Sightless Experience

As the sightless person with the blindfold over my eyes, I felt so vulnerable and doubtful about everything. I was anxious to move, because I did not fully trust my guide, and I couldn’t physically tell where I was heading. The whole time, I was so frustrated because I couldn’t be certain about every inch of my movement, and I felt very helpless and uncomfortable. Every time I was told to walk, I would take the smallest steps possible to avoid any possible trips. I was definitely afraid to walk at my normal pace, as I knew I would run into something and get injured. The most difficult part that I experience blind was coming down from a large stone. Getting up was easier than I thought, because all I had to do was take large steps, however when coming down from the stone, it almost feel as if I was falling from great height. I could not imagine the distance from the peak of the stone to the ground; therefore I felt very insecure and hesitated a lot. While walking around, I could vaguely set up a mental picture of the courtyard. Therefore, it was not difficult to imagine the direction I was headed for. For example, after the task of walking over a metal rail, I could imagine the courtyard in accordance to the position of the rail. I think that if this task was done at a completely new place, it would be much more difficult, as we wouldn’t have ANY knowledge about the place we’re walking in. In addition to the audio sense, I used my hands and legs to feel the surfaces and the textures surrounding me.

As the guide, I felt a great load of responsibility of being as precise as possible in making sure the blind would not get injured. Every time my partner bumped into something, I felt so sorry and a guilt that made me anxious about my words. Even though my partner followed instructions well, I became frustrated when they struggled to walk in straight lines on flat ground.  I could tell that even though my partner trusted my words, and me, he was still doubtful about his movements and placements of his limbs. He was always very cautious and extra careful even when I assured him, which further proves how dependent we are on our sight. I assume that my partner felt somewhat comfortable in the courtyard, just because he was familiar with the surroundings. However, imagine how long it would take and how vulnerable and doubtful he would feel about every inch of a step he took if he had to walk to the other side of the campus without sight!

I realised how restrained we are when we cannot see. Not only can we not detect what is in front of us, but also we are forced to be extremely aware of our surroundings and every muscle we move. Although I believe that sight may sometimes be deceiving, being able to see is an essential part of reassurance in our beliefs and knowledge.