I have been writing thoughts and
observations on this blog site for about three years now. Sometimes these
thoughts have been quite personal and at other times I have strayed to more
factual comments. For the most part, I know that there is a regular following –
some friends I know and others whom I haven’t yet met. As the number of readers
continues to climb, I must admit that I feel a certain connection with you all.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I wrote an
entry title, White Canes as ID. The number of readers spiked by more than 250.
As I reflected, I thought of a new connection. There were people outside of my
personal acquaintance who were also white cane users and who used the Internet
to search for more information on our shared situation. I felt warmed by this
new white cane connection. For me, it was as if we had formed a small but new electronic
support group.
All this is not to say that we white cane
users can be painted with the same brush. Just as people who are fully sighted
are as different as peas in a pod, people who are blind or partially sighted
are different from one another. We all have differing abilities, capabilities
and potential. The white cane is a symbol of blindness, mobility and an
independent spirit. Those of us who are white cane users have differing degrees
of all three – blindness, mobility and independence.
Technology has played a huge part in making
this happen. In the past, people who were blind were frequently isolated. Now,
should we choose to do so, we can share our thoughts and opinions about our
common situation electronically. While the majority of my face-to-face friends
are fully sighted, I enjoy this other shared experience with others who are
either blind or partially sighted. We have come a long way in having a voice
that is heard, and to a degree, understood.
So well put. When someone said to me, so and so is blind, I never thought the individual could have different degrees of blindness. I have to enjoyed your blog. Keep on writing.
ReplyDeleteDorothy