(reviewed by Ann Onymous )
“Why was I given the gift of almost immediate acceptance of what had happened, when others
weren’t?“
July 1991 found our author, Bill, shot in the head, which left him permanently blind. He was working in Atlanta, trying to take the subway to the airport to get back home to St. Louis.
Most newly blind people take time to adjust to their new vision challenges but Bill was not hesitant at all. With the love of his parents, sister, friends, colleagues, and a new love, he learned to negotiate his new reality.
I enjoyed hearing about the technology available to face Bill’s challenges. This book reminds
us about how far we have come. This man was a single dad with two young children, anxious
to get back to work. He was motivated to return to his ‘old life’ and was an outstanding
student at the Lions Club Vision School in Little Rock, Arkansas. He had to trust his
Rehabilitation advisor that he would benefit from the program.
Bill includes many amusing and telling anecdotes that enhance the memoir. A few of my favorites are below:
A UPS man delivers a box that Bill had ordered. After bringing it into the house, he walks into it. Oops- I’m bored, might as well open it and try to assemble. He opens it and decides to assemble the grill by logic and feeling, with no need to ‘read the instructions!’ We trust it worked perfectly, and it did.
Bill starts to ski again – having skied twenty years before. He explores the world of snow with a guide. He loves the feeling of freedom and the rush of adrenaline as he speeds downhill. He
learns to trust the person skiing behind him, giving navigational directions.
Back on the job, Bill is confronted by a new client who doesn’t realize Bill is blind. The man says, “I thought you hot shot, laptop using, sunglasses-wearing cool consultants
were supposed to have all the answers.” The man hadn’t seen the ear piece for note taking or
the seeing-eye dog named Darby, under the table.
The man apologizes to Bill, and Bill replies, “No problem – don’t worry about it.”
The man remarks, “You look at everyone when they’re speaking, and I would have never known you were blind.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment”, Bill responds.
Bill further writes, “I was learning that graciousness and generosity served me much better
than reacting defensively and building a resentment in such situations. Like this guy, most
people have no reason to be hostile toward me as a blind person. The more I can keep my
cool, the more I am able to diffuse such rare situations.”
This book is fascinating. Walk along with Bill, read his journey, you will learn and be inspired.
