List of Previous Titles

Saturday, February 28, 2015

How Precious is our Sight and all our other senses?


As a natural part of aging, which is not a pretty process, I found that my sight in my left eye was deteriorating due to a cataract. In 2011 I had the operation by a very competant surgeon and all was fine. However, gradually the eye needed more and more attention, including rubbing and lots of drops. Two Sundays ago I awoke lying on my front with my head  resting on my right side. In order to see what time it was I opened my left eye and realised, to my absolute horror that I was completely blind in that eye.

How long had this condition existed?

It had not occurred to me to simply close my right eye to test my left vision, so perhaps I have been operating for some time in that condition, although recently I have noticed a more advanced deterioration. For instance I am having major problems with my sense of depth perception.

I took myself off to the doctor the very next day and when he did an examination he discovered that the eye had become clouded over from a build-up of dust. In other words, I am blind in that eye due to common dirt! Good Heavens! I now have an appointment for a cleaning by laser.

Firstly, the human body is an amazing construct with built-in redundancies. We have two ears, eyes, nostrils and a mouth to take in and expell air, without which we cannot survive for more than a few minutes. We have our two arms and two hands, and legs and feet, and our internal organs. However, just to add an element of grave danger to our design we have only one heart.

We take so much for granted that when we come into contact with people with no sight or loss of other senses we have no way of fully understanding what they must be experiencing. We must walk in their shoes in order to know how deprived their lives are.

My hope is that after the cleaning process I will be returned to a like-new state. However, I wonder why I have been given this experience? I must open my mind for a revaluation of something that I can do to be of assistance, because surely, to have lost at least part of my sight, and then to be given it back must have some significant meaning.

One thing is certain: I am eternally grateful for my sight and other senses, and my good health in general!

Copyright (c) 2015   Eugene Carmichael