Random thoughts about blindness..

Okay..so I spent most of spring break in the bay area, mainly San Francisco. On one of my surprisingly many adventures of the week, I was asked to ride BART (the train/subwayish system over there) for the first time. After taking a good thirty minutes to figure out where the station was, probably overpaying for my ticket, and almost getting on the wrong train that would've taken me in the complete opposite direction, I finally managed to figure a thing or two out.

Sitting at my window seat, anxiously reading the station signs from every stop (since I really had no idea when I was supposed to get off, besides from the station name), I was given the wonderful opportunity to do some people watching. About ten minutes into my journey, a young blind man with a seeing eye dog entered the train and sat down right in front of me. He then immediately took a prescription bottle out of his pocket and took a pill. Then, during the remainder of my stay on BART, I would notice that the man would rock his head back and forth from time to time, while the train was moving. Now I don't really know anything about the blind, so this could definitely be a common thing. But it did give me the opportunity to reflect..

This may sound stupid, but it got me thinking about life without sight. I was imagining being in that guy's position, being on the train, knowing all the details and technicalities, but not actually knowing where I was. I mean, it's one thing to feel things out and kinda know what's going on, but it's something totally different to be able to visualize it. I just got to thinking if the guy took the pill to maybe relieve stress..and that maybe he was bobbing his head back and forth because he was kind of nervous.

Continuing with this train of thought (haha..get it?), I started to wonder what he could potentially be thinking. I mean, what makes up your imagination if you haven't ever seen anything? Would your mind make up random visuals? I know when you lack one sense, your others get intensified, but does your imagination? Idono..but anyway, it was interesting to think about on my little trip from Berkeley to San Fran and I thought I'd share.

Ultimately, I have to give that guy a lot of credit. Here I am, freaking out, not knowing which train to take, anxsiously staring out at the train stations, and here he is, alone with his dog, collected. casually getting from one place to another.

Happy Easter.