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Seeing Clearly: A memoir of vision loss, emotional blindness, and finding my true self
A deeply moving and courageous memoir, Seeing Clearly is the story of one man’s journey of self-discovery as he grapples with progressive vision loss.
At age 54, after emerging from one of the darkest periods of his life, Chris Monnette is diagnosed with neovascular macular degeneration, an incurable retinal disease that slowly robs him of his eyesight. As each cell in his macula dies and his vision diminishes, he is forced, literally and figuratively, to see the world through different eyes.
Raised in the shadow of an emotionally stifled father, Chris learns early on to mirror the belief that vulnerability equals weakness, a philosophy reinforced during his time at the Virginia Military Institute and as an officer in the Marine Corps. Blind to his own emotions, he goes on to build an outwardly successful career – one that masks a deeply unstable life marred by infidelity, divorce, and the painful fracture of his family.
As Chris' field of vision shrinks, his sense of self blurs around the edges. Once an active person who loved to fly airplanes, ride motorcycles, and ski, he becomes increasingly dependent on others for even the most basic tasks and is left with no choice but to embrace the vulnerability he has so long avoided. In doing so, he is able to take ownership of his mistakes, find true intimacy, and create a life of abundance on the other side of fear.
A piercingly honest meditation on the emotional legacy of stoicism, Seeing Clearly is much-needed proof that being a man and being vulnerable are one and the same.
At age 54, after emerging from one of the darkest periods of his life, Chris Monnette is diagnosed with neovascular macular degeneration, an incurable retinal disease that slowly robs him of his eyesight. As each cell in his macula dies and his vision diminishes, he is forced, literally and figuratively, to see the world through different eyes.
Raised in the shadow of an emotionally stifled father, Chris learns early on to mirror the belief that vulnerability equals weakness, a philosophy reinforced during his time at the Virginia Military Institute and as an officer in the Marine Corps. Blind to his own emotions, he goes on to build an outwardly successful career – one that masks a deeply unstable life marred by infidelity, divorce, and the painful fracture of his family.
As Chris' field of vision shrinks, his sense of self blurs around the edges. Once an active person who loved to fly airplanes, ride motorcycles, and ski, he becomes increasingly dependent on others for even the most basic tasks and is left with no choice but to embrace the vulnerability he has so long avoided. In doing so, he is able to take ownership of his mistakes, find true intimacy, and create a life of abundance on the other side of fear.
A piercingly honest meditation on the emotional legacy of stoicism, Seeing Clearly is much-needed proof that being a man and being vulnerable are one and the same.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2022
6 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 28, 2022
I loved this book! The author takes a traumatic physical challenge that comes into his life, and wrings out insightfulness, optimism and lots of lemons into lemonade.
Check it out!
Check it out!
August 19, 2022
Monnette's memoir, Seeing Clearly, has much to teach young men -- maybe old ones, too -- about wrong choices, inner strength, and when to summon reinforcements. Life’s external bombardments, tests of strengths -- moral and physical -- the planting of flags atop mountains of accomplishment; all of these threaten inner peace. These can lead to spiritual attack, even clinical depression. One of the biggest obstacles to achieving inner peace is the planting of flags, for there is always someone or something that will call a fire mission upon your mountaintop objective.
Virginia Military Institute’s Class of 1981, which Chris Monnette, I and a couple hundred other Citizen Soldiers call "The Best Class," is a crowd of scarred and toughened patriots on whom people and organizations rely. We are actual tough guys, just ones who slip as we ascend and need BRs, friends, family and even counselors to yank us up out of the mud to resume placing one boot ahead of the other.
When such a tough guy slips on that mountain, or is trodden down, will he master himself enough to ask for help? Will he admit that medical or psychological or spiritual help are needed? Will he find peace in just surviving the artillery lobbed upon the mountain, or his own flaws that led him to ignore the warning, "Incoming!"?
My Brother Rat Chris Monnette explores these questions and pursues illusive inner peace by means of a full examination. He does this masterfully in Seeing Clearly, leading readers into the depths and heights of emotion involved. Seeing Clearly is the kind of scrutiny that shines clarity where blindness encroached. With Seeing Clearly, Monnette brings readers to plant humbler flags, yet flags of victory nevertheless, upon life's harshest mountains.
Virginia Military Institute’s Class of 1981, which Chris Monnette, I and a couple hundred other Citizen Soldiers call "The Best Class," is a crowd of scarred and toughened patriots on whom people and organizations rely. We are actual tough guys, just ones who slip as we ascend and need BRs, friends, family and even counselors to yank us up out of the mud to resume placing one boot ahead of the other.
When such a tough guy slips on that mountain, or is trodden down, will he master himself enough to ask for help? Will he admit that medical or psychological or spiritual help are needed? Will he find peace in just surviving the artillery lobbed upon the mountain, or his own flaws that led him to ignore the warning, "Incoming!"?
My Brother Rat Chris Monnette explores these questions and pursues illusive inner peace by means of a full examination. He does this masterfully in Seeing Clearly, leading readers into the depths and heights of emotion involved. Seeing Clearly is the kind of scrutiny that shines clarity where blindness encroached. With Seeing Clearly, Monnette brings readers to plant humbler flags, yet flags of victory nevertheless, upon life's harshest mountains.
February 24, 2023
Keeping a vision
Very insiteful story. I enjoyed reading his Chris's life story and how even through the change in eye vision he was able to move forward with his dreams.
Very insiteful story. I enjoyed reading his Chris's life story and how even through the change in eye vision he was able to move forward with his dreams.
February 26, 2023
Losing your physical eyesight makes you think outside of the box to continue to achieve your visions even when having to ask for help. I did enjoy reading Chris's story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews