Category: Let's talk
I kno that not being able to see has it's draw backs, and I'll admit that I don't like it sometimes, but this isn't about that. The questian is, what do you like about not! being able to see?
Hardly anything. There are many, many more disadvantages than advantages. But having said that, I have recently found one advantage. I feel a bit more free to speak my mind in certain situations because I can't let a person's facial expressions or body language warn me that I may be treading on thin ice. It is sort of freeing when I have something I want to get off my chest.
Interestingly enough, not being able to see opens one to the realm of possibilities without barriers. I joked in another board post about wanting to see my past girlfirends. While this is true, and I should start taking pictures, just in case, I ask myself why I dated these women in the first place. Looks weren't the first factor in the attractions for these women. I will not lie, looks did play a part, but it wasn't the first part. Having had sight before I can safely say that I personally was attracted first by the look of a woman and not by her personality.
I should also point out that, not being able to see, got me through college debt free. I am not saying that had I had sight I would be in debt, but that seems to be the case for more and more of my sighted friends. To wrap things up, I should also point out that the odds would be lessened that I would have ever come to this community if I had sight. The zone community and the community of blind people that I have met over the ten years of blindness have been instrumental in helping me to become who I am today. Objectives and goals which I take on today, I take on with the same focus that I do when planning a route to an unfamiliar destination. My friends point out to me all the time how patient I am and how logical I am when it comes to working things out. Being blind, teaches one to be more methodical I think.
Well that's a wrap.
Lap it up,
Nem
Well, I have to agree with all of you. I think my not being able to see has made me a more determined individual, a stronger person, because since I'm mostly with sighted people, I have to figure things out for myself. I like not being able to see because it makes me proud of who I am. I'm not saying I'm Miss perfect Sharon, look what I can do, but rather, I'm saying we've came a long way baby. I think it's time to celebrate. It's the blinds night out.
i like everything.
i've never been able to see anyway, so to me it's like i'm not missing anything
I've got to admit, when I first saw this topic I thought "wow, nothing". But the responses here are really revealing. And (wishy washy me) now I agree with everyone else.
I especially like Nem's free college. That's completely correct. My parents came up with living expenses for the most part, but, tuition, books and reader services were free to me.
Also, (damn, I hope I'm not the only one to admit this: oh well) there's the attention factor.
In almost any crowd of sighted people, we always stand out. Many people assume that we have some kind of magical powers like hearing or touch or music. They don't realize that these skills were achieved by lots of hard work.
Braille is a good attention getter, if you play a musical instrument or sing, you've got an in. I do play the piano, and have played some pretty lousy sets, but everyone assumes you are Ray Charles and cut you lots of slack.
If you read Braille, you can already do something that probably noone else can do in a crowd of sighted folks.
I understand that if you are a guide dog user, you have a definite in.
I'm not saying you will always grab the lime light, nor that you should want to. But, blindness is definitely a conversation starter.
Okay, so I'm vain enough to occasionally enjoy the lime light, and admit it. How about the rest of you blinks.
Oh yes, these things don't work on the zone, but, here at least we can be honest with each other and share common experiences.
Very good topic. Now, someone give me some attention <smile>.
Bob
Aww, Bob. "your so vain, you probabbly think this song is about you". There ya go! your attention...lol.
I think that not having sight allows for a broader imagination. I mean, I've had sight, but I dunno, if I get bored, I can conjour up something entertaining in my mind more easily than if I had to look at stuff around me.
Also, like some have said, it allows me to judge personality, not looks first.
And yeah, free college will come in handy too.
Hmm, this is kind of scary, I originally wanted to be all sarcastic with this topic, and now find myself posting seriously. Firstly a little of what Cala just said, being blind means you look far more deeply into a person, you see things that many sighted people don't, I think it means in the main we are less superficial than sighted people.
