Becoming Blind by Madelyn Smith

Each morning she is rudely awakened to the sound of an alarm reminding her that life goes on outside of her dreams. Contradictory to what some may believe she lives in a tiny house with very few belongings. But, she carries the world on her shoulders. Her mom told her when she was just a little girl that life is not all about gaining social status or becoming that somebody, but it is about seeing the world through a unique pair of eyes. Watching with her heart and listening to those without a voice. So she became blind. Blind to color, blind to background, blind to anything and everything that would give her a preconceived notion of what the world is like. And she was shocked at what she discovered. Everyone had a story, from the woman in the deli who smiled at each customer day after day even though her son had passed away of heart failure at the age of 5, to the man who sat across from her at church who refused to look anyone in the eye because he couldn’t bear the thought of letting someone get close enough to his heart to know and share his pain. She realized that everyone has a story, everyone is unique, and everyone has the potential to see the world through another pair of eyes. She thought to herself that often people get so caught up in their daily routines of judging people and turning away from those who have different beliefs that they lose sight of their common purpose. So she sat down on a rock by the river and she thought. She prayed. She listened as the relentless wind ripped across the sky until she could no longer hear herself think. Questions raced through her mind just as the storm stripped branches from the trees. What makes us different? Why are we compelled to interact with people who look, speak, and behave the way that we do? Who decides the classification system for social status? What makes us unique? What can I do about inequality? How do I open up the eyes of others so that they can see the way that I do, so that they can know that we are all the same?  She contemplated these questions day in and day out until her brain hurt. And after great deal of thought she discovered something. She discovered that life is not all about making people see in a uniform manner. Sometimes in order to reach the final goal of acceptance and equality each individual must be able to see the world for what it is through their own eyes. For this little girl, becoming blind was what she needed to do in order to see more clearly, to understand people and interactions, and to look at the world in a new way. For others, becoming blind may be plugging their ears to stereotypes or opening their hearts and minds up to new interests and beliefs. She discovered that segregation is so much more than judging the color of one’s skin, or the accents on their lips and she found that in order to become blind, one must open their eyes up and see.

B ring a new perspective to each day

E nvision a world of unity and peace

C hallenge yourself to look beyond the skin

O mit your prejudice

M ind your stereotypes

I magine equity

N ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough

G rapple with your conscience and always seek the truth

B e the best that you can

L isten to opinion

I nterpret experience

N othing is beyond your reach

D esign a world of equality

In a world of turmoil and despair, it is important to always remember your roots.