"I am learning new things constantly. The most ordinary tasks, like going to the post office, have become terrifically interesting. In terms of everyday life, I feel that I am finally in there, more mindful and alert, more fully present. I have chosen curiosity over despair.
When my disability was invisible, I irritated strangers constantly — they thought I was rude or dithering or both. People are impatient when they don’t know why you’re holding up the line. Now that I signal my disability with a white cane, I find that I have tapped a well of visible kindness.... Like a Buster Keaton film, my life is full of mishaps and averted disasters...."
Beautiful! And I like that he brought up Buster Keaton. I've watched 3 short Buster Keaton movies in the last month — "Neighbors," "The Goat," and "Playhouse":
I like the optimism. I am pretty sure I couldn't deal with such a loss so easily.
I have read a couple of his published poetry collections (I think they were the first two he published, but this was 30 years ago). I remember liking them quite a bit. I will have to revisit his work.
Renews one’s faith in the goodness of humanity! It’s easier to be kind and helpful when the disability is visible, sad for him that he had to endure unkindness based in ignorance of his condition, also human. Humans are amazing at adapting, one of the reasons we’ve survived for so long.
Edward Hirsch, the poet? Too much close reading takes its toll.
I suppose if one have to struggle alone with a condition for long enough, others finding out about it may ease one's mind and lighten the burden.
I have his recent book, The Heart of American Poetry. It's a good read, and you learn a lot about Hirsch, who had an interesting life, but I did notice that he didn't deal with some poets who didn't fit the current favored demographics.
My father was a font of bizarre old sayings. At times when we would get stuck behind a slow driver who was confused or hesitant, he would remark, "he doesn't know whether to shit or go blind!" As a kid, I always wondered, "why are those his only two choices?"
We have a neighbor that is the complete opposite of Grace in his blindness. He can see enough to live alone, but needs a visiting homemaker to keep him going. I take him out for appointments and light shopping about once a month. He’s bitter about life, yet he was such when he had good sight.
Buster did a great turn in an early Twilight Zone "Once upon a Time". Nicked from Wikipedia because it's early and Im morning lazy... "Once Upon a Time" is episode 78 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on December 15, 1961. It features early film star Buster Keaton in one of his later roles, as an unlikely time traveler, and the opening and closing scenes pay tribute to the silent films for which he was famous.
My brother went blind at age 32. He was a type 1 diabetic, who had retinal detachments. As part of his recoverery and retraining, the state of PA REQUIRED him to see a counslor for the depression this was going to cause. It was a part of his day, just like learning braille and new life skills.
He adjusted great, thanks to the program. In fact, he became a public spreaker for them and helped others. He volunteered at a senior center cooking for the participants. (He was a chef prior to this) He played guitar and sang old songs with them. He met and married his wife. The local Y set up a sound system so he could swim in their pool. The beeps got louder as he approached the wall. He went hiking with friends and had a busier social calander than me.
He had an uncanny sense of direction. I would take him to medical appointments in center city Philadelphia. He would navigate for me, I would tell him which streets we were passing and which street we were on. He knew the whole of downtown Philadelphia in his head. We called it the blind leading the blind.
There is life after a diagnosis like this, but altering your attitude is important. He passed away at age 50 from complications of the diabetes and the transplants (pancreas and kidney) he had gotten around the time he went blind. He lived a very full life.
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15 comments:
I like the optimism. I am pretty sure I couldn't deal with such a loss so easily.
I have read a couple of his published poetry collections (I think they were the first two he published, but this was 30 years ago). I remember liking them quite a bit. I will have to revisit his work.
Reminds me of one of my favorite cartoons.
A person in an optometrist office looking at the chart that reads (if I recall):
Y
OU
ARE
GOING
BLIND
(centered, of course)
WHat a great attitude. An inspiration. And I love Keaton. Next to Harold Lloyd, he's my fav silent comedian
Renews one’s faith in the goodness of humanity! It’s easier to be kind and helpful when the disability is visible, sad for him that he had to endure unkindness based in ignorance of his condition, also human. Humans are amazing at adapting, one of the reasons we’ve survived for so long.
Speak for yourself.
Edward Hirsch, the poet? Too much close reading takes its toll.
I suppose if one have to struggle alone with a condition for long enough, others finding out about it may ease one's mind and lighten the burden.
I have his recent book, The Heart of American Poetry. It's a good read, and you learn a lot about Hirsch, who had an interesting life, but I did notice that he didn't deal with some poets who didn't fit the current favored demographics.
Reminds me of why we love Ann Althouse. She’s the Buster Keaton of Blogging.
My father was a font of bizarre old sayings. At times when we would get stuck behind a slow driver who was confused or hesitant, he would remark, "he doesn't know whether to shit or go blind!" As a kid, I always wondered, "why are those his only two choices?"
Buster Keaton was so cool he would do (uncredited) stunts in other people's movies just for the kick.
The studio hated that shit!
The best Keaton movie, in my opinion, is The Navigator. It was his most popular movie back in the day. See it and you'll know why!
stunts
We have a neighbor that is the complete opposite of Grace in his blindness. He can see enough to live alone, but needs a visiting homemaker to keep him going. I take him out for appointments and light shopping about once a month. He’s bitter about life, yet he was such when he had good sight.
It’s a soul thing/not a sight thing.
Buster did a great turn in an early Twilight Zone "Once upon a Time". Nicked from Wikipedia because it's early and Im morning lazy...
"Once Upon a Time" is episode 78 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on December 15, 1961. It features early film star Buster Keaton in one of his later roles, as an unlikely time traveler, and the opening and closing scenes pay tribute to the silent films for which he was famous.
By coincidence, I saw this recently from Dorothy Parker
I was seventy-seven come August
I shall shortly be losing my bloom...
Shortly? Ms. Parker was another person skilled in making the best of things. Good. It's a virtue.
Kinda like a sky diver until the chute doesn't open?
A blind condition, perhaps emergent, a baby conceived with Downs Syndrome... life deemed worthy of life.
My brother went blind at age 32. He was a type 1 diabetic, who had retinal detachments. As part of his recoverery and retraining, the state of PA REQUIRED him to see a counslor for the depression this was going to cause. It was a part of his day, just like learning braille and new life skills.
He adjusted great, thanks to the program. In fact, he became a public spreaker for them and helped others. He volunteered at a senior center cooking for the participants. (He was a chef prior to this) He played guitar and sang old songs with them. He met and married his wife. The local Y set up a sound system so he could swim in their pool. The beeps got louder as he approached the wall. He went hiking with friends and had a busier social calander than me.
He had an uncanny sense of direction. I would take him to medical appointments in center city Philadelphia. He would navigate for me, I would tell him which streets we were passing and which street we were on. He knew the whole of downtown Philadelphia in his head. We called it the blind leading the blind.
There is life after a diagnosis like this, but altering your attitude is important. He passed away at age 50 from complications of the diabetes and the transplants (pancreas and kidney) he had gotten around the time he went blind. He lived a very full life.
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