I lost my sight when I was four years old by falling off a box car in a freight yard in Atlantic City and landing on my head.
I
lost
my
sight
when
I
was
four
years
old
by
falling
off
a
box
car
in
a
freight
yard
in
Atlantic
City
and
landing
on
my
head
.
Now I am thirty two.
Now
I
am
thirty
two
.
I can slightly remember the brightness of sunshine and what color red is.
I
can
slightly
remember
the
brightness
of
sunshine
and
what
color
red
is
.
It would be wonderful to see again, but a calamity can do strange things to people.
It
would
be
wonderful
to
see
again
,
but
a
calamity
can
do
strange
things
to
people
.
It occurred to me the other day that I might not have come to love life as I do if I hadn't been blind.
It
occurred
to
me
the
other
day
that
I
might
not
have
come
to
love
life
as
I
do
if
I
had
n't
been
blind
.
I believe in life now.
I
believe
in
life
now
.
I am not so sure that I would have believed in it so deeply, otherwise.
I
am
not
so
sure
that
I
would
have
believed
in
it
so
deeply
,
otherwise
.
I don't mean that I would prefer to go without my eyes.
I
do
n't
mean
that
I
would
prefer
to
go
without
my
eyes
.
I simply mean that the loss of them made me appreciate the more what I had left.
I
simply
mean
that
the
loss
of
them
made
me
appreciate
the
more
what
I
had
left
.
Life, I believe, asks a continuous series of adjustments to reality.
Life
,
I
believe
,
asks
a
continuous
series
of
adjustments
to
reality
.
The more readily a person is able to make these adjustments, the more meaningful his own private world becomes.
The
more
readily
a
person
is
able
to
make
these
adjustments
,
the
more
meaningful
his
own
private
world
becomes
.
The adjustment is never easy.
The
adjustment
is
never
easy
.
I was totally confused and afraid.
I
was
totally
confused
and
afraid
.
But I was lucky.
But
I
was
lucky
.
My parents and my teachers saw something in me--a potential to live, you might call it--which I didn't see, and they made me want to fight it out with blindness.
My
parents
and
my
teachers
saw
something
in
me
--
a
potential
to
live
,
you
might
call
it
--
which
I
did
n't
see
,
and
they
made
me
want
to
fight
it
out
with
blindness
.
The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself.
The
hardest
lesson
I
had
to
learn
was
to
believe
in
myself
.
That was basic.
That
was
basic
.
If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have collapsed and become a chair rocker on the front porch for the rest of my life.
If
I
had
n't
been
able
to
do
that
,
I
would
have
collapsed
and
become
a
chair
rocker
on
the
front
porch
for
the
rest
of
my
life
.
When I say belief in myself I am not talking about simply the kind of self confidence that helps me down an unfamiliar staircase alone.
When
I
say
belief
in
myself
I
am
not
talking
about
simply
the
kind
of
self
confidence
that
helps
me
down
an
unfamiliar
staircase
alone
.
That is part of it.
That
is
part
of
it
.
But I mean something bigger than that: an assurance that I am, despite imperfections, a real, positive person; that somewhere in the sweeping, intricate pattern of people there is a special place where I can make myself fit.
But
I
mean
something
bigger
than
that
:
an
assurance
that
I
am
,
despite
imperfections
,
a
real
,
positive
person
;
that
somewhere
in
the
sweeping
,
intricate
pattern
of
people
there
is
a
special
place
where
I
can
make
myself
fit
.
It took me years to discover and strengthen this assurance.
It
took
me
years
to
discover
and
strengthen
this
assurance
.
It had to start with the simplest things.
It
had
to
start
with
the
simplest
things
.
Once a man gave me an indoor baseball.
Once
a
man
gave
me
an
indoor
baseball
.
I thought he was making fun of me and I was hurt.
I
thought
he
was
making
fun
of
me
and
I
was
hurt
.
"I can't use this."
``
I
ca
n't
use
this
.
''
I said.
I
said
.
"Take it with you," he urged me, "and roll it around."
``
Take
it
with
you
,
''
he
urged
me
,
``
and
roll
it
around
.
''
The words stuck in my head.
The
words
stuck
in
my
head
.
"Roll it around!"
``
Roll
it
around
!
''
By rolling the ball I could hear where it went.
By
rolling
the
ball
I
could
hear
where
it
went
.
This gave me an idea how to achieve a goal I had thought impossible: playing baseball.
This
gave
me
an
idea
how
to
achieve
a
goal
I
had
thought
impossible
:
playing
baseball
.
At Philadelphia's Overbrook School for the Blind I invented a successful variation of baseball.
At
Philadelphia
's
Overbrook
School
for
the
Blind
I
invented
a
successful
variation
of
baseball
.
We called it ground ball.
We
called
it
ground
ball
.
All my life I have set ahead of me a series of goals and then tried to reach them, one at a time.
All
my
life
I
have
set
ahead
of
me
a
series
of
goals
and
then
tried
to
reach
them
,
one
at
a
time
.
I had to learn my limitations.
I
had
to
learn
my
limitations
.
It was no good to try for something I knew at the start was wildly out of reach because that only invited the bitterness of failure.
It
was
no
good
to
try
for
something
I
knew
at
the
start
was
wildly
out
of
reach
because
that
only
invited
the
bitterness
of
failure
.
I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made progress.
I
would
fail
sometimes
anyway
but
on
the
average
I
made
progress
.
I lost my sight when I was four years old by falling off a box car in a freight yard in Atlantic City and landing on my head. Now I am thirty two. I can slightly remember the brightness of sunshine and what color red is. It would be wonderful to see again, but a calamity can do strange things to people. It occurred to me the other day that I might not have come to love life as I do if I hadn't been blind. I believe in life now. I am not so sure that I would have believed in it so deeply, otherwise. I don't mean that I would prefer to go without my eyes. I simply mean that the loss of them made me appreciate the more what I had left.  Life, I believe, asks a continuous series of adjustments to reality. The more readily a person is able to make these adjustments, the more meaningful his own private world becomes. The adjustment is never easy. I was totally confused and afraid. But I was lucky. My parents and my teachers saw something in me--a potential to live, you might call it--which I didn't see, and they made me want to fight it out with blindness.  The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself. That was basic. If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have collapsed and become a chair rocker on the front porch for the rest of my life. When I say belief in myself I am not talking about simply the kind of self confidence that helps me down an unfamiliar staircase alone. That is part of it. But I mean something bigger than that: an assurance that I am, despite imperfections, a real, positive person; that somewhere in the sweeping, intricate pattern of people there is a special place where I can make myself fit.  It took me years to discover and strengthen this assurance. It had to start with the simplest things. Once a man gave me an indoor baseball. I thought he was making fun of me and I was hurt. "I can't use this." I said. "Take it with you," he urged me, "and roll it around." The words stuck in my head. "Roll it around!" By rolling the ball I could hear where it went. This gave me an idea how to achieve a goal I had thought impossible: playing baseball. At Philadelphia's Overbrook School for the Blind I invented a successful variation of baseball. We called it ground ball.  All my life I have set ahead of me a series of goals and then tried to reach them, one at a time. I had to learn my limitations. It was no good to try for something I knew at the start was wildly out of reach because that only invited the bitterness of failure. I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made progress.