Blind Man Running

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    I was a normal child doing things that kids do.  If I had limitations I was unaware of them.  Little did I know what was just around the corner! For the rest of my life, friends, relatives, teachers, and people I worked with would be more than happy to make me painfully aware of what they thought my limitations should be.  I am grateful to God that when he bestowed blindness upon me he also gave me the gift of spirit.  I am fond of saying, “I may be blind but I have vision.”  I promise there will be more tasty morsels of wit and wisdom thrown to you throughout this book.

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    For years people would teasingly ask me if I jogged with a white cane.  With my usual smartass come back I would retort, “Hell yes,” but now I was ready to try anything. 

    With this new procedure I cut three minutes off my jogging time, plus it was far less hazardous.  However, I did jog onto Highway 19 several times, but I can assure you this error was corrected immediately.

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    It was toward the end of our second season, and it seemed there were more bikers hanging out than usual.  I had been singing, playing the guitar, and sweating for hours.  It was “Miller Time.”  I was sitting at the bar relaxing, and I must admit I was feeling no pain when a voice said, “Come on.”

    There were four or five bikers, and I said, “What’s up?”

    They said, “Come on, you’re gonna ride.”

    I sat there revving the engine, and man, did if feel good.  As I eased the clutch out and the bike began to move I came to the sudden realization.  When riding a two-wheeler it is essential to have a reference point to balance yourself.  If you don’t believe this, try to ride a bicycle or motorcycle while wearing a blindfold.

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     For many years I would shine a light on my guitar while performing because I thought it necessary to see the neck.  You will notice most guitarists are constantly looking at this part of the instrument while playing.

    I was quite apprehensive the first night I performed without a light on my guitar, but by the end of the performance I was adapting, and during the weeks and months ahead I noticed a marked improvement. 

    Instead of using my eyes, I was using my ears.  Not only was I a better musician, but my style of playing had changed.  In other words, I left one world and entered another.  This has not only been the case in music, but in every aspect of my life.

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     I love it when someone says, “You don’t look blind.”  What the hell do you say to an idiotic statement such as this?  After giving it some thought, I finally came up with an appropriate response.  I simply ask, “What does a blind person look like?”  Man, you’ve never heard such stuttering and stammering.  I’ve yet to receive an answer.

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