Going Back

Two years ago I became a charter member for the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, (NFB) serving as vice president for the fledgling chapter. I enjoyed attending the meetings (even when it was just four or five of us) and worked to help the chapter grow. But after I got the official word that my bad eyesight was getting worse, I stopped going to the meetings. I didn’t want to be around others who were dealing with the same challenge. Crazy, huh. Last Friday I finally went back. Not only did I attend the regular business meeting, I went early to participate in the monthly Braille class. I experienced a couple of surprises. First, my ability to read Braille was a lot better than expected, especially considering I have not practiced since June. Second, there were 28 people at the meeting, including five or six first-timers.All sharing a common thread of blindness. I was glad to be there. As I introduced myself to one of the new-comers, I couldn’t help but notice the desperation in his voice as he explained why he was there for the first time. In essence he was there for the same reason I was, for strength and hope.