Feeling stupid.
For the past several months I have been handicapped by vision loss as a side effect of cataract surgery.
I was able to get around the house just fine. But TV was blurry, I could not read without magnifying the text to 300%. I was making, literally, one typo for every four words I typed.
You know what?
I felt stupid.
When you can't read labels, medical instructions, etc. people THINK that you're stupid.
Eventually, you think that about yourself.
When I was a college student, I was a volunteer tutor in a program designed to close the achievement gap between low income (read black) high school students and their more affluent (white) peers.
I discovered that most of the students I tutored had serious visual problems. They couldn't read because they couldn't see the text.
So, nearly sixty years later, I find myself thinking about those kids.
If I, who had a twenty-five year career teaching at a college level, could have such a dramatic loss of confidence because of poor vision, what was life like for those young people spending year after year in classrooms, unable to read the textbooks, or do the homework, or follow along with the rest of the class.
That kind of thing makes you feel, well, stupid.
Fortunately, one of my eyes is fixed and the other will be soon. My confidence is returning. I can drive, watch 4k TV, read, write...
But how about those kids who simply need glasses or eye surgery but can't get them? What will their lives be like?
Anyway, just thinking about things.
I spent today getting my manuscript into shape to submit to Amazon. I plan to submit it tomorrow...now that I can see.
I hope you folks like the book. I had a hard time writing it, what with the partial blindness and all.
And I can use some sales. I've got medical bills!
I was able to get around the house just fine. But TV was blurry, I could not read without magnifying the text to 300%. I was making, literally, one typo for every four words I typed.
You know what?
I felt stupid.
When you can't read labels, medical instructions, etc. people THINK that you're stupid.
Eventually, you think that about yourself.
When I was a college student, I was a volunteer tutor in a program designed to close the achievement gap between low income (read black) high school students and their more affluent (white) peers.
I discovered that most of the students I tutored had serious visual problems. They couldn't read because they couldn't see the text.
So, nearly sixty years later, I find myself thinking about those kids.
If I, who had a twenty-five year career teaching at a college level, could have such a dramatic loss of confidence because of poor vision, what was life like for those young people spending year after year in classrooms, unable to read the textbooks, or do the homework, or follow along with the rest of the class.
That kind of thing makes you feel, well, stupid.
Fortunately, one of my eyes is fixed and the other will be soon. My confidence is returning. I can drive, watch 4k TV, read, write...
But how about those kids who simply need glasses or eye surgery but can't get them? What will their lives be like?
Anyway, just thinking about things.
I spent today getting my manuscript into shape to submit to Amazon. I plan to submit it tomorrow...now that I can see.
I hope you folks like the book. I had a hard time writing it, what with the partial blindness and all.
And I can use some sales. I've got medical bills!
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I haven't gotten around to reading "Street Smart." It's in my library, and I'll get to it soon.
Dallas's blog
I'm getting back into the writing world again after a long illness and withdrawal. The books I've already published primarily center around a fictional Florida county, a young woman named Donna Parker
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I really like what you brought up, it's so true: so much confidence lost at such a crucial period of these young people's lives.
As a side note: I made my character in Street Slave have poor vision in order for her to feel lesser, be held back even though she's a tough, smart-enough girl. Partly inspired by my own journey through having to wear glasses and never having the right ones around. Makes you realize how important clear vision is, especially these days.