With a Blind Eye

Today I went to the eye doctor where I was given eye drops to dilate my pupils. Once my pupils are dilated, the doctor was able to use special equipment with lights to check my eyes. Once the doctor checks my eyes and gives me the "all clear", he explains that the drops will cripple my vision for up to 5 hours. After I heard that I thought, that's ok, I am only walking to the beach, I should be fine. Once I put on my Ralph Lauren sunglasses and head out onto the Honolulu streets, the sun hits me, blinds me and the tears start streaming from my eyes. I try to look around and focus, but I could not. Everything I looked at was blurred. The sun combined with the eye drops has rendered me close to blindness. I say close because it felt better to keep my eyes shut as oppose to quickly shuttering them to try to see clearly because that is not going to happen anytime soon. So I am debating on whether to walk back home or continue with my beach plans. So I fight the turn around and press forward. I had trouble seeing the crosswalk signs, the distance of the cars and my reading was highly impaired. As I cross the street I made sure I had to cross the street with other people just so I was sure I would be safe and cross at the right time. As I go through those five hours with my vision impaired it reminds me of a father and daughter that I have seen twice lately on my runs down King St. The father is blind and uses a stick while his daughter, approximately age 9, has her arm looped in one of his arms. I have seen them in the grocery store and then a second time walking to their home. I wondered how grown up she must have to be to care for her dad who was blind. Does the little girl feel like she is missing out on fun or does she resent her dad for something he could not control? Does the dad feel resentment because he has to have his daughter take care of him? All and all it must be difficult going through life with impaired vision. Although mine was briefly blurry, what if I had no vision? I see the most beautiful flowers, grains of sand, the colors of the ocean water, the colors of tomatoes, the face of my daughter, the plates of food I make, what if I did not have my eye sight and had to depend on my little girl to walk me to the store, buy milk or walk me to the bathroom? My point is I took for granted something that I have until I had it briefly taken away from me. Lets be grateful for what we have because the person next to you may not have.