Forgive me for using my time this week for personal matters. So many people ask me how my eyes are after the little surprise in June when I suddenly went blind in my right eye. It was a detached retina by the way. I've had to learn new lessons and it struck me that the decisions I have made might be of general interest. Life is all about change and how we deal with them directly affects our happiness.
The first thing to say is that the surgeon did a good job, I have my sight back, it is distorted but may improve over the next few months. The consequence is that I see double! This has meant that reading is so difficult that I have decided to give up reading for pleasure until the situation improves. Talk about a life change! Anyone who knows me is aware that I have always been a reader and I have to admit that at the moment there is a big hole in my life. As always, the only way out is to look on the bright side! You may also be aware that another of my interests is playing in the shed making steam engines and repairing things for people. At first things were so bad that I couldn't see well enough to function with my toys and I think I got to the stage where I was frightened of going in and finding that I was right and had lost another of my loves.
As you know, I have often bemoaned the fact that kids seem to spend too much time in front of screens when they could be out there roaming the fields and getting dirty. In consequence I have never been a video watcher on the computer but as what had been my reading time hung heavy on my hands I decided to see how I got on with You-tube! It was the best thing I have done for a long time. I found out that, amongst other things that interest me, there were some marvellous blokes out there putting up videos of what they do in their sheds. Watching these triggered off an itch and to get to the point, I went back into the workshop and found I could function perfectly well in there as long as I had a good magnifying glass to hand for reading fine scales. So, for the first time in two years I am getting my hands dirty and loving every minute of it. By the way, writing is no problem as I can make the letters on the screen larger, no danger of these pieces drying up.
The bottom line is a lesson for all of us. Even though things look bad there is usually a way out if we are flexible and accept reality. No point regretting what you can't do, concentrate on what is possible. I refuse to go into a decline, who knows, in a few months things could be a lot better!
There may yet be more of these!
