[nabs-l] When a loved one goes sighted

Thu Apr 21 04:13:00 UTC 2011

I agree with you completely.  I don't think we should begrudge those who
choose to regain sight.  I dare say this is patently impossible for most of
us.  Like the rest of you, I probably wouldn't choose it were I given the
chance; I suspect the visual centers in my brain are already rewired to do
other things so there's some question as to whether I could even perceive
sight.

On the other hand, I think it's over-the-top to insist, as some
deaf/hard-of-hearing folks do, that those who regain their "lost" faculties
are killing a culture.  In fact, although I, too, believe that blindness is
part of who I am, it isn't an *essential* part so I find it somewhat
uncomfortable when I hear blind persons saying they wouldn't wish to regain
sight because it would change who they are.  Isn't that just another way of
imputing to blindness (or sight, for that matter) more than it's just being
a characteristic?

Having said all this, it's true that any time a loved one changes in some
way (even if it's for the better), those around him/her have to make
adjustments and sometimes these adjustments are too hard for family bonds to
stand.  I've known more than one person who got divorced after attending a
NFB Center.  It wasn't that the Center caused the break-up; it's just that
the relationship couldn't stand the strain of one person's having changed.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Kirt Manwaring
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 8:44 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] When a loved one goes sighted

Jorge and Homberto,
  I feel the same way.  I'm very curious to see what sight is like, I
wonder about it sometimes.  I'd even go as far as saying I sometimes
would like to see...but if the option were available, the tedium of
relearning everything, not to mention the risk of the surgery for
something I don't really need, more than balance out any wish I have
to see.  But, should a blind friend choose differently and receive
sight, I would totally understand, respect and support that decision.
And it wouldn't change the friendship on my end, although it would
spark some interesting conversations.
  Just my thoughts,
Kirt

On 4/20/11, Jorge Paez <computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hombertu,
> I agree.
> I personally wouldn't choose to be sighted for one simple reason.
> I've learned everything without sight.
> If I regained sight I'd have to relearn everything.
> Sure I had sight but lost it when I was so young I can't remember,
> so really I can say I've been blind all my life,
> and sight would just make it too difficult.
>
> Jorge
>
>
> On Apr 20, 2011, at 8:55 PM, humberto wrote:
>
>> First of all, If I was to become sighted, I would not do it. I myself
>> wouldn't want to become sighted because of 2 reasons:
>> 1.  since I am blind since birth, I will feel so weird being sighted;
just
>> like a sighted person  had been born with sight and feeling weird when
>> they become blind. The world would be so different and I cannot even
>> explain how different since I've never ever been sighted, and don't want
>> to be.
>> 2.  I am blind, I am the way I am and I still want to be blind since I am
>> born blind. Blindness is just an ordinary thing for me. Even my mom has
>> gotten me to pray and get me to ask doctors if one day I will "see" but
>> that was when I was little, and looking back, I am so * GUILTY * that my
>> mom did this and told me that I will see soon in a quite convincing way
>> and now I think, and since coming to the United States and attending NFB
>> related camps and meetings such as the NFB youth Slam, I see my own
>> philosophy of blindness, which is that blindness is something ordinary
and
>> normal and nothing to be neglected or regretted about.
>> Just my 20 dollars for what it's worth, and, great question.
>>
>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Jamie Principato <blackbyrdfly at gmail.com
>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> Date sent: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:56:20 -0400
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] When a loved one goes sighted
>>
>>> Hi, all.
>>
>>> I was thinking recently about all of those "what to do what a
>> loved one goes
>>> blind" articles and pamphlets I've seen, and how often I hear
>> people talk
>>> about the reactions of friends and family and their community
>> when they lost
>>> their vision. I think there have even been comments on this list
>> about
>>> sighted friends for some reason thinking they have to treat us
>> differently,
>>> or can't relate to us as well because we're blind.
>>
>>> My question is this. How do you think the blind would respond in
>> similar
>>> situations, say, if a friend among a netork of fellow blind
>> students
>>> suddenly went sighted? As medical technology advances rapidly, it
>> is
>>> becoming more and more possible to correct a number of causes of
>> both
>>> congenital and later onset blindness. I know there are different
>> opinions on
>>> matters like this in other disability groups, and the question
>> really got me
>>> thinking.
>>
>>> I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts!
>>
>>> -Jamie
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>>
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