on blind people interacting with sighted people

On the various blind lists on the internet I see many notes dealing with why blind people are not accepted by sighted folks.  Following are some of my thoughts. 

 

 

Perhaps we are putting too much emphasis on blindness. 

Reading the great number of posts on the subject of "reaching out" or being accepted, it seems that we have about as wide a variety of personal experiences as we would find in the population at large. 

Since the single common denominator on this list is blindness, and blindness often becomes our reason for things being as they are, perhaps we need to step back and examine whether our feelings of rejection and isolation are unique to our blind community or are common to the broader population. 

As a sighted teenager and young adult, I was very shy.  Yet I longed to be accepted as part of the crowd.  But I couldn't bring myself to make the initial contacts.  So I sat at the back of the room, or hung around on the sidelines of the dances , wanting some gorgeous girl to grab me and whisk me away. 

Had I been blind, I would have jumped at blindness as the reason for my troubles.  Sure, I was visually impaired, but no one knew that.  I did put some of my isolation at the feet of not being able to drive, and having to ask girls out on the bus, but there were girls who did not mind that.  So I look back and have come to believe that my isolation was caused by my own discomfort and fears of rejection.  Which had nothing to do with my vision. 

Today I move in and out of groups with ease.  Why?  I'm blind as that proverbial bat.  In thinking about it I can only come to the conclusion that I am now totally comfortable with who I am and have a well developed self confidence. 

I love people and I can honestly say that I love myself. 

Yet, even so, there are times when I find myself being ignored and not invited into the conversation or activities.  If, after attempting to waddle in, I am still feeling unwanted, I leave.  Because I have so many options open to me, I have no time for hanging around folks who are not interested in what I have to contribute. 

And sometimes I know it is because of folks discomfort regarding me as a blind man.  Well, I'm comfortable with being a blind man, so I am not going to fret over their problems. 

 

Curious Carl