Bob, I hate the kind of attention you talk of. We all love attention we wouldn't be human if we didn't, but attention because I'm different, by being blind, no thanks. I hate it being thought that something so normal as every day life is wonderful because I achieve it dispite being blind. That to me is patronising. I prefer being treated the same as anyone else, and luckily have friends who treat me so. I even find it a complement on occasions if a friend does something in a way that shows he/she forgot I can't see, it shows me they think of me as a person, not a blind person.
it has it's advantages and disadvantages. because I'm blind from cancer, I've been able to get myself on the run sheet for a lot of very high profile gigs, so I'v estayed in swankey hotels, I've tried a lot of extreme and different out of the ordenary sports that my friends haven't had the opportunity to try. I get most of my computers and technology for free, and I have a fantasticly trained dog that people have spent near to 20000 dollars getting to this point for me, absolutely free! I always gte a seat on the bus or train, I get to ride public transport for free! I don't have to worry about a part time job to get me through college if I don't wnat to cause I get benefits that are more than the government pays other students. I'll continue to get this payment even if I have a full time job. everyone who talks to me is nice to me. I get a lot of people to talk to me, I sometimes like the attention bob talks about, but only sometimes. There are a lot of good things about beeing blind, the most important one is like nem said, all the amazing friends I have made, both on line, and at the many camps I've been on over the years.And the best of all. If i wasn't blind, I don't think I would have met Nem and I certainly wouldn't have then got engaged to him!
All these answers so far I agree with in different ways...even black bird's. I hate it when people do things for me, cause I can't see. The thing I like about not being able to see, is that I don't have to see all the uglyness in the world. I'm not talking about people's looks, I'm talking about the violence and things like that.
Missing out on the awful so called winter/summer essentials foisted upon us by clueless fashionistas...being able to sleep in bright sunlight without sore eyes...missing the sneering disingenuous smiles of politicians.
not seeing ugly people.
For me, one of my favourite things about being blind is that when there is a power outage, i'ts just life as normal, while sighted people scramble for a
torch or a candle.
I have to agree with Bob that whilst you don't want attention all the time because you're blind, occasionally it can be fun and cause people who might not
otherwise have done so to talk to you; we don't all have
dogs...
If you've read my profile, you will know I do barbershop singing; I truly stole the limelight at our Australian Convention on the Gold Coast in 2005.
Firstly, The Blenders who are Australian Champions many times over, had what I called an intimidation session. I.e, they invited visiting delegates to
come and watch them rehearse. As you would expect of a champion chorus, nothing short of excellence is acceptable and their coaches drive them very hard.
However, their director wasn't satisfied with the facial expression during a particular song and ask the chorus to mime the words. "she said "imagine
you're singing to a deaf audience"; this was my cue! My wife, who knows that I don't always deliver a punch line succinctly, was horrified when I told
her "watch this". As the applause died away, I rose and in my resonant baritone voice declared "I'm glad you deaf people enjoyed that"! As almost everyone
in the hall nows me or at least that I'm blind, the house erupted with laughter!
Apart from having been interviewed briefly for the evenig news, the highlight for me was singing with Riptide who are a high profile quartet from the US
and who were guests at the convention. After singing with them at an informal session and again in the restaurant, I visualised being asked to sing at
one of the public concerts. As stated by HauntedReverie, it is so wonderful to be able to ignore what is happening around you (particularly TV) and completely
immerse yourself in your own imagination. Visualisation is a powerful thing indeed, I was ask to sing one song with Riptide at the farewell luncheon.
If I never sing on the international competition stage, I will always treasure the memories of that convention!
My wife believes that not seeing the ugliness in the world has been a significant factor in retaining my youthful good looks; much less than my nearly 50
years...
Like iternity, I don't spend hours bemoaning the things I can't do because I can't see. However, I have been guilty of not striving for higher goals in
education and career development because I am blind.
I've always hated everyhing about not being able to see. I'd love to drive a car, I'd've liked to help out more whenever we had a new baby in the family, but I'll get the opportunity to do that probably sooner than I think, I've hated not being able to ride a bicycle instead of walking to School, College, down to the shops, I've always wanted to know what my family actually looks like, my younger cousins especially and I know I'll always hate not being able to see their faces or anything, so being blind's a real downer for me, but it's also something that couldn't be helped, so I have to try and make the best of it.
well, what i like about not seeing is the fact that if i have to share a room with people, and i haven't done this since i stopped going to the camps, is I can read a braille book without getting a lot of ying yang about the light hurting someones' eyes. When there is a power failure, I can get around just as good as i did when the power was on, while most sighted people are practically helples in the dark. If i coulod see, i'd be going totally crazy til the power came back on, not that i don't hate it when power does go off, but if i could see, it'd be much worse, because i probably couldn't stand being in the dark for a couple of days. Another thing is I'm not shallow when it comes to looks. I like a person for what they are, their personality and how they treat me. I have no visual sense whatsoever, and don't care much about anything visual. Well, it's good in a way not to be able to see someone's facial expressions to kinow if they 're annoyed with you are you're going too far, cause a lot of people would get their feelings hurt if a person looked at them a certain way whereas i don't have to worry about it.
