It is quite difficult for me to explain exactly what it is that I can see. Of course, I can always explain in terms of measurement. For instance what an average person can see at 400 feet, I would need to move as close as twenty feet to see the same thing. Sometimes I find myself explaining more in terms of what it is that I don’t see.
The other week, Lyle and I set out for the mountains. It was
an absolutely beautiful day with blue sky and sunshine. There was still a nip
in the air and as we drove out of our driveway I could see the hoar frost on
the trees.
We were still many kilometers away from our destination when
Lyle casually nodded towards the west and remarked how lovely the snow looked
on the mountain peaks. I turned my head but I couldn’t see anything except the
beginning of the field beside us. We
continued driving for another half hour or so before I was to catch my own
first glimpse of the mountains.
Generally speaking I love driving through the mountains. In
fact, I like all big expanses of landscapes. I love looking at the ocean
although I can’t discern the individual wave patterns. I like driving through a
forest although I can’t pick out the individual trees. I enjoy driving across
the prairies although I don’t see the farm houses or cattle in the fields.
Because I have partial sight I am still able to enjoy these grand views in nature.
I think that if I had no sight at all, my perspective might
do a complete turn around. This is more
the case for me when things are close up. When small objects are in front of
me, I can’t bring them into focus and don’t see them at all. Quite often I will
use my hands to explore a surface and see the object that way.
I have spoken with other people who have partial sight and
they too encounter the same difficulty in explaining what it is that they see.
It is definitely a curious in-between world of sight. Many people who have
partial sight use a white cane to identify themselves to others and to navigate
safely on a walking path. The concept of partial sight is also one that I tried
to tell more about on the White Cane Connections walks last summer.
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