Any questions about being blind?

[cdnmatt]

Ok, getting a little tired of the constant smug remarks, implying that I'm lieing about going blind, because I can spell words like "geez" and "Krispies", or that I mentioned I paid for dinner at a restaurant, or that I made some typos, or whatever.

So thought I'd just do this instead, and maybe (hopefully) make the numb skulls shut up. Anyway, does anyone have any questions about conducting lfife in the dark? As long as you ask politely, I'll be happy to answer them. Obviously, I can only speak for myself, and not other blind folk. There's a few things I should work on more, instead of just relying on Leo (eg. organizing the spices so I can find them myself), but I think I have it pretty well figured out now.

[arsenal]

This is a troubling post. It suggests an addiction to squabbling with members about the nature of this blindness. It's almost as if you're missing a447 and his constant nitpicking and this is an attempt to encourage another member to pick up the cudgel. I'm sure I'm wrong.

Well anyway, here goes. You mentioned that you were interested in going to some 'blind school' and helping them out some time ago. I was wondering how you're getting on with that?

[Smiles]

Absolutely, a few questions.
What I'd like to know is this (along as how he brings it up): What is the name/diagnosis of a disease which causes a young man (I'm assuming that Cndmatt is somewhere between 25 and 45 ~ something like that, I could be wrong) to go completely blind literally overnight?

Cndmatt has been posting on Sawatdee for quite a long time now, yet total blindness never seemed to raise it's presence ... up until 1 or 2 years ago.
So what is it, the disease that is? What name or diagnosis has Cndmatt received for this disease? What sane person ~ once he's gone completely blind ~ does not immediately go back to his home country (in his case Canada) where the medical system will treat such a person for free? What kind of an halfwit, given the dire circumstances, chooses instead to live with a pack of dogs and a boyfriend and just carry's on as if total blindness is a normality?

The whole story is none of anyone's business, I totally get that.
But Cndmatt himself was the person who splashed the 'Blindness Thing' all over the WWW and this board specifically, then proceeds to get all worked up about those who raise rather skeptical, and reasonable questions. He is also the poster who inserts (sometimes slyly) in his numerous posts small reminders that he is blind ... for whatever reasons and for whatever needs.
And it's Cndmatt who now asks for 'questions'.

[cdnmatt]

This is a