One of the places I feel the most visually impaired is in an airport. No matter the location – in my aggressive home airport of Philadelphia or the much more chill vibe found on the other side of the country – fellow travelers either don’t see (that’s ironic) or ignore my white cane completely. It is rare that someone moves out of my way, in fact, the direct opposite usually occurs: people trip right over it then stop to look at me as if I purposely put my orientation and mobility tool on the ground directly in front of their feet. As much as I love to travel, I don’t love to travel through an airport.
Leaving our arrival gate in Salt Lake City recently, Mister Rain stopped me to describe a sign promoting the Paralympic Winter Games to be held here in 2034.We have become big fans of this organization since my vision loss.
It’s not difficult for me to think of the airport as my own Paralympics. Every. Single. Time. As I dodged people, strollers, luggage and carts, I gained strength thinking about the athletes who will move through this same terminal in eight years, people with physical challenges like me.
Sometimes it’s important to walk in someone else’s shoes to gain compassion and empathy. And sometimes it’s important to walk in the path of someone wearing the same shoes as you to gain compassion and empathy for yourself.
#SisterRain #ALittleSightALotOfHeart #LegallyBlindWriter #Blind #BlindnessIsASpectrum #LegallyBlind #LowVision #VisuallyImpaired #OpticNeuropathy #VisionLoss #Airports #Paralympics
