Fiona McCann
vision
 Yesterday afternoon at the bus stop, I was sitting on the grass behind the bench, trying to stay in the shade and catch some of the breeze, when I saw a man with a long cane swinging from side to side in front of him come walking up the street. He slowed uncertainly beside another waiting woman, and I heard her tell him which street he was on and which buses came by there. Then she had to warn him about the iron post in front of him as he almost moved head on into it. This sight nearly made me weep for the reason that here was a young man in the heat, not even sure what street he was on and unable to see to steer clear of obstacles that would hurt him. I thought of the young student I had a couple years ago who trained seeing eye dogs, and I wondered why this man did not have one, but I know that many blind people do not. Then I thought of myself and how I would wish for a dog if I were blind because you would feel so alone if you couldn't see and had to make your way through the city unaided. The old internal chant played in my head of how cruel God is to afflict his people with so many tragedies and sorrows and burdens. It never ends. I watched this man all the way to my stop. He sat in the seat with his eyes closed. I thought of how he would be unable to read unless he knew Braille and how he would probably not use a computer--at least not in the usual way. He was so young, and I wondered if he had always been blind. Maybe he was quite used to his condition, but it didn't look like it. It just made me sad. |
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Alan-Benefit / Website (9.6.06 08:21) It's something that we take so much for granted. I often wonder... if someone has been blind from birth, and therefore has no concept of colour or perspective or any purely visual characteristics of anything, do they dream? If so, do they dream in colour? And how would they know? How could they describe it? |
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Flighty / Website (10.6.06 08:16) I think that to lose,or not have, our sight has to be one of the worst afflictions. I've known such people and have always had the greatest admiration for their fortitude in getting on with their lives.I've long donated to the Guide Dogs for the Blind and I'm a supporter of the National Library for the Blind. Have a good weekend. |
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