrong?

Should there be a right and wrong?

Hub says he is sometimes made to feel bad about asking for assistance in airports by other blind people, who do it on their own. I really will never know, how anyone with no sight, does airports, without getting assistance?

And does a two hour airport experience, take them five hours?

Will they, live longer, because they, have pride on their side?  Or will people who ask for help, because they have less stress in their lives?

Who knows, I guess what I conclude from this, is to teach a child from a very young age, how to be brave, is the answer, but never make people feel a lesser person, because they are unable to catch a bus on their own, or cook a meal for themselves without someone standing over them?