Yesterday, a friend asked me about my writing. She wondered if I do the writing in solitude or with input from others. I think the word she used was, journey. Was it a solitary journey or a journey with friends? Did I seek input from friends? Did friends offer advice? It is most definitely not a solitary journey. My husband, Jim, and I quite often discuss whatever I’m writing about at the moment. Sometimes I run things by him to make sure I’m remembering the events correctly. More often, and this is an unexpected gift, we explore and share the emotions we had at the time. These discussions and explorations are vastly enriching the tapestry of our lives. So how do I get help and where does it come from? I’ve been sharing each completed section with several folks via email. They often ask questions or make suggestions. Inevitably this produces a better piece of writing. So far, the reader might think that all of this writing is going to be about depression and blind rehab. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, I am writing about blindness and adjusting to vision loss because that’s my reality. That’s what I went through. Later I’ll be posting quite a lot about The Seeing Eye. Again, that’s my reality. The dog that just walked over, stuck her nose under my right hand and gave it an upward flick is my fourth dog from The Seeing Eye. The folks whose feedback I really appreciate are friends who are not blind and who maybe didn’t even know someone who is until they met me. These folks are my touchstone. They make suggestions for changes that sail right over my head because blindness is just part of who I am. It is these folks who are helping make sure that my writing draws in everyone, whether disabled or not. You folks know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m astounded and humbled as I watch my page views steadily rise. Thank you, thank every one of you. I hope you stay with me for the journey
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