Realizing My Potential

Have you ever noticed how, depending on you take on things, God or the universe chooses to talk to us? Have you ever noticed how often we are given messages? There are countless songs poems stories etc about how we are spoken to. The subtle the sublime and sometimes the sledgehammer on our stubborn heads, when were not listening.
I am currently on a customer engagement at a very cool organization they work to prevent blindness and restore vision globally. During my meetings with the client I am being inspired, told what to do next. Change my tact and approach. Grow, and realize there are others out there, some better off than I am, and many who are a lot worse off than any of us.
BlindManCan is going to change. I’m sure I will not let an opportunity go by to complain about a personal issue or event. My scope of writing has served a very strong purpose for me. My original intent was to reach out to my extended family to those without a voice without the ability to talk, to reach those who have gone before them and lived with our disability. I honestly don’t know how successful I’ve been in my original intent but I do know others are listening. I had no idea when I started blogging that others would be listening. I have learned so much. Its so true we are blind to what’s next until we are ready for what’s next. Ultimately this blog isn’t about “I” its about we.
For the first time I’ve been called a “writer”. My breath was taken away. Just like the first time I was called an “athlete”. I never thought I’d be a “writer”. Never. At the same time I was called a “commentator” someone who is in the right place at the right time to send out the right message to everyone.
Measurement of success for me had been in reaching one or two of the other people in my extended family and sharing with them what I’ve learned. I had hoped for a dialogue but that hasn’t happened. Success going forward will be an expanded audience. Ultimately I still hope for the dialogue. We’ll see what happens. Getting people to talk and think about things a little differently would be wonderful.
Being blind is an interesting dynamic as your personal experience with blindness is so dependent on your context, your community. In some communities to be openly disabled is a sentence of death. I’ve been stuck on my own experience with blindness so much so I’ve been blinded to what others who are blind experience. Its one thing for me to be blind in my context, in my community. Its a different thing for others to be blind in their context and community. Its an entirely different thing to take away the comforts of relative “prosperity” and commentate on those whose experience of blindness is colored by poverty. There’s a lot to think about it. There’s a lot to talk about. With out a conversation how can we get to know each other? Without conversation how can we begin to understand each other? With a conversation we can both grow and realize our potential.
Now, getting on with it. There are so many things to discuss. More soon.