A Different Way of Seeing. Helping You Make Sense of the Overwhelm
Many years ago, shortly after I lost my sight, my friend Johan invited me to lunch. He hoped that buying me lunch might soften the blow that he had lost a guitar I had lent him. While Johan was ordering drinks at the bar counter a man approached him and started telling him how remarkable …
You wouldn’t believe how often people ask me if my blindness has given me extra sensory abilities – whether I can hear, scent, and taste better than a sighted person, and have a more sensitive sense of touch. My honest answer? I don’t think so. I don’t believe my other senses have improved since losing …
One day a courier delivered a package to my home. This was back before the pandemic changed the way we live our lives. Back in the day when couriers expected you to actually sign for a delivery. On this particular day, the courier handed me the parcel and started to walk away. “Excuse me,” I …
Hi Everyone, it’s me – Fiji! The most exciting thing happened to me last week – I won a competition! Here’s what happened: There was a competition at dad’s work, with prizes for the best face mask that people were wearing. And, without telling me, dad entered a picture of me wearing a mask. Now, …
When I first lost my sight I could see streaks of bright gold light when I was in direct sunlight. Over the years I’ve lost that ability. Last week I wrote about the fact that blind people are not all the same – that we have individual strengths and preferences in how we accomplish tasks. …
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’d like people to know about my life as a blind person – things that I wish were more commonly known that would foster greater inclusion of the visually impaired community into society and the workplace. Because they would help people to understand my world a little better. …
Hi everyone, it’s me – Fiji! My very favouritist thing in the whole wide world is guide dogging for mom. And running with dad. And Breakfast. And supper. And playing with my doggy sisters. And… Hang on a minute, mom wants a word with me…. Mom just told me that I can only really have …
When I first wrote this song, I realized something about myself that I hadn’t been aware of – how much I fear abandonment. It’s not like I’ve ever been abandoned. Sure, like almost everyone, I have lost family and friends along my journey. I mean, the trigger for the song was the death of my …
Touch is important for a person who is visually impaired. It is one of the easiest ways to discover information about an object or the environment, either using your fingers or the tip of a white cane. But touch is also fundamental to the way a blind person communicates with other people. Which adds yet …
My previous article was about the non-fiction books I’ve been reading this year. Today, to show you that I haven’t been neglecting my love of fiction, I want to share a very special book with you: Guiding Emily, by Barbara Hinske. I don’t often get to read books about people becoming blind as an adult. …