We talked about being in this middle ground not blind but not sighted. One of the ladies, Beth Omansky, has written a book about this called "Borderlands of Blindness" where she explores in depth many aspects of how people live in this no man's land between the blind and the sighted words.
Inspired by this idea I wrote a poem about my own experience of life in this borderland. I am no poet and the style is maybe a bit cheesy but I wanted to try and show how I feel about how my sight affects my everyday life and how actually I could be a lot worse off and thanks to having God to lean on I get on with my life.
A good friend with similar sight to me said that he considers himself to live in the borderland of the sighted. We had a good laugh about how there are not so many good rhymes with "sighted" (or now I come to think about it maybe there are and I will have to have a go at writing a poem maybe "On the shore of the sighted" who knows!!!) but I do agree with him that I feel I relate more to the sighted world then to the blind world.
I don't mean this to sound harsh but there can be a similar situation between blind and partially sighted people as there is with big D or little d people in the deaf community. I have been a member of a group for blind mums where I was the most sighted of the group and just did not feel like I fitted in as most of their talk was about guide dogs and difficulties that I just can't relate to. That's not their fault it is just the way it is. That's why I describe this borderland where you don't quite fit into one or other category.
OK well here goes here is my poem.
Borderlands of the Blind
I am not blind but I'm not fully sighted,
I find it harder when the room is not lighted.
I can read when the typeface is clear,
But sometimes have to hold the book near.
It is hard to explain to people what they would find,
If they lived in the Borderlands of the Blind.
I don't use a cane or a guide or a dog,
My world does not look like a haze or a fog.
A tenth of normal they say I can see,
But that's just a number meaningless to me.
I just can't explain the world that I find,
Where I live in the Borderlands of the Blind.
I can't see well enough to drive,
But with God's help I will survive.
It might take me longer when I have to walk,
But when I need help I am able to talk.
Missed the bus today but I do not mind,
It's part of life in the Borderlands of the blind.
Finding a friend can be hard when I'm in a crowd,
And everyone around me is talking so loud.
I don't mean to be rude but I don't know your name,
So many people I know look to me just the same.
Just say who you are, it would be so kind,
To the friend in the Borderlands of the Blind
I am raising my children the best way I can,
Look after my house, take care of my man.
The washing, the ironing, the cleaning the cooking,
I missed a spot even though I was looking.
Things may not be perfect but they do not mind,
They know I live in the Borderlands of the Blind.
There are days when my life seems so tough,
Makes me wonder why God made things so rough.
But then I think of all the good things in my life,
When some in this world are surrounded by strife.
Compared to many my life's not such a bind,
Living in the Borderlands of the Blind.
My prayer is that others will come to understand,
That there are people like me all over this land.
Whose eyes don't work the same way as the others,
They are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers.
But we are still people, We work and we play,
Just sometimes have to do things a different way.
God made me this way to help others to find,
Life is still worth living in the Borderlands of the Blind.
I am not blind but I'm not fully sighted,
I find it harder when the room is not lighted.
I can read when the typeface is clear,
But sometimes have to hold the book near.
It is hard to explain to people what they would find,
If they lived in the Borderlands of the Blind.
I don't use a cane or a guide or a dog,
My world does not look like a haze or a fog.
A tenth of normal they say I can see,
But that's just a number meaningless to me.
I just can't explain the world that I find,
Where I live in the Borderlands of the Blind.
I can't see well enough to drive,
But with God's help I will survive.
It might take me longer when I have to walk,
But when I need help I am able to talk.
Missed the bus today but I do not mind,
It's part of life in the Borderlands of the blind.
Finding a friend can be hard when I'm in a crowd,
And everyone around me is talking so loud.
I don't mean to be rude but I don't know your name,
So many people I know look to me just the same.
Just say who you are, it would be so kind,
To the friend in the Borderlands of the Blind
I am raising my children the best way I can,
Look after my house, take care of my man.
The washing, the ironing, the cleaning the cooking,
I missed a spot even though I was looking.
Things may not be perfect but they do not mind,
They know I live in the Borderlands of the Blind.
There are days when my life seems so tough,
Makes me wonder why God made things so rough.
But then I think of all the good things in my life,
When some in this world are surrounded by strife.
Compared to many my life's not such a bind,
Living in the Borderlands of the Blind.
My prayer is that others will come to understand,
That there are people like me all over this land.
Whose eyes don't work the same way as the others,
They are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers.
But we are still people, We work and we play,
Just sometimes have to do things a different way.
God made me this way to help others to find,
Life is still worth living in the Borderlands of the Blind.
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