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How could I be so blind? 2001-02-20 I saw the nicest story on CBS Sunday morning this week. It was about a middle school in Brooklyn whose students are mostly pretty poor. Chase Manhattan has recently given every student and every staff member a Gateway computer for their home, and this is apparently already making a positive difference for some of the kids--they are doing better in school, etc. I think that A) it is a wonderful thing for Chase Manhattan to have done and B) I wonder how many people are aware that Chase Manhattan is a big college lender. I'm sure that Chase has it in the back of their corporate mind that the kids who get computers might be more likely to go to college, and once there if they need to borrow, they are already loyal to Chase, so why not borrow from them? I am not against Chase having donated the computers--I think it's great--but nobody does anything for nothing; they have a scheme. Mark my words. Here are some things in my office that I like: Small squeaky Michaelangelo's David statue (given to me by my sister, lavalamp) Wonder Woman pez dispenser Pink sparkly pen with marabou fluff at top (also from lavalamp) Furry pink box with pink marabou (given by coworker to match pen) A swimming trophy--purchased for 50 cents at thrift store An alligator ashtray that says Florida on it--using as business card holder A selection of postcards affixed to wall with poster tack. My favorite is the cat in striped shirt and bowtie at the dinner table, saying, "Keep your fork--there's pie." Photo of lavalamp in costume for Jesus Christ Superstar--it was a modern production and she has a great outfit to wear. Plus her hair was defying gravity. Photos of the Boy, including a photo of him missing several teeth and grinning like a tv evangelist. I have to talk about the alligator ashtry for just a second in order to say I got it at a Stuckeys in S. Florida, when returning from the Keys with Francisco (went for Xmas in 1998--it was a Great trip). I have to confess, I love Stuckeys. They have the most revolting souvenirs, and I love to look at them, plus they have the pecan logs, and how can you not like those? As far as travel stops go, Stuckeys kick ass. Here's something you didn't know--I am legally blind. This is not that big a deal, it just means that if I didn't have glasses or contacts, I would not be able to see jack shit. I remember there was a guy in my high school who achieved minor fame by being legally blind and telling people he was, but he had contact lenses so it's not like he was actually blind. I plan to have the lasik surgery in one to three years, because it can correct my vision and that would be unbelievably great. I have worn corrective lenses since I was three years old (glasses then, of course--I got contacts when I was 12), and I can't imagine being able to wake up in the morning and see everything clearly. It would be a miracle and I don't think I would ever take it for granted. Here is a story about my blindness that is sort of funny now but at the time was pretty damn traumatic: I was 14 or 15 and I was on a youth group camping trip. We were staying at some godforsaken Thousand Trails campground (some church people had a campsite there) and we went to use the pool. Being the extremely self-conscious teenager I was, I didn't want to wear my glasses to the pool, because they were ugly, but I didn't want to use my contact lenses because I might lose them, like if someone splashed me, which was likely to happen. So I just went without either and followed the other kids closely. On the way back it was getting dark and my friends were kind of scuffling and playing, and then they ran off, intent on chasing one or the other of them (I'm sketchy on that whole thing, because I was blind, see). I was yelling for them to wait, but they were gone and I suddenly realized that, holy crap, I can't see anything but dark shapes and fuzzy light from the sporadically placed streetlamps and it's dark and there is no way I'm going to find my way to the campsite. I was so upset. I cried until I realized that I could find another camp and tell them my sad story and maybe they would take me back to my campsite. Not appealing, because I was quite shy, but I would have done it, except one of the girls came back and got me. I really must write and thank her again for that. Isn't that a sad story? Doesn't it make you want to sob into your hanky? It's okay, I'm over it. I use it merely to illustrate my sight handicap, and to contrast my current sight with the sight I'll have after the lasik. Having sight this bad really gets in the way of my fantasy life, and no I'm not talking about sex fantasies, you sickos. I'm talking about like, when someone says, "If you could live in any other time in history, when would it be?" I have to always say now, because in almost every interesting time to visit, I would be a blind person. Or if I want to think about being on a desert island, I have to think about how I would see and what if my glasses broke. That kind of thing. I am adding macaroni and cheese (homemade type) to my yesterday's list of things I would like to eat if they didn't have too many calories. Last night when I got home I saw that Francisco had planted roses and also distributed a truckload of shredded bark onto our new flowerbeds. Need another truckload, but the yard is looking Quite Improved. I will be done now. Have a good night! E Homer: "I have seen the light! It burns!!" |
come over some time & see me - 2011-02-25 |
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