It’s been many years now since my sight first changed, and I still miss the freedom and convenience of being behind the wheel. Last week as we were travelling through the mountains, Lyle spotted one of those tourist cut outs featuring a 56 Ford Thunderbird. He encouraged me to sit behind the wheel saying, “Here, you’ll really look as if you are driving again.”
If you can see the picture at the end of this post, you might agree with him. Apparently, it is quite realistic.
Of course, all this doesn’t change the fact that legally I can’t drive on public roads. Back in the day, I found this hard to explain to our daughter who had only just turned seven. We were on farmland and I was given the task of bringing the truck home to the yard. Jen couldn’t understand that while I couldn’t drive her around town, I could still operate the gears on the truck and drive through an open field. I still had the skill to drive but not the sight to see where I was going.
For many people who have had the privilege of being able to see but have lost vision in their adult years, losing the independence that comes with a driver’s license is a major blow. Yes, there are often other means of transport – taxi, bus, train, obliging friends or family members, but it isn’t the same. A car and a license to drive offer independence. They offer the opportunity of spontaneous decisions of where and when you might decide to go.
I am fortunate. I have Lyle in my life and we have worked out a system so that I don’t feel totally dependent. I have friends who will take me to appointments if I mention that I need a driver. Sure these things require making concessions on my part, but certainly it is better than sitting at home and feeling sorry for myself.
What do you think of the picture with this post? I like the background with the painted mountains, and Lyle says that the Thunderbird is a really cool car to drive.
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