I hope my “HPE Careers” article gives you some ideas that will enable you to leverage your abilities and transferable skills.
Does anyone have any additional suggestions on how to leverage your abilities and transferable skills to help your employer, your family or your community? Do you have any other examples of the value of meaningful employment like I described in the beginning of my “HPE Careers” article? Lastly does anyone have anything else to contribute to this conversation?
I look forward to hearing your valuable comments to help us continue this important discussion.
In late June I was blessed to be able to participate in a family vacation in Aptos California with 18 members of my wife Kathy’s side of the family. What made this experience extra special besides the obvious of sharing exceptional memories with others one cares for, I had not been back to the ocean for a family vacation since 2012 which I describe in Family Vacation: Creating Memories, Enjoying Companionship and Nature.
Although I had an enormous amount of work to complete (which realistically for all never ends) I am grateful I allowed myself to take this needed vacation and had faith I would be able to catch up on my work when I returned.
As soon as we arrived at our destination I immediately sensed the stress melting away from my body as I felt the sun against my skin, listened to the ocean waves and breathed in the fresh ocean air. I had no idea such a vacation would positively and immediately affect my mental and physical health (beside one mishap I will explain later). Being completely blind I utilize other senses to interpret my environmental surroundings and mood of the occasion since I can’t see facial expressions. As I listened to the excitement of the others around me my senses instantly confirmed that we were about to experience a fun-filled vacation.
Just a Few of the Enjoyable Activities I Experienced:
Lounging and relaxing while sitting by the pool feeling the warmth of the sun on my bodyRelaxing at the beach lying on my beach towel on the comfortable sand as the gentle sea breeze cooled me slightly from the heat of the sun
Lounging and sitting out on the patio at the condo we were staying in listening to the ocean waves, breathing in fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun on my body
Sharing many meals with my family members including the ones we prepared ourselves and the ones we went out to restaurants for
Listening to my cousin play his guitar as we sang along under the stars with the ocean waves glistening from the star light as our backdrop
Listening to the happy laughter from my family as they played fun games together
Going on nature walks with my wife Kathy as she described the beautiful scenery to me which was filled with the ocean, bushes, trees, hills and ravines which we crossed on footbridges
Experienced the excitement of the others as they described to me the many dolphins jumping completely out of the bright blue clear ocean water which they could see from our condo’s patio and balcony
In the mornings and the evenings I would picture in my mind’s eye as the others described to me such as the many fawns (baby deer) with their parents close by eating right outside the windows of our patio
Engaged in many conversations in which I seldom have the opportunity to experience the sustained quality time together
Experienced the joy of partnering with many as we shared living quarters
Going to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with my wife Kathy, two of my great nieces and one friend we each drove the bumper cars, played arcade games, went on other rides, ate corn dogs, hamburgers and deep fried artichoke hearts
Not letting a nasty fall the first day of our vacation slow me down in which I bruised and scraped up my left knee badly and slightly sprained my left ankle and foot (I found out about the sprain when I returned home and was examined by my doctor)
Observations and Reinforcements of Experiences:
Life passes us by very quickly therefore we should make time and cherish time with loved ones instead of focusing on non-critical activities or inanimate objects
In our very hectic and fast paced world most of us live in today we can always justify not taking time out of life to spend with loved ones because we feel we are too busy
Taking time for rest and rejuvenation actually enhances our productivity and creativity when we return to our career or other important personal or professional commitments
If you are fortunate enough to receive invites to be with others do not selfishly decline thinking only of yourself because possibly others might benefit from your presence
If you happen to fall and receive injuries like I did (which I am almost completely healed), it is best to have such good fortune of having an emergency room doctor see me fall, causing them to stop their car and get out to help my wife Kathy deliver first aid to me
Lastly, you never know what will happen in life and the opportunity you pass up to share with others may be your last chance
Does anyone have examples of vacation experiences that benefited you? Do you have any other experiences I did not list that reinforces the fact that we need to take time out of life’s busy schedule to spend it with others rather than spending our spare time focusing on non-critical activities or inanimate objects? Do you happen to have a disability like I do or have any temporary challenges that you were able to overcome in order to participate in family vacations?
