Disability & Blindness
Driving
Not being able to drive was the most painful thing in my life. For the first time in my life there was no way to pretend to be like everyone else no more illusions. I am legally blind. I was definitely different. It didn’t matter how high functioning I was or wasn’t or how well […]
Coming Out Blind
For most of my life I have not lived openly with my blindness. I have hid it and rejoiced in its invisibility. The sad thing with most things you try to hide about yourself the only person I was fooling was myself…. It takes a lot of energy to appear sighted, you’re constantly acting and anticipating the […]
Downhill Skiing
I love to downhill ski. I grew up in Calgary forty five minutes from Banff and some of the best skiing in the world. I learned to ski in Calgary at PaskaPoo renamed Canada Olympic Park for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Anyway when I was learning to ski we called it Poo Glacier as […]
Changing a Diaper
Isn’t it a right of passage for a parent to get painted with urine or plastered with poo while changing a diaper? I think all of us parents have at least one story, well maybe two. I’m not convinced that there is any difference being blind and changing diapers. Its a nasty affair at the […]
Support Systems
As the Beach Boys put it, “I Get Around!!”. It’s all about gettin around. If you’re blind, simply put, you need to be the easiest date at the prom. It’s all about logistics. Getting groceries, getting to the doctor, getting the kids, etc. It’s about getting things done. Your support system is everything. Without it […]
Canned Extrovert
I am a weird mix of introvert and extrovert. People who know me – friends or colleagues – would all call me a “flaming extrovert”. Generally this is true. However; in situations out in the world that I don’t have context for, or situations that are adverse to me seeing, I am a decided introvert. […]
Performing
I sing. Funny that a voice like a fog horn. A tuned fog horn of course. But still very loud and distinctive. I have done a number of shows over the years with lead roles and chorus roles, for amateur and professional companies. So I really can sing. I even do the national anthems from […]
In The Beginning
I am starting this BLOG and Podcast to share my experience with blindness. I am legally blind and have been since birth. I have a congenital eye condition called Ocular Albinism. Many have been interested and inspired by my story over the years. So much so I considered writing a book to share my story…. In The Beginning […]
What Can You See?
I get this question all the time. I appreciate the question as it demonstrates a person’s interest in understanding me and my vision but it is profoundly difficult to answer. Visual acuity or our perception of color is impacted by our mood our distractions and our experiences. Vision ultimately is a very individual and somewhat variable experience. What […]
My Greatest Gift
I wanted to write a book about my experience with blindness except I couldn’t think of the punch line, the hook or the message. Honestly I am not the joke even though I have been accused of being the joke once or twice. There really isn’t anything profound as I believe that everyone is born […]
