[nfbwatlk] we still have a long way to go

[Gloria Whipple]

So did I! 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kaye Kipp
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:59 PM
To: NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] we still have a long way to go

I really like your response.

Kaye
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary Ellen" <gabias at telus.net>
To: <list at cfb.ca>
Cc: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 5:29 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] we still have a long way to go


I belong to an e-mail list which sends memorable quotes from time to time.
Here is a quote encouraging people to take better care of themselves.

"Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity.
The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they
are dim, the whole world is clouded."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:


I wrote the following to the person who sent the quote:

I want to thank you for continuing to send messages that make me think. The
Goethe quote was no exception, though my thoughts took a somewhat different
path than either the author or you intended.
There are two ways in which the quote is accurate and one unintended way in
which it is anything but truth.
It is true that if we don't take care of our health, our relationship with
the world around us changes for the worse. Even something as minor as a cold
or a wisdom tooth extraction can interrupt the flow of everyday activities;
life doesn't seem nearly as good when you're sick or hurting. Of course,
individuals who deal with chronic illness and pain find ways to live
joyfully with discomfort which would turn me into a world class grump. How
any of us responds is a choice, and those with chronic pain don't have the
luxury of wallowing in misery like I choose to do when I know I'll feel
better in a few days. For people like you and me who are healthy and not in
pain, this joy in the face of problems is a little hard to fathom, but it's
real.
Goethe was also technically right. Speaking strictly clinically, poor vision
means we are less able to get information visually. Someone with cataracts,
for instance, may see a "cloudy film" over everything. Of course, and this
is where Goethe's comments are less than accurate, humans have five senses
for a reason. We have more back up systems than the space shuttle precisely
because we need to be able to get information in a number of ways. Goethe
was wrong when he implied that our understanding and ability to deal with
the world would be dimmed if we could not see it.
I sometimes hesitate to draw attention to problems with quotes like this. I
despise political correctness which demands we parce our words so as not to
offend anyone. All that easily offended hypersensitivity accomplishes is to
warp the language and make people shy away from potentially enlightening
discussions.

Far from being offended by the Goethe quote, I regard it as a springboard
for examining assumptions, mine and his.

"The soul must see through these eyes alone." I suppose that "the soul must
hear through these ears alone" and "the soul must smell through this nose
alone". But I think, and maybe I'm reading more into the quote than was
intended, that Goethe was implying that eyes which don't work well interfere
with our ability to experience and express our soul. The biggest problem I
face as a blind person, aside from the practical issues of transportation
and reading print, is the people I meet who assume that I have little
knowledge or understanding of my surroundings.
I suppose it's hard for people who use vision for practically everything to
realize how much they would still know without it. They seem surprised when
I tell them I can know the rough outline of a room just by walking in the
door. They could, too, if they paid attention, but they don't need to bother
because their eyes give them that information in much greater detail. Since
they would have to struggle if vision was suddenly not available to them;
it's not surprising that they believe I struggle. I don't struggle with
blindness. It's just a fact of my life, neither positive nor negative, just
a fact. Whether or not my soul and my world is "dim" (short for diminished,
not lacking light) is a function of my circumstances and choices as it is
for anyone else. It's frustrating sometimes when blindness is used as a
metaphor for deprived, bleak, lacking discernment.
No one intends really to link the metaphor with actual blind people. Still,
I believe the underlying connection is there. I wonder if there is any way
to sever the connection without gutting the language.





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