I look forward to hearing your valuable comments to help us continue this important discussion.
Has anyone played Bocci Ball before? I had never played it before and received an invitation to play with a few of my family members and graciously and thoughtfully accepted the invitation.
You might wonder why I stated thoughtfully. This is because I am completely blind and walk with the aid of one long white cane for navigation and one support cane for stability. As you might understand I had to plan my strategy to participate and be successful since I did not want the team I was on to lose the game. Plus my main goal was to have fun in the beautiful outdoors and enjoy my new Bocci Ball adventure with my family.
Strategy:
I had my family members explain to me how the game is played and the rules. They also described the four red and four green balls we divided between the two teams we had with four people on each team. There was one smaller white ball, called the jack or pallino. From what I understand from only playing once the goal of the game is to roll your ball and get it closer to the pallino than anyone on the other team without hitting the back end of the court which immediately causes that ball to be a dead ball and is not eligible for any points.
I felt one of the balls to get a feel for the weight and width. I also had a person go to the end of the court and call to me so I could gauge the distance to the end of the court by sound. I could also hear where the borders of the rectangular court were by listening to the people walk up and down the sides of the court which helped me gauge the width of the court. With these sound clues I now had a mental visualization of the layout of the rectangular court.
Time to Participate:
At the start of each game a person would roll out the white ball (pallino). When it was my turn I had a person stand by the pallino and call out to me so I could locate the pallino by memorizing where the voice came from. Standing behind the foul line, I swung my arm back and forth to get a gentle rhythm and focus on the direction I wanted to roll the ball. Once I was ready I rolled the ball towards where I thought the pallino might be. The court was very, very fast so I only had to roll the ball slowly for it to roll down the court and if I planned correctly close to the pallino. I would then listen to the other voices either get excited if I rolled a good ball or hear the cringes or moans if I rolled a poor ball. Luckily I rolled more good balls then poor ones. Also with some astonishment I actually made quite a few points by getting my ball closer to the pallino than anyone on the other team. The team I was on was in the lead most of the time until near the very end when the other team took the lead and won the match.
I Won:
Even though our team lost I felt as if I had won. I felt I had won since I attempted to play instead of taking the easy way out by not trying. I was also pleased because I was able to fully participate in our family fun.
Do any of you enjoy experiencing new activities? What did you learn from participating in new activities to overcome what seems like obstacles to experience joy and inclusion? Does anyone have examples of when you had the chance to experience new activities life has to offer and you chose to participate instead of sitting on the sideline.
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
As each year closes and a new one arises I take time out of my busy schedule to reflect on past activities, accomplishments, obstacles and develop new goals for the upcoming year. This year is no different although a reoccurring thought is how my life has changed dramatically since losing my eyesight without warning. Because of this I now require one long white cane and one support cane to walk which tests my creativity to find methods to carry objects with no free hands among other challenges that comes with living life with no eyesight. The busy holiday season and year end causes me to reflect on the way Kathy and I had planned to live our life achieving our dreams and goals prior to this life altering event. We anticipated and expected the need to overcome standard challenges most people experience, although we never thought our love and devotion would be tested so dramatically including gratefully surviving a three month coma and a seven month hospitalization stay when I lost my eyesight.
Although this obstacle of living life only seeing blackness does have its daily challenges it is not too difficult to do well in my profession. After getting out of the hospital I immediately prepared by completing training to obtain the standard blindness related skills including assistive technology as I relentlessly re-skilled myself to successfully perform my daily work for my employer. I also am continuously increasing my education by completing many professional and technical courses each year.
