Niexter: The gift of sight

2010/10/13
By Himmat Singh, 17, Kuala Lumpur and By Sumeeta Ganesan,16, Subang Jaya

He says:

HOW many of us have seriously thanked God for giving us the gift of sight? Well, I, for one, haven’t because it’s something I take for granted, which I suppose is the case with many of you out there too.

But by pausing for a moment and pondering on this immaculate gift, I feel my life wouldn’t be as it is without the ability to see. I wouldn’t be able to do a whole lot of things – I can’t watch TV, I can’t read books, I can’t go on the Internet, I can’t play computer games, I can’t play sports, I can’t walk on the streets without the aid of a cane… and well the list can go on and on actually. Heck, I wouldn’t even be able to read this piece that you’re currently reading.

To be frank, I can’t even imagine what life would be like if I were to suddenly lose my eyesight because I’ve never experienced it. Would I see acres upon acres of pitch black darkness? Well, I just don’t know, and I hope I never will find out. But the one thing that I am aware of is that my life would take a turn for the worse if I were to suddenly lose my eyesight. I would face a lot of difficulties and adversities and hardships. School would be a challenge, education would be a challenge, and so would a whole lot of other stuff.

Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not saying that being blind would make me lose everything because there are many individuals out there who have overcome the odds to become more successful than the average man who can see. Helen Keller is one such example, becoming the first ever blind person to graduate from university.

However, I’m merely trying to point out that it’s obviously better to have eyesight than to not have it because life will be so much easier that way. For that very reason, I appreciate the fact that I am able to see, watch and observe things and that I can bask in the beauty of God’s creations. She says: DEAR readers, before you continue reading, I would like you to do something really simple and easy. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to do something extraordinary like hold your breath for few minutes or such! Firstly, just close your eyes. (make sure you do not peek!) Next, take a walk around your room. Hmmm, my magical power tells me that you have bumped your head right into something! OUCH! Well, I was definitely pulling your legs about my ‘power’! However, it is pretty logical to state that you had difficulties (making your way through amongst the clothes and mess on the floor!) without having the ability to see things around you. This is what I would like to point out here. How an individual who lost his or her eyesight would suffer day in and day out! Just imagine, how would you feel if suddenly you lost your eyesight? Even the thought of it, gives me the chills down my spine. Without eyesight, I, personally would feel left out from the opportunity to explore and wander the beautiful world and its nature. I would feel isolated in my own world of darkness circling around me. Everything I see, would be BLACK! Try imagining that! However, one should not give up in life. Come on, take a look at Helen Keller! She managed to awe the rest of the world with her outstanding capabilities and achievement, even though she’s blind. Amazing, isn’t it? So people out there, it is best that we look after our eyesight with proper care even though it would mean less TV and Facebook!