"I stood quietly wondering who was the one carrying the white stick and would they notice if I danced naked in front of them!"
I'm 42 years old and from Hanford in Stoke on Trent. I enjoy reading, horse riding, walking, socialising, music, writing, cooking and shopping with my mum or my friends.My story is about the obstacles and people's reactions that the blind frequently encounter. I want to make people stop and think. I thought Inside Lives was very good.
My mum and I were chatting to this family friend... Well, when I say us, that didn't include myself. The usual greetings had been exchanged; mine was overlooked, as she carried on the conversation with my mother. I stood quietly wondering who was the one carrying the white stick and would they notice if I danced naked in front of them! I was already annoyed. I'd run the gauntlet of bollards, advertising hoardings, raised flower beds, ornate lamp posts, mothers with push chairs, sandwich boards, low benches, al fresco tables, chairs, umbrellas, market stalls, tubs, baskets, sign posts, waste bins, telephone booths, litter and scaffolding. And swarming amongst the precinct obstacles were hundreds of busy people chaotically chattering, arguing, yelling, laughing, babies crying, mobile phones ringing, music playing, pushing, shoving, knocking into me, with no apparent notice taken and no apologies given. Who's blind? You are. You fail to see the important features of your immediate environment. Its clutter, sounds, smells, colours remain unseen. People like me are continually - though unintentionally - invisible to you. We're just like you! The difference being, we appreciate what we have. You take your senses and mobility for granted. "How's Claire?" my mother was asked. My annoyance erupted like Mount Etna as I stepped forward and said at the top of my voice: "I AM HERE YOU KNOW AND I'M FINE. HOW ARE YOU?" "Oh....um....I'm fine thanks...." Hooray! I'd made an impression. She SAW me from that moment on. It's a great pity the majority of you still don't. You'll never know what you're missing.
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