My greatest sense of loss is for my loving wife Kathy since we live alone and I can no longer assist her like I used to when I could see and walk with no limitations. My parents and other family members are also affected by my obstacles. Like others who are fortunate to be devoted to their career and providing for their family I am also working many hours a week. The main burden is all on Kathy to run the household including all home and car maintenance, driving, finances, all chores, taking care of our pets among many other tasks that keeps her extremely busy from sunrise to far beyond sunset. To assist in completing some non work related tasks I can’t complete without eyesight that Kathy usually helps me with I occasionally receive help from a caring volunteer from a local nonprofit agency which frees up some time in Kathy’s busy schedule. As I perform my job I can listen to Kathy (when I am not in conference calls) relentlessly keeping on top of all tasks, including squeezing in time to decorate for the holidays late into the evenings.
Some might wonder why Kathy goes to the trouble to decorate for the holidays and keeps the house we rent very clean and organized throughout the year since I can’t see anything but blackness. I sense she does all of her work beyond the tasks that are critical because it brings her pleasure and satisfaction. Kathy like myself also enjoys bringing joy into others lives’ and decorating assists with this mutual goal. Even though I cannot see the decorations with my physical eyes I see the beauty in my mind’s eye and can feel the joy of the holiday spirit. I can also sense the joy in others when we are blessed with the occasional company and our guests admire the home my wife and I have created with love and caring despite my inability to help Kathy with many tasks. The sound of joy and happiness is very gratifying and far better than any pharmaceutical medicine in my opinion to help overcome some ailments and attitudes. The atmosphere Kathy and I have created helps to ease the difficulties and obstacles we attempt to overcome daily. Although we seldom have time to relax since we are incredibly busy keeping up on all of the tasks we need to accomplish together I would not trade in my life with Kathy for anything. Holding gratitude in one’s heart and believing that one can overcome most any difficulty keeps my faith that Kathy and I will endure. Our mutual goal is to also leave time to help our family, friends, neighbors and others that are less fortunate.
If I was given the choice between if I want to see and walk with no assistive devices again or have Kathy as my wife, I will always choose Kathy to celebrate my life with!
Although I try not to allow my new obstacles to discourage me one song that always makes me consider what could have been and how much easier life would have been if I never experienced my challenges is the song “The Way We Were”.
For those of you who are hard of hearing or deaf and could not listen to the audio in the above hyperlink you can read “The Way We Were” lyrics.
Does anyone have stories to encourage others that may be experiencing challenges or have had life altering events that caused you to change your path in life? Do you have any messages of joy and gratitude you want to share? Lastly I want to wish everyone a happy, safe, healthy and blessed holiday season and a very enjoyable new year.
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments to propel us into the new year with happiness and gratitude.
Have you ever attempted to watch a movie/video on a screen that was so small you could not see it and in addition to that the audio track did not provide enough description which prevented the ability to follow the plot? Have you attended a play, movie or other event in which your seats had an obstacle impeding your view which prohibited seeing the action performed which left you wondering what happened when only action was occurring and there was no verbal dialog? Have you ever attended a webinar where the video portion had technical difficulties and you could only listen to the audio and missed the essential non- verbal content preventing you from completely understanding the concept? Ever listened to a video on your mobile device and due to safety reasons could not look at the screen and therefor missed understanding the complete concept because not everything was described sufficiently?
If you experienced any of the above accessibility obstacles how do you think this would make you feel? Would you feel excluded and truly left in the dark? This is how some blind or visually impaired people feel if they cannot fully participate in such activities.
Fortunately with today’s technology the blind, visually impaired and others without disabilities who may have the temporary obstacles described at the start of this blog post can participate and understand the content if the developer/producer/publisher incorporates Audio Description.
What is Audio Description?
Audio Description is an additional audio track that describes and gives context for essential visual information. Audio Description makes videos, multimedia, plays and museum exhibitions, as well as a large variety of other events and activities more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. It also helps others who are not disabled but may have temporary obstacles by capturing essential visual information into audible descriptions that are played during natural pauses in the primary audio track.
A few of several examples of where Audio Description can be added are shown below to assist the targeted audience understand the media being presented are:
• A scene in a movie, video or play where there is only action and no verbal dialog describing the action when the action is critical to understanding the movie or video - Describe the action
• An amusement park ride where the visual experience is critical to fully participate in the ride experience - Describe the visual setting
• When the speaker’s facial expressions, body language, clothing and colors add context to the meaning of what is being presented - Describe the facial expressions, body language, clothing and colors
• If the environment adds additional information to aide in setting the mood for the audience - Describe the environment
• A webinar where the instructor is taking an action which they do not describe what is crucial to understand the concept - Describe the action
• If presenting a training video of a software application and reaction within the application caused by a mouse click or keystroke is critical in performing the task being verbally described - Describe the reaction
• When multiple people are talking and the audience can benefit from associating the voice of the person speaking with what they are talking about - Sparingly introduce the speakers
• A conference call where anyone in the call is sharing information and they do not describe that which is crucial to understand the concept - Describe the information being shared
Producing audio descriptions can be expensive and time-consuming. When producing a video for the web, the need for audio descriptions can often be avoided. If the video were displaying a list of five important items, the narrator might say, "As you can see, there are five important points." In this case, audio descriptions would be necessary to provide the visual content to those with visual disabilities who cannot 'see' what the important points are. However, if the narrator says, "There are five important points. They are..." and then reads or describes each of the points, then the visual content is being conveyed through audio and there is no additional need for audio descriptions.
Has anyone experienced Audio Description and can provide comments to help others learn? If you have never heard of Audio Description did you learn anything from this blog post? Can you think of other activities that can utilize Audio Description to increase accessibility and therefore inclusion? Does anyone have suggestions to leverage Audio Description for people without visual disabilities to help justify it being incorporated into products for universal design? Does anyone have any other comments on the subject of audio description?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
Do you enjoy the sensations of experiencing activities you have never done before? I love the excitement, sensations and challenges of experiencing new opportunities life offers us. Since I lost my eyesight a few years ago I am blessed to experience many activities as if experiencing them for my first time. Participating in and experiencing activities with eyesight was much different then compared to the way I participate today. After awakening from a three month coma and losing my eyesight I temporarily lost the ability to walk for one year among losing the capabilities of performing many simple tasks for most people including speaking and feeding myself. Although this life changing medical situation provided plenty of opportunities to experience new activities and re-learn others, I continue to make an effort to look for new opportunities to experience life.
Opportunity for a New Activity:
Last month I was grateful to get the opportunity to experience two activities with a friend I had never done before, even when I had eyesight.
The first activity was taking a ferryboat ride from the Ferry Building in San Francisco (SF) CA to Sausalito CA crossing part of the bay to get there and back.
It was a bright clear warm sunny day without any wind when we arrived in San Francisco the day of our trip. We found a parking spot in a parking garage and walked to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street, which was a few blocks away from where we parked our car. As we quickly made our way through the Ferry Building my friend described some of the stores and the farmer’s market items in the building. Walking down the city streets and through the building allowed my senses to be filled with enjoyable sounds, smells and the sensation of a large city along with the scents of what smelled like delicious food lofting through the air in the farmers market. Before I knew it we were at the terminal where our ferryboat was to depart.
Boarding the Ferryboat:
To get to the ferryboat we walked across a ramp or two that lead to the boat. One of the ramps I was walking on swayed slightly from the movement of the waves at the point where one ramp connected to the other. This required more concentration on my part as I was walking to help prevent me from slipping off the ramp. After boarding the ferryboat my friend guided me through what seemed like a simple maze of corridors and ramps. Very soon we had reached our destination on the top level of the ferryboat near the front (bow) so we could sit outside in the sun and fresh air and be away from the noise of the engines.
Ferryboat Ride to Sausalito:
After we reached our destination on the top level I took a seat in the sun and the fresh bay air and began to happily anticipate the ride. I had never been on a ferryboat ride so I had no idea of what to expect. To my astonishment the ferryboat took off so smoothly and quietly I could hardly feel it moving. Once we picked up some speed I could tell we were moving by listening to the sounds of the mild waves lapping against the boat as we moved effortlessly through the water. As I sat in the sun hypnotized with intense relaxation I enjoyed the feel of the cool wind against my face.
My friend described the amazing scenery to me as we passed the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, Coit Tower, San Francisco, Sausalito and the Golden Gate Bridge among many more incredible sights on this clear day with dazzling blue skies above.
As I sat on the ferryboat listening to the sounds of the few commuters, many tourists and feeling the gentle movement of the ferryboat I was so intensely relaxed I could not believe it. Although I wished the ferryboat ride would never end we soon arrived at Sausalito and it was time for a new adventure.
Walk and Lunch in Sausalito:
The second activity started after departing the ferryboat. We walked on paths near the water and by a park filled with people enjoying the town and excellent weather. Since it was lunchtime when our ferryboat docked, we soon found a great place to eat lunch with an outstanding view of the bay just outside the window from our table. After our relaxing and delicious lunch we felt refreshed so we walked through the town experiencing the many interesting sights. I had never been to Sausalito and as my friend described the water/bay, boats on the bay, buildings, old Victorian houses and the natural sites I took it all in my mind’s eye and could imagine it all clearly.
Ferryboat Ride Back to SF to Conclude my Trip:
After our lunch, leisurely walk and relaxing on a park bench in the sun listening to and talking with some of the friendly tourist from all over the world we took the ferryboat back to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. On the ride back the wind had picked up compared to our first bay crossing although still an extremely pleasant ride I wished was longer. To conclude our trip we had a relaxing walk back through the Ferry Building, Farmers Market and down the city streets ending up where we had parked our car.
My friend described my surroundings so well on our day trip along with the physical sensations all around me making me feel so entirely immersed in the visual sensations that I never once even thought about not having my eyesight.
Does anyone enjoy experiencing new activities? What did you learn from taking calculated risks to overcome any discomfort and what seemed like obstacles to experience joy, gratitude and inclusion? Does anyone have examples of when you had the chance to experience new activities life has to offer and chose to participate instead of sitting on the sideline?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
I listened to an excellent interview with Yves Veulliet by Jonathan Hassell I believe you will enjoy and find valuable in your personal and professional life. You can listen to that interview at “Do you have to be 'superhuman' to be an inspiration” - Hassell Inclusion.
I am sure you have your own opinions on what specific points of the interview uncovered some feelings or ideas to assist you in your life. Below is just a short list of the many interesting topics discussed in the interview I found could assist me in my personal and professional life:
• When working with people who are disabled or elderly focus on their capabilities and not their disabilities.
• Becoming disabled suddenly, requiring training to learn to use a wheel chair and adapting to accessibility barriers like Yves demonstrates, should not deter you from pursuing your dreams.
• How Yves copes, interacts and lives in a world with accessibility barriers in his new world can be an example for all who experience obstacles.
• Enabling inclusion by designing accessibility/usability into products and services which increases revenue by including the approximately twenty percent of the population who are elderly or disabled and reduces unintentional exclusion.
• When developing products including accessibility features it should be as natural for the designer and developer as including a keyboard with a computer.
When I listened to the interview I could not help to think about some similarities between myself and Yves. We both became disabled instantly, spent many months in the hospital, and required many months of rehabilitation. We also share the passion to overcome obstacles to do the best we can despite the accessibility/usability barriers we face, all while keeping a positive attitude and an overall goal to be happy.
What did you learn from Yves Veulliet’s interview? Will Yves Veulliet’s attitude cause you to act or think differently? Does the conversation regarding inclusion and the relationship between accessibility/ usability in products and services cause you to think and act differently? If you are a developer or designer did the conversation assist you in providing new ideas to capture the customers you are unintentionally excluding by not incorporating accessibility/usability into your products and services?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
As the year comes to a close I pray we can take the time to value our blessings. We are blessed to be alive to enjoy the opportunities life presents to us as gifts such as companionship, friendship and love of others. I for one can easily fall into the trap of concentrating my efforts and valued time on attempting to resolve procrastination or selfish behavior demonstrated by others that negatively impacts me and my family. Deep down my common sense lets me know it is a wasted effort since I don’t have any control over others poor actions or decisions. I can also easily work twenty-four seven since I enjoy my work. I therefore attempt to pay attention to my work-life balance to help prevent leaving little or no time for family, friends and enjoying the wonderful holiday season.
In today’s world with many distractions and busy schedules I feel, without proper planning, the holidays could easily pass us by, thus, missing out on the joy of the season. I believe the true importance of the season is to remember what should be my priority in life, which is my wife Kathy, enjoyment of family and friends, as well as performing my very best at my place of employment. Also assisting in the community and the less fortunate is an important priority.
During this time of year one reflection that always comes up for me is listening to a song called Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms. I remember listening to this cheerful song daily during this time of year while I laid in a hospital bed in 1999 in wishful anticipation of leaving the hospital. I was told the song Jingle Bell Rock played from an electronic singing and dancing Santa Claus. I say I was told because I went completely blind suddenly during this hospital stay and could not see the dancing Santa Claus with my physical eyes , therefore I imagined this happy scene in my mind’s eye. This dancing Santa Claus brought joy and happiness to all within listening range of the joyful person who owned the Santa and played it often. As I laid in my hospital bed I would listen to the elderly man talk, telling stories of his joyful life and experiences to his many visitors from his nearby hospital room. This allowed me to get to know him virtually over the days. From listening to him, his visitors, the nurses and doctors I learned sadly as much as they tried, the doctors could not cure or stabilize his medical condition and he was dying. Although he was aware of his situation and was in considerable pain and discomfort his passion for happiness was contagious to all around him. Every time I heard the dancing Santa sing or this man talk so enthusiastically it put a smile on my face and allowed me to feel a sense of tranquility as I laid in my bed. I feel the reason this joyful elderly man was so loved by his many visitors was his positive attitude, his unselfish behavior and his willingness to give to others.
I am extremely grateful to say on December 28, 1999 I was able to leave the hospital after a seven month stay. Actually I was sort of forced to leave since my medical insurance which I was fortunate to have at the time had exceeded the limit. Although I did not have medical insurance when I left the hospital still in need of treatment, in debt from the many bills from the hospital stay, I felt extremely blessed, joyful and grateful to get another chance at life. As I left the hospital I knew I would never forget the positive and joyful person who provided happiness to all by allowing everyone around him to experience his contagious passion for life and his joyful dancing and singing Santa Claus.
I hope as we celebrate the holidays and conclude the year we can all enjoy the holidays, prioritizing our actions where we truly feel they should be valued and placed in our hearts. Helping the less fortunate and the disabled I feel should be a part of our priorities whenever possible, since this group of people may not always ask for assistance although they can usually use the extra help. – I know from experience. I also feel to help keep positivity in our life we should not think and act selfishly. We should instead demonstrate kindness, equality and think of others when taking unfair actions. Enjoying the simple gifts of life is very important, like the dancing and singing Santa Claus. I also hope if you are like me and are experiencing obstacles and challenges which you have little or no control over you can learn to accept the losses and move on no matter how much you are hurting or experiencing inequalities.
Do you have any experiences to share or suggestions to help us with any of the points I noted above? Any other thoughts or comments to help us enjoy the holidays and the closing of the year with passion for life and caring for all?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments to help us have the most wonderful holiday season ever!
I am happy to say my wife Kathy and I with the help of family members were able to continue the tradition on October 11th I talked about in Share Your Time - Pick Out a Pumpkin I wrote. As you might imagine many of life’s circumstances changed in seven years since I wrote that blog post. My mother-in-law and father-in-law have since passed away and others have gotten older and slowed down some. However, I am pleased to say we added three new members to this year’s Halloween tradition. Even after losing some family members who once participated in this joyous occasion, it is still important to keep those family traditions continuing in remembrance of the ones who have passed. It is also important to value the time we are blessed to have and the ability to enjoy the company of others. Besides spending time with loved ones it is also beneficial to get outside to breathe the fresh clean air which will assist with cleansing our mind and body.
This year Kathy and I will also be celebrating the life of our cat Morgan, who, with regret and sorrow passed away peacefully the day after we picked out our pumpkin. I could tell even without my eyesight Morgan always enjoyed holiday celebrations’ traditions. Read more about Morgan in Family Pets - Friendship, Companionship, & More.
Does anyone have any thoughts or stories to share about Halloween/ October traditions? Any feelings about the value of giving a little bit of our time to family and friends to create everlasting memories?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
Have you ever walked blind folded with guidance through a maze of hundreds of people, tables and unknown obstacles on city streets? While being guided you are continually listening to many conversations from all directions, the person guiding you describing your location and at times live music. While navigating through the crowd, people occasionally bump into you, step on your toes or accidentally bump small shopping carts into you since they do not notice you can’t see with your blindfold on and are not able to see them to move out of their way. As this activity is occurring all around, you are constantly updating the picture of the environment you are experiencing in your mind’s eye while traveling through such a wonderful and exhilarating sensory extravaganza.
From time to time you may stop and hold an object placed in your hands by one of the people you are with. You might even feel brave enough to explore the objects on the table on your own by delicately feeling around until you find an object without breaking anything or injuring yourself on anything sharp. As soon as you touch an object you attempt to determine what the object is by tactical senses only. Other times you may receive assistance from others as they describe the object you are holding or touching to the best of their ability. Some objects are far too large or heavy to pick up or get your hands around therefore you may only be able to touch a portion of the object. You attempt to hold some of the objects as carefully and delicately as possible because they are very fragile and extremely difficult to replace if you accidentally break it.
I am very excited and pleased to say twice last month I had the opportunity to experience the equivalent of walking through such a sensory extravaganza blindfolded. My wife and I graciously accepted the invitation from two of our friends to attend the “San Juan Bautista Antique and Collectors fair“ and the “ Niles Antique Faire & Flea Market“. What made this opportunity extra special is because my wife and I have not been able to attend these two enjoyable events for many years since I lost all of my eyesight suddenly and can no longer get to some destinations due to transportation barriers.
Participating in these two events enabled me to visualize many objects in my mind’s eye and enjoy the beauty and fine craftsmanship in these vintage objects. I can remember the vivid art work, colors and the detailed craftsmanship in the objects I was able to touch and hold. This brought back positive memories of when I could see the objects I am now able to visualize and enjoy them without eyesight.
I understand everyone is different and that is what makes life wonderful. If you have the opportunity to continue to enjoy what you once did despite any new challenges including losing some abilities, I hope you will not let these challenges deter you from enjoying life. Since I lost my eyesight and now need to walk with one support cane and one long navigation cane I still seek the enjoyment from the activities I once did as a sighted person with modifications as required.
I also understand that participating in activities which require modifications in order to accomplish take extra time to plan and prepare to complete safely. It can also be frightening for some to venture out into the unknown and put their complete trust in others to help them overcome some challenges to create a successful and joyful experience.
Taking care of yourself physically and mentally is a side benefit of participating in activities you enjoy. For example I walked approximately six hours each of the two days taking breaks as needed, breathing fresh air outdoors and holding many conversations with many friendly people at the events I described.
Do you have a story about some activities you may have thought you might not be able to enjoy again? Any examples about how you modified the way you had once accomplished the activity to help make your new experience a success? Do you have tips to help us take that extra calculated risk keeping safety in mind to stretch our comfort level to enjoy activities we thought we could no longer accomplish?
I look forward to hearing your valuable thoughts and comments.
