Blind Observations - The Golden Rule

Golly, I hope I survive being blind. I’ve had more bumps and bruises in the last year than I’ve had since I was a kid. Sometimes I forget to be careful, or I get impatient and try to hurry. The bathroom in our house here is kind of small and I’m always having trouble in there. It’s sort of a tight squeeze between the end of the shower and the sink. Some previous owner put in a larger bathtub/shower I guess. I’m always bumping into the sink with my thigh or my knee. Sometimes I bang it really hard and I think, "That's really going to hurt tomorrow” but it usually doesn't. On the other hand, one day I woke up and my knee was sore, but I couldn’t remember hitting it. It was sore when I woke up and by that afternoon it hurt so bad I could hardly walk on it. It was better the next day, but I never did figure out what happened to it. I also have a burn on my hand from last week. I was cooking some eggs and spam. I burned my hand, but the eggs were perfect! I guess I’ve always been a little clumsy.
Then, just last week, I was in the bathroom and I leaned down to put something in the trash. I didn’t realize I was standing so close to the wall and I banged my face into the towel rod. It gave me a cut right across the bridge of my nose. And just a few days ago,I did the same thing in the kitchen. I tried to put something in the trash and was closer to the refrigerator than I thought I was. Whack-O! Right in the face, and another cut on the bridge of my nose. I had my sunglasses on that time which is what cut me. Yes, being blind means being careful at all times. Getting impatient will get you in trouble every time. I guess that’s kind of true even for sighted people, isn’t it?
I wanted to talk, just for a moment, about the proper way to treat a blind person. Or any type of handicapped person for that matter. Does anybody know the proper way? Here’s an example:
Joni and I went someplace one time, and there was a lady there who said to Joni, “Would he be more comfortable sitting down?” Wrong! That offended me on so many levels I can't even tell you. If you want to ask a blind person a question, just ask them. Also, if a person is blind, it doesn't mean the rest of their body doesn't work right. My ears are just fine, and so are my legs and feet. I know, I know, I’m being too critical. She was just trying to be nice and I’m overly sensitive. All true.
So what’s the proper way to treat a blind person. After all, you probably don’t encounter very many blind people in your daily life and you don’t get much practice, right? Well, you don’t need any practice at all. Just treat them like people. That’s all any of us want isn't it?
Okay, here’s a little practical advice. When you see a blind person coming along, you can give them a little extra room. Sometimes it's fun to hit people with our canes, but then again sometimes it makes us feel awkward. If you want to shake hands with a blind person, reach out and take their hand. You can’t just stand there with your hand out, that makes us feel awkward too. If their hand is on their cane just ask “Can I shake your hand?” I’m guessing most blind people will be agreeable to that. And for heaven's sake, don't try to hide from a blind person. There are always those who will hug a wall and try to be as silent as possible when a blind person comes into the room. We can’t see you, but we can feel you and that’s just plain creepy. And it’s polite to hold the door for a blind person, just as it is polite to hold the door for someone who can see.
I mentioned this yesterday, but it goes along with my topic today so I will mention it again. If you’re really interested in seeing the world from the perspective of a blind person, check out”In The Center of the Roof.” Ro has been blind for a couple of years now, I think, and is a lot better at describing it than I am. She just went through the lengthy process of getting a seeing-eye dog and documented every step which was pretty interesting.
Okay, I’m done griping for today. Everybody who reads this will probably think, "Wow, blind people are really grouchy." I hope that’s not the case. Handicapped people just don’t want people fussing over them or treating them differently, that's all.

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

John 9:1-3 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

I Still Have

Well, here I am again, still feeling blue. I shouldn’t say 'still', it's not like I’ve been in a constant state of depression all week. I actually felt pretty normal today, but when I go to bed at night, all those thoughts that I keep suppressed during the day start bobbing to the surface.

Earlier in the week, I was looking at my sadness as just the normal let-down after a big event; such as our party on Saturday, but as I lay in bed earlier tonight, I began to realize that it goes a little deeper than that. I think what it all comes down to is that this is my first Christmas blind. I guess that should have been pretty obvious, but it honestly didn’t occur to me before.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. More than that, it’s always felt magical to me. The music, the decorations, the lights, people’s attitudes toward one another. The whole world just feels different at Christmas time.

I used to love going out on a cold evening after work to find presents for my loved ones. Hustling from the car into a warm store, seeing the beautiful Christmas displays, the corny music on the muzak system. Then hustling back to the car, maybe with packages, maybe not, and cranking up the heater. And if it was snowy and a little slippery, so much the better! I always loved a white Christmas.

And the lights! Lights and lights, everywhere! In my small home town, there was one little street where every single house would be totally outlined in colorful strings of lights. And we always knew the good neighborhoods to visit in nearby Kearney as well. In Texas, there’s a place called Santa Land. It’s a wooded area, just off the interstate, where they have cut a path through the trees, wide enough to drive through. And there are thousands and thousands of Christmas lights strung everywhere. Not just lights, either, but little displays set up here and there; wooden cut-outs of elves in workshops, children ice- skating, Santa and his reindeer. At one point, you pass by a small pond, and there are three crosses outlined in white lights on the other side. You can see the crosses, and also the reflections in the still water, and it’s so beautiful. In another place, they put the strings of lights high in the trees and just let them hang straight down all around you as you drive through. You cannot possibly visit this place and leave feeling unhappy.

This year, I have none of that. No driving on snowy streets, no decorations, no lights. We have snow, our first white Christmas in years, but I can’t see it. I can’t even see my own Christmas tree. And I’m sad.

I know those things are not what Christmas is about, but how do I cope with the loss of all that beauty? Well, I guess I have to focus on the things I still have.

Sounds. There are still the sounds. It was windy when I went to bed earlier. I mentioned once before how I always liked listening to the wind on a cold snowy night. And I could hear Grandpa's wind chime outside too. I wonder if Uncle Butch knew what a blessing that would be to me.

Sounds. I still have music, and thank God for that. I think going deaf would have been much more devastating to me than going blind. I still have music. And that reminds me, I was listening to a Trans Siberian Orchestra cd today and noticed something a little bit amazing. I’ve had the cd for a couple of years, but since I only listen to it at Christmas, I don’t know every song by heart yet. I noticed one song today that slipped by me before. It sounded like a boys’ choir and a lot of the words were hard to make out, but I caught a repeating phrase at the end; falling snow, falling snow, falling snow. It made me think of my friend Ro and the choir concert she had not too long ago. She mentioned a song called “Falling Snow" and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the same song. I really think it is because it sounds just the way she described it in her blog. And it was just as beautiful as she said it was.

So I still have music. Did God know how much that would mean to me, when he gave it to me? Well, of course He did. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating; God knew exactly what I would need to get me through this part of mylife. What an amazing God He is.

And, speaking of things God gave me, I have the most wonderful family a person could ask for. Some of them I’ve known all my life, some just a few years, but they are all precious to me, and I’m so thankful that we will all be together on Christmas day. Thanks again, God.

Well, what do you know, I’m feeling a little better. I guess maybe God knew I would need this blog too. I started it with grand visions of God using it to help people. I didn’t know that one of those people would be me.

Thank you for reading, whoever you may be. Thank you for being witness to what God is doing in my life. To you and yours, I wish all the peace and good will that God may bring. Merry Christmas!

Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.