It’s not what you see, but rather what you don’t see that will hurt you. Have you ever heard that? This really holds true for those with vision loss.If I got paid for every bruise and cut my body has endured since high school, related to vision loss, I’d be a millionaire now. Most bruising was before I knew I had a problem. Then, after learning I was legally blind due to a lack of peripheral vision, I didn’t realize I needed help yet. Therefore, I tripped from not seeing low curbs, holes in the ground, or rocks jumping out of nowhere. At least no broken bones snapped as a result.Even more bruises accrued on my thighs from walking in dimly lit stores and restaurants where I hit tables or shelving. Everyone has to have their favorites.
Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Finally, I felt it necessary to get some training. Orientation & Mobility training is what they called it at the Kansas Rehabilitation Center for the Blind. Besides cane instruction, it was equally, if not more important, to learn protective techniques.While many other blind and visually impaired people may have had more extensive training than I, I hope to get my point across. I truthfully don’t remember most of my class, but I do recall two simple techniques that are worth their weight in gold.
Trailing walls is a must to learn new environments. However, you must be on guard. One never knows what might be lurking to attack your fingertips. Splinters are the worst, although I’m not fond of encountering sticky or moist substances. Before taking my mobility class, my fingers protruded straight out, inching their way in front of me to signal all sorts of information. The problem was when you found something. Ouch! In my class, I learned to be on guard. I learned how to protect my fingers by bending them, letting my knuckles be my guide. What a difference that made.
Bending over can be extremely dangerous for anyone, especially those with low, or no, vision. Don’t tell anyone, but many a time, I forgot I had left a dresser drawer open, dropped an item, only to crack my cheekbone or forehead as I quickly bent over to retrieve it. Ouch! Totally unexpected. Similar experiences happen when bending over in many places. Assuming you are in a safe spot, you learn otherwise at the moment your face and furniture collide.
In order to counteract such catastrophes, you must admit you have a problem, learn how to adjust, then be intentional to carry through. The next injury might not be so minor.
The technique you use for protecting your precious face is carried out by simply bringing your hand in front of your face, palm outward. This allows your hand to come in contact with a dangerous obstacle first. Trust me, if you are bending over too fast, hitting a lip on the back of your hand is much less painful than smashing it against hard wood. Besides, there are times when you believe you’ve made it past where danger might lurk, only to discover an edge of a large toy of a child or grandchild.
Just as the blind or low vision learn there is danger they don’t see, we must realize harmful situations are abundant in society everywhere, unseen by many. We must become intentional in our efforts to be on guard against them. People are consumed with thoughts of…
- entertaining ourselves
- handling our hurts from our childhood
- gaining attention by attempts to join the popular crowd to fit in
- living through our children the life we wanted, but couldn’t have
- climbing the corporate ladder
- trying to do better than our neighbors and friends
Everything on this list is okay until we become obsessed in a selfish matter. We must be on guard against hurting others by being so consumed we don’t see the damage we could be doing to someone else. What negative impact this could have on the current and future generations.
Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Maybe we should think on how to protect our families from harm, lies, addictions, bad relationships, by equipping them with God’s truth.
What are some of God’s Truths that has made your world better? How has It made you safer?
© 2019, Jena Fellers. All rights reserved.
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