You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind.
You
could
feel
sorry
for
Alberto
Torres
,
who
is
blind
.
The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago.
The
last
thing
he
remembers
seeing
was
his
daughter
being
born
13
years
ago
.
Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student.
Then
the
world
went
blank
;
he
can
only
imagine
what
his
only
child
looks
like
now
,
as
a
teenaged
honor
student
.
Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man.
Bad
luck
is
no
stranger
to
this
warm
and
thoughtful
37-year-old
man
.
His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11.
His
mother
died
of
cancer
when
he
was
4
,
and
his
father
,
who
was
often
ill
,
had
to
give
him
up
to
the
care
of
the
state
when
he
was
11
.
He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work.
He
later
worked
for
19
years
in
a
workshop
making
household
goods
,
deathly
boring
work
.
Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments.
Earlier
this
month
,
Alberto
Torres
's
wife
,
who
had
just
been
laid
off
from
her
job
,
had
to
have
a
breast
removed
due
to
cancer
and
now
faces
a
year
of
radiation
treatments
.
Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse.
Things
seemed
always
to
go
from
almost
incredibly
bad
to
worse
.
Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck.
Even
Mr.
Torres
's
good
luck
has
a
dark
side
:
Five
years
ago
,
his
lovely
guide
dog
pulled
him
out
of
the
path
of
a
truck
.
Mr. Torres was not hurt.
Mr.
Torres
was
not
hurt
.
The dog was killed.
The
dog
was
killed
.
But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself.
But
Mr.
Torres
does
not
feel
sorry
for
himself
.
"These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said.
``
These
are
just
little
bumps
you
have
to
go
over
in
your
life
,
''
he
said
.
At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator).
At
5
a.m.
on
a
recent
morning
,
we
caught
up
with
Mr.
Torres
at
a
subway
stop
in
Brooklyn
,
New
York
,
near
where
he
lives
in
a
third-floor
apartment
(
with
no
elevator
)
.
He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready.
He
had
been
up
since
3
a.m.
,
feeding
his
new
dog
,
making
coffee
,
getting
ready
.
"When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said.
``
When
you
're
blind
,
it
takes
a
little
longer
to
do
things
,
''
he
said
.
Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital.
Mr.
Torres
was
beginning
his
two-hour
trip
to
his
job
developing
film
in
the
X-ray
department
of
the
emergency
room
of
the
Bronx
hospital
.
He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan.
He
would
take
the
G
train
to
Queens
Plaza
station
to
the
R
train
,
heading
towards
Manhattan
.
He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train.
He
would
then
ride
the
R
train
to
59th
Street
where
he
would
walk
upstairs
to
switch
to
the
Number
6
train
.
At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger.
At
one
point
along
the
journey
,
he
might
chat
with
a
stranger
.
At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name.
At
another
,
someone
would
pat
his
dog
,
calling
him
by
name
.
People offered assistance, even seats.
People
offered
assistance
,
even
seats
.
At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform.
At
125th
Street
,
Mr.
Torres
would
transfer
to
the
Number
4
train
by
crossing
the
platform
.
At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2.
At
149th
Street
,
he
would
go
down
to
the
Number
2
.
He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway.
He
would
take
that
to
East
180th
Street
where
he
nearly
always
has
a
long
wait
for
his
final
train
,
to
Pelham
Parkway
.
Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital.
Then
he
and
his
dog
would
walk
20
minutes
to
the
hospital
.
It was a hard job to come by.
It
was
a
hard
job
to
come
by
.
Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see.
Before
he
got
the
job
,
Mr.
Torres
was
determined
to
escape
the
workshop
run
by
an
organization
dedicated
to
help
people
who
ca
n't
see
.
He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark.
He
wanted
a
job
developing
X-ray
film
,
something
that
everyone
must
do
in
the
dark
.
He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work.
He
had
to
handle
the
long
trip
,
as
well
as
the
work
.
"Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital.
``
Our
philosophy
here
is
that
blind
people
can
do
just
about
anything
except
drive
buses
,
''
it
was
the
thinking
about
disabled
people
at
the
Bronx
hospital
.
"We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director.
``
We
find
what
a
person
can
do
rather
than
what
he
ca
n't
do
,
''
said
the
hospital
's
director
.
One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring.
One
day
a
while
ago
marked
the
first
anniversary
of
Mr.
Torres
's
hiring
.
He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate.
He
developed
150
or
so
X-rays
,
his
usual
output
,
to
celebrate
.
Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals.
Mr.
Torres
works
by
himself
in
a
small
,
dark
room
that
smells
of
chemicals
.
He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel.
He
can
not
wear
gloves
,
because
he
needs
to
feel
.
It is hard work, related to emergency of lives.
It
is
hard
work
,
related
to
emergency
of
lives
.
His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%.
His
immediate
supervisor
says
he
trusts
him
100
%
.
Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year.
Mr.
Torres
makes
$
20,000
a
year
.
But his motivation goes beyond money.
But
his
motivation
goes
beyond
money
.
"If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter.
``
If
I
start
feeling
like
a
victim
,
that
makes
me
bitter
.
And why be bitter?
And
why
be
bitter
?
That makes you go into a hole and stay there."
That
makes
you
go
into
a
hole
and
stay
there
.
''
he said.
he
said
.
"I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
``
I
'm
not
doing
anything
out
of
the
ordinary
,
''
insisted
Mr.
Torres
as
he
quickly
completed
the
task
.
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed.  But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said.  Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital.  It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director.  One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.