Two weeks ago I mentioned the impact that stories have on so many aspects of my life. Everything I shared in that post was brought home to me in a chance conversation I had a few days ago.
Here’s what happened.
I recently had to go for some routine medical tests. When I arrived at the offices, the receptionist remembered me from a previous visit when I had been accompanied by guide dog Fiji.
After exchanging pleasantries, she told me how much better she understood the work being done by guide dogs, how the dogs are trained and that she also had a deeper appreciation of what it was like to be blind.
Naturally, I was curious and asked her how that had happened. Her response was that she had watched a movie about a woman losing her sight and being partnered with a guide dog.
I was stunned, because the only recent movie I know of with that plot was that based on the book Guiding Emily by my friend, Barbara Hinske. Which was, indeed, the movie the doctor’s receptionist had seen.
The way this conversation relates to my blog from last week is this. How wonderful that a fictional story, presented in the form of a book and related movie, helped the receptionist and I to build a closer connection. That, through the movie, she had a greater understanding of what was and was not possible for me. And that it helped her to gain valuable insights into the way she saw guide dogs and the important role they fulfil for people such as myself. It was amazing to realize how much this single movie had impacted on her thinking.
And, of course, I was delighted that all her colleagues wanted to learn more about the Guiding Emily movie following our conversation.
Such is the power of a story.
PS: If you would like to watch the movie, it appears on streaming services occasionally. It originally aired on both Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and the Hallmark Channel.
And, if you’d prefer to read the books, you can find them at http://mybook.to/guiding-emily-series
