Case of Sidney Bradford,esp. p.87

[Librarian]

A case mentioned in the book. This man Sidney Bradford who lost sight at 10 months old, regained sight at 52. He became depressed because he expected the world to be a perfect place. He died at 54 even though in perfect health. Chipped paint bothered him.
"Bradford said that he had expected to see a more perfect place when his bandages came off, that he had always imagined the sighted world as a kind of heaven. Now he knew it was less than that. He could see it in the frayed wood and stained fabrics and smudged windows he encountered daily, that no matter which way he turned things fell short of what he'd hoped they would be. He could see the truth in chipped paint and it disappointed him."----------I wonder if others who regain site after losing it very young or never having had sight feel this way? Did Mike have this reaction? Could it be because as sighted people we take some things so much for granted that there are elements that never are described to blind people? Also , I wonder if Bryan Bashin has since considered the surgery. He was twelve when he lost his site, so wouldn't his vision adjustment be easier.
Librarian

[ilucas]

I did not consider the possiblity of the sighted world misrepresenting things by reporting part of what they see and failing to comment on the less beautiful elements. I was wondering how much of the disappointment had to do with unrealistic expectations. I have met people who marry with the expectation that it will open up a fairy tale world of happily ever after, only to be desparately disappointed when the less than lovely parts of their partner or of married life surface. I have known people to change professions anticipating that the new working environment will bring a peace or fulfillment that no job does. As humans, is there a temptation to believe that the removal of a barrier or the entry into a new state will solve previous problems? Certainly every blind individual exposed to the wider world knows about chipped paint by leaning up against an old fence or sitting at a run down bus stop. They all know about litter as it scuttles across the pavement. I have stepped into my share of road kill because the wind was blowing the scent in the wrong direction. I can not be alone. Irene my

[vivico1]

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Librarian wrote:
A case mentioned in the book. This man Sidney Bradford who lost sight at 10 months old, regained sight at 52. He became depressed because he expected the world to be a perfect place. He died at 54 even though in perfect health. Chipped paint bothered him.
"Bradford said that he had expected to see a more perfect place when his bandages came off, that he had always imagined the sighted world as a kind of heaven. Now he knew it was less than that. He could see it in the frayed wood and stained fabrics and smudged windows he encountered daily, that no matter which way he turned things fell short of what he'd hoped they would be. He could see the truth in chipped paint and it disappointed him."----------I wonder if others who regain site after losing it very young or never having had sight feel this way? Did Mike have this reaction? Could it be because as sighted people we take some things so much for granted that there are elements that never are described to blind people? Also , I wonder if Bryan Bashin has since considered the surgery. He was twelve when he lost his site, so wouldn't his vision adjustment be easier.
Librarian

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What interested me was not, was Mike disappointed in what he saw, but how in awe he was at what we took for granted! All the things that he would then tell people, you didnt ever tell me about that. You never told me stop signs were red. Remember how strange he thought it was that stop signs were red? Or manholes in the streets or lines at crosswalks. I thought he would never get out of the hospital for looking at every single thing that we sooo take for granted! lol.

[Wrighty]

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vivico1 wrote:
What interested me was not, was Mike disappointed in what he saw, but how in awe he was at what we took for granted! All the things that he would then tell people, you didnt ever tell me about that. You never told me stop signs were red. Remember how strange he thought it was that stop signs were red? Or manholes in the streets or lines at crosswalks. I thought he would never get out of the hospital for looking at every single thing that we sooo take for granted! lol.

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It seemed like Mike had so many people in his life who took the time to really describe things in great detail. Even with that how could it be possible to describe everything to him? Another example of something that hadn't been described to him was on pg. 193 when they went skiing again. When they were pulling into the parking lot and Mike saw the orange cones and the fluorescent yellow vests. He noticed how bright they were.

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me about the orange and yellow" May asked.
"I guess we just didn't think of it", Wyndham said.
May still could not get over the number of amazing things sighted people never bothered to mention. It seemed the same as if he'd forgotten to mention to his family that he had a brother or that he played guitar.

I can't find it now but there also a comment about colors that Mike made. He said something about his favorite color being "bright" or "vivid" or something like that. I thought that was a great remark.

[RobertKurson]

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Wrighty wrote:

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vivico1 wrote:
What interested me was not, was Mike disappointed in what he saw, but how in awe he was at what we took for granted! All the things that he would then tell people, you didnt ever tell me about that. You never told me stop signs were red. Remember how strange he thought it was that stop signs were red? Or manholes in the streets or lines at crosswalks. I thought he would never get out of the hospital for looking at every single thing that we sooo take for granted! lol.

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It seemed like Mike had so many people in his life who took the time to really describe things in great detail. Even with that how could it be possible to describe everything to him? Another example of something that hadn't been described to him was on pg. 193 when they went skiing again. When they were pulling into the parking lot and Mike saw the orange cones and the fluorescent yellow vests. He noticed how bright they were.

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me about the orange and yellow" May asked.
"I guess we just didn't think of it", Wyndham said.
May still could not get over the number of amazing things sighted people never bothered to mention. It seemed the same as if he'd forgotten to mention to his family that he had a brother or that he played guitar.

I can't find it now but there also a comment about colors that Mike made. He said something about his favorite color being "bright" or "vivid" or something like that. I thought that was a great remark.

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I'm so glad you caught that bit about those orange cones. Mike thought to tell me that detail even though I was pressing him to find out what happened when he got to the top of the mountain and tried to ski for the first time as a sighted person. The fact that he slowed me down and then included those memories (and so many others) was a real gift to me as a writer. It's wonderful to find a fantastic story and terrific main character, but when that main character also thinks cinematically and thinks to recall the little stuff for you, that's when a job like mine gets really exciting.