wonderwoman
Depending on strangers who are willing to help me cross a busy intersection has led me to trust in human beings. trusting people is very hard for me to do, but now that I'm legally blind, I guess I've been forced to go against my impulses. lol
Let me see, what else? I guess just the challenge of learning how to do things without sight, things I used to do with the greatest of ease when i had sight. It's taught me to be patient.
Another thing I like about being visually impaired is that it has helped me to talk more. I've always been sort of a quiet person, speaking only when spoken to or when I feel the need to give advice to someone I care about, and so I guess asking for directions or asking for help has been made easier for me because of blindness.
Listening to some of my fellow passengers on public buses I ride express disappointment because I paid 50 cents to get on when they paid 2 dollars. lol
I like the way a crowd of people will just move out of my way when they see me coming. lol I feel like a king or something.
And I like it when the bus driver forces another passenger to give up his/her seat for me. I just love to hear the sighs of hatred. lol
I like getting to read in the dark, not getting eyestrain from needing to constantly look at the computer screen, not being able to reject a new/different food without trying it, and not immediately judging people/things by their appearance.
I like customizing my internet views to get rid of obscure fonts, bright colors, and flashy graphics and such. It helps to be able to keep things simple when reading. I love noticing what weird sounds everyday things make and using my excellent pitch skills (I hate calling it perfect pitch because nothing's perfect) to say "Hmm, that chainsaw's buzzing in e flat!" LOL! Even though I'm primarily a print reader, I like knowing Braille in case I ever wanted to write a diary or book of shadows or something and sighted people wouldn't ever have access to it! I like using a cane because it doubles as a defense weapon. Being able to use a computer without a mouse came in handy when a mouse of mine actually broke, eeeek! I have an excuse to make fun of bad speech programs because unlike most sighties I know, I can actually understand what they're saying and how badly they're saying things. I personally believe I can see some things that others aren't as attuned to unless they follow pagan spiritual practices, so having a second sight of sorts on top of partial regular sight is awesome!
Yes, a cane is good as a defence weapon! I've actually had to do that on more than one accation.
I guess the biggest thing for me, is not being able to see stuff like std's and violence. of course reading in the dark is another advantage as well, though.
right, had no reason to read the previous posts here. One thing comes to mind automatically. Without seeing, you don't need the screen to be up on a laptop, privacy at its greatest. that's how I read erotica during school for 2 years or so...
Lol, not having the screen up on the lap top when I was in school, let me get away with everything! except when the teacher came over and turned the screen on. Then I had to quickly close the file I was in, and open whatever subject it was I was in at the time. 99 percent of the time, I wasn't in the file of the subject I was in class for...I hated! school, so I just wrote diary's and anything else, other than what I was supposed to. I even one day got the screen reader to tell one of my teachers to "fuck off, you bastard", and he took the computer away from me, but not before I wiped it out. So, not having screens on the computer on! yeah, I like that about not being able to see.
Many of you have touched on the thing I was thinking of, namely opportunities. I've had opportunities to meet some really fantastic people, use some really neat devices, and yes, get out of college debt-free, and keeping my parents that way. Sure, I've lost out on things, but I honestly believe I have the best disability one could have, given a choice. I mean, I can go where I want without worrying about steps. I can carry on a conversation without having a third person violate my privacy. I work in a comprehensive rehabilitation center where people with all kinds of disabilities come for services. I'm able to observe their difficulties, and be greatful I'm only blind.
Lou
I like the fact that I'm able to have a cane. Not only can the cane be a mobility device, but it is useful if I am to be involved in violent encounters. I first realised this by accident, but I admire its defensive qualities, and it makes me glad I'm blind.
Well, I haven't been so lucky/unlucky as to have to use my cane as a weapon. I just don't do fights! But I agree with others that blindness allows me to not make snap judgments about people based on looks so I don't ahve tobe too self-conscious.
I also think it allows me a bit of freedom to be a little eccentric, at least in my world view and tastes and such.
