What's this about cataract surgery? In and out and off you go! Next?
I'm a bit jaded following a 'routine' procedure for cataracts. My left eye, operated on five years ago, worked out fine, but my right ('good') eye is not following anyone's protocol. It's a rebellious eye that appears allergic to most treatments but won't settle for no treatment.(A bit like the Tea Party, wet and you can't reason with it).
I'm pretty sure it'll work itself out, but it has me weeping at operas for the wrong reasons and postponing plans......rats!
But who am I to complain? One of my dear friends Gowri went totally blind in the last few years, from being simply 'malvoyant'. Through him I've met a number of his friends and associates who either blind or 'malvoyant', and am learning a bit more of how it is to live without apparent vision. Gowri's non-visual perception is remarkable--touch, smell, hearing, a total sensing of people and his environment give him what I consider remarkable vision. He can generally sense someone's age, and also when someone of the female gender is unusually attractive.
Qitai his black lab, playful and happy in and out of the house, is highly competent in his profession of seeing-eye dog: an all-round great canine.
Gowri, a wiz with his computer and his advanced cell-phone that reads out his text messages coming and going, still works in his own company. He goes to a crafts class on Wednesdays where he makes things like paper and cardboard letter-holder hedgehogs made out of recycled paperback books. In addition he runs every week, goes on long tandem bicycle rides, entertains and has an active social life (even in Geneva). Last year he cycled from Geneva down to the Mediterranean over several days. And of course Gowri and a few others wanted to try hang-gliding, I mean why not? They loved it.
And all this because there are some remarkable sighted people out there who accompany and facilitate. Many are members of:
Achilles, a club for runners and walkers with disabilities. Eric, the original heart and soul and creator of the Geneva branch of Achilles when he arrived at CERN from Columbia University to work on his PhD in physics, is now off to defend his thesis and begin the next phase of his life. Travels and further study, as he plans to train in nuclear medicine. From theoretical to applied, i.e. treating people, so I call it Particles for the People). One of the members, Pascale, went over to New York and ran in the marathon this past year. Thanks again to those helpers.
The Achilles Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/159078522596/
and
Taupenivo, a Geneva tandem cycling association, a special one. Taupe means mole (blind), niveau means level, and sounds like top-level. They're the ones who did the 2011 Descente du Rhône.
http://www.taupenivo.ch/guppy/
This weekend there's the Vivicittà race in Geneva, a twelve-kilometer walking/running race held in many cities simultaneously once a year. Guess who'll be there?
Here's another friend Jean-Yves grinning from the back of the tandem.
You can hear him on YouTube performing 'Achilles' which he composed in honor of the club.
Jean-Yves is a wicked good jazz pianist, one of the most sought-after musicians in Suisse Romande and well beyond. He has recorded many CDs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXrPGq47zCU
I began this blog with a lament and different ideas, and then it sort of grew into this.
As my brother Jeff says: it is what it is.
