On this blog I talk about the downside to being blind in one eye, but I also try to look at the upside, too. Here are a few ways in which being blind in one eye has, I think, helped me become a better person.
I’m More Grateful
Being blind in one eye has a way of really making you appreciate being able to see out of the other eye. Yeah, you can’t catch well, but being able to wake up and see the sunrise, or watch a storm roll in, or read a good book in the evening … those are priceless things. I’ve gotten to witness many extraordinary moments in my life, and I’m so glad I was able to see them.
I’m More Understanding
Being blind in one eye technically doesn’t make a person disabled in the eyes of the law, but because it’s a limitation, it has a way of making you more aware and understanding of people who truly are disabled. I’m a lot more patient with elderly people using walkers, or with a deaf person trying to communicate, or with a paralytic in a wheelchair, than I would probably ever be otherwise. And, obviously, I have a great deal of empathy and patience for people who are completely blind.
I’m More Prepared
Talent is important in this world, but so is hard work. I’ve learned that if I’m doing something where my vision is an issue, I can compensate through extra work. For example, when I’m driving I take the time to research my trip and doing a few other things. Second example: sometimes I’m in a supervisory position with children, and I’ve found that by standing in, say, a corner of a room that I have fewer angles to watch; I don’t stay there, but I try to position myself to maximize my field of vision.
How has being blind in one eye changed you?
Hi Josh,
I recently started dating a person with one eye and she is incredibly sweet and humble person. I am still finding her self-consciousness with her appearance very challenging (particularly in public). I would like to help her build up her confidence as for me she is very beautiful and I can accept her imperfection but feel her anxiousness with how others perceive her.
Thanks for sharing, Chris. Self-consciousness is a hard thing to get over — some people get through it through time, and others through talking to a professional. I’ve learned that confidence can be contagious, and if you’re happy being out in public with her, she may draw from you over time, too. Either way, she’s not alone.
Just a quick note. I’m missing my left eye and I hate it when someone sits on my left side. It feels like I’m turning my back to them.
Me too. I always try to sit with my left eye against a wall whenever possible.
Hi Josh,
I found this site by accident. I’ve been blind in my right eye since birth. Living like this does pose challenges.
I plagued baseball, football and handball when I was young and became quite adept at all. I bowled for a time slso. I can drive fairly well too with one minor accident in 30 plus years. I couldn’t play basketball worth a darn. Crowds overwhelm me. It juat drives new nuts navigating through them. All in all, I’m grateful to be able to see my children’s faces, sunrises and sunsets and flowers. Sight is a beautiful thing.