Oh come on! you haven't felt like just hitting someone with your cane, cause they're pissing you off, or just annoying you?
I hit my friends (both sighted and blind) with the cane.
Joking around, of course.
For me, the answer is no. I don't like to think of the cane as a weapon. You might give an attacker the same idea, and if they were able to grab it, you'd be in worse shape than you were before. To me, its almost like someone using their glasses as a weapon.
Yes, but if your pissed off with someone, and your cane is the only thing you can hit them with, don't you think you'd use it then? Most of the time, it's by accident that I hit people with it, and it's mainly their own fault, cause they keep watching it, and not where they're going, or doing.
Hmm, social security payments, being able to hang out at home and chat and get paid as much as my poor friends struggling till midnight working at gas stations, lovely (of course I've had a full time job for 5 years now but the proepct sounds awfully nice), also I will never be the D.D. after a night of light or heavy drinking, no one has ever asked me to be the designated driver. Also just because I can get on board a plane myself, land and get a cab to the job interview the interviewers generally think I'm a genius who understands all there is to understand about the theoryof relativity and are much more prepared to hier me without me having to show a glimpse of talent in the relevant fields. *grin* Of course I have to prove myself once job starts and they get to know me and some of them even figure out riding the bus may not be such a feat after all. Free upgrades on planes, hardly ever having to wait in line and the occasional restaurant discount or free soda is certainly a perk. Also an endless source of not funny jokes and embarressing lines such as "You'reright, as far as the eye can see, in my case tht's not very far" etc.
Damn, I guess I just don't get that pissed off at people. Besides, what good will it do?
Actually, the cane would make a really poor weapon I would think. Especially the fiberglass ones that are so flexible they bend when you hit a curb much less someone else.
Now a dog, that's different story. Most people think they are trained to protect their owner. Most of them are whimps, and would rather play than attack anyone. Except in a real emergency, I'm sure.
Just my thoughts.
Bob
I've only hit people with the canes that don't fold up.
A nonfolding fiberglass cane isn't that menacing. As another person who posted said, I don't get that angry at people.
Yeah, I'd think a rigid fiberglass cane would be mighty brittle and wouldn't an aluminum cane, folding or not, get bent really badly? Now, I've got one of those carbon fiber canes from California Canes and those are supposed to be lighter and will stay rigid even over rough terraine. Can't say anything about its weapons potential though.
On a windy day, these canes make great missiles. Problem is, you have no guidance system for them.
I've fixed mine up. I've loaded the handle with explosives. <lol>
Bob
Remind me not to et close enough to yu that you hand me your cane for any reason.
lmao Bob. I wouldn't want you to hand me your cane for anything either.
I don't mind being totally blind, I like my schol for the blind and I like braille. And, my parents say that I am good at keeping certain things (especially birthdays and phone numbers) in my mind. But sometimes I would like to be able to se although.
Several people have touched on the point of not being able to see the ugly things in the world. I agree with them. I don't have to judge people by how they look because I can't. never have, never will My BF, who is sighted, says that's why he loves me. He's not the thinnest person in the world, but that doesn't bother me one bit. His heart's in the right place. I have an inkling of what my family looks like from descriptions, but that's it. I think we, as humans, take so much for granted. We don't know how much we have had until it's gone.
Not that I've ever had vision, (to clarify that last sentence), but if you've lost sight, it's very scary at first, unless you know it's going to happen, due to an eye condition. I know someone who lost 95% of her vision after a stroke. She's feeling very depressed obviously, but with the right help and support she'll be okay.
I have a few things ot put here. Free public transport is a huge highlight, not being able to be as judgy when I meet new pepole. the level pof comfort people get out of hte fact that i can't be as j7udgy, and being able to "wow" people with simple things. Their reactions are halarious considdering I do things just like everyone else. It's not os much of an attention factor as it is awareness.
I can't think of anything I don't like about it. I love my life and am proud of who I am, and everyone is going to have things they don't like about themselves...well not necessarily true, but it happens.
Well, I've been blind all my life, and I think I've carved out a pretty good life for myself, as lives go, but I don't think there's a damn think to like about being blind. It sucks!
wow, to the last post. you really hate being blind that much? Yeah, it sucks, but not everything does though.
I find myself saying it a lot these days, Man i'm glad I can't see! times like when were setting at the light and the grand kids say something like ueh that lady is picking her nose, and flicking it out the window. there are somethings you just don't wana see!
For a different approach on blindness read "The Day of the Trivit."
It's about society when almost everyone goes blind.
The author is John Wyndom.
Bob
Bob, I haven't read that book, but a classic is H. G. Well's "The Country of the Blind." I read it in Junior High school, and found it an interesting read as well.
Lou
um, a.rocker, yuck! I'm sooooo glad I can't see things like that as well.
i like when people in college just move out of the way and hello, the keys hanging on my cane as decorations. atleast that compensates. i like to decorate my cane with keys so i never forget.
also, i like when i get free electronic text and the fact that i only use a laptop. that's a huge must.
For once, I like a topic that's been resurrected.
I enjoy the free college, the ability not to judge by sight, and, as Bob so shamelessly said: the attention (how can you not?). I do agree that too much can be either annoying or uncomfortable depending on the situation and to the extreme it's taken, but in almost all cases, I'm being singled out by those I don't know—and hey, sometimes, the perks you can acquire are well worth the modicum awkwardness.
Liz: great topic,
Jim
Wow! I had totally forgotten about this topic, until I just saw it. Anyway, nice to see that it's still getting responses. lol
I really don't get how some of you can say you are proud of being blind! That's the craziest idea I've yet seen here! I'm proud of other qualities in myself, but not that. LOL It isn't something I worked to achieve, after all, it's an unfortunate fact.
For the most part, I agree with Reclusive Thinker. Sure, I love having access to free books, and I wouldn't be given a wonderful dog if I wasn't blind, but these things do *not* compensate enough for all that I am missing.
And as for missing out on seeing ugliness and violence, well, you still know it exists, so what's the difference? This sounds like one of those things sighted strangers like to say, when they feel compelled to reassure the poor blind person that they're really better off. Honestly, I find it a bit upsetting to see folks here repeating this claptrap. I'd rather see something unpleasant, if it also meant I could see all the wonderful things I don't get to know about, now.
Yeah, it's probably good that I don't judge as harshly about physical appearances, but I base judgments on other things--voices, mainly, so there's not a great difference there.
well if your not proud of who you are, then that's your problem. yeah, sometimes it does suck to be blind, but like it or not, your blindness is part of who you are. So, either learn to be comfortable with it, or live your life in misery. Most of us are proud of being ourselves, so in order to do that and be happy in life, we except our blindness as part! of ourselves. Personally, I would rather be happy with who I am as a whole person, and if I have to "be proud of being blind", then so be it. Being blind is what the individual person either makes of it, or doesn't. I for one, don't like the "oh you poor blind person" tag that us who see blindness as part of us, get labled with just because some people out their like to play the victom, and pretend to be the "helpless blindy". I mean, unless you have another disability like you can't walk, you have a major problem with your brain or talk, the only thing physically wrong with you is your eyes.
I think what people mean when they say they are proud to be blind is that they reject the idea that blindness is something you should be ashamed of or that you live an empty or sad and meaningless life. Being proud you are blind sure beats being in an emotional state where all you want is to not be who you are. It doesn't mean that you don't avhe any bad days where things might suck because of your blindness, but for the most part, you accept that things are just the way they are and you're doing the best you can with what you have instead of wishing for things you don't or can't have.
When I use to go to camp I used to bring braille books. The sighted kids couldn't read at night, but I could. They use to get so angry about that.
I have never been able to see, exceptlight and dark, soI like to turn the light on in my room if it's dark. I don't think we should be given discounts for things like public transport, because we are just the same as everyone else. The thing about getting free books or things for college provided for you is good though, because you don't have to pay loads of money for it. I only have to pay for headphones and I got a keyboard for my laptop, but only because it's mine and because I wanted to. I think it's also good that I can't see people, because I might not want to dsee how ugly pople are! Hahaha!
I can still see, but not in far distance. One thing that i like about not being able to see is I don't see how bad other people look like for instance, you know guys that wear gel on their hair right? Eww, sometimes they don't know how to fix it and they don't brush entirely that makes them look even more messy than before they even wear their gel. They walk pass by me, and the gel on their hair sticks out. It looks disgusting. They look so untidy. That's really irritating to look at because it just shows that they don't know how to fix themselves.
lucky I can't see that. lol