After the Revolution

I read on Wiki the other day that Audre Lorde was legally blind. And my first thought was, “Wow, it’s so amazing that she accomplished such precious and powerful things.” Immediately I realized how horrible it is that my default setting when learning some random, neutral bit of biographical information about someone was to go to this place of marginalizing them for a characteristic that’s part of them.

I think, on closer inspection, that my reaction is really about my own issues with my own sight. Or lack thereof. I got my first pair of glasses in 3^rd grade and began wearing contact lenses in 7^th grade. Sometimes I have these rushes of gratitude about living in a time and place where there is such incredible technology that allows me to see with 20/20 vision. I’m truly lucky and blessed that I have the privilege to access these wonders.

But usually I just hate hate hate having to wear corrective lenses. I hate it when my eye gets irritated by some speck of dirt and causes this drama about where/how I’m going to rinse out my contact lens. It can interrupt my activity at ANY MOMENT. I hate going camping with contacts. I hate how my eyes get hurty and dry and red when I spend the night in jail. I have to think ahead about the possibility of tear gas and pepper spray when I go to protests. I hate it when I run out of cleansing and conditioning solution and have to run to the drugstore in the middle of the night. Words cannot describe how ever-present these thoughts and worries are, rattling around in my brain!

It all leads to this fantasy of that magic balm, lasik eye surgery. I just know that if/when I do get it done, I will instantly become a completely different, totally carefree and spontaneous person. Really. Any day now. I can just almost taste my brand new, hassle-free existence.