Welcome to White Cane Connections.

My name is Sue Boman. Yes, that’s me in the picture posted here. I have called this blog White Cane Connections because I am one of the many people who use a white cane. I began this blog because I wanted to write about a project I undertook in 2012. The plan was to complete a series of walks using my white cane. Between March and September, I walked in 82 different locations across Canada. So, the blog begins by telling of my experiences and the many people I met along the way.

While this particular journey has now been completed, I find that I still have much to write about. I am continuing to make new white cane connections, and so for the time being I will continue to add regular posts to this blog. I am hoping that you will be a partner in the journey.

Sue


Sunday, 8 June 2025

June 8 – Here’s Looking At You

Mark and I were chatting about the various aspects of blindness, when he looked at me and said, “You know, if I didn’t know that you couldn’t see, I wouldn’t know that you couldn’t see.”

This outward appearance of being sighted even when the opposite is true, is one of the more interesting aspects of blindness. It is also likely one of the more confusing aspects that confront people who  themselves are able to see. If my eyes look the same on the outside, how can it be that I can’t see from the inside looking out?

When Mark made the above comment, we had been talking together for a little bit already. We were sitting in comfortable chairs with no need to move about. My white cane wasn’t visible. There wasn’t anything that I needed to read or have read to me. There wasn’t any outward sign of my sight challenges. We were just two people having a chat.

As is my usual practice, I had been trying to “look” at Mark as he spoke. I remember another completely blind friend telling me that this is what he tried to do. He couldn’t see, but if it made the other person more comfortable in the conversation he would try to focus on the direction of the voice. To me this made sense and generally speaking I try to do just that.

I think that is what had Mark fooled. I wasn’t trying to hide my vision loss, but there was no need to show it either. Mark’s observation led to another interesting topic. What does it look like to be blind?  Do you have a picture in your head of what a blind person “looks like”? Perhaps this is a topic I can explore in another post.In the meantime – Here’s Looking At You!

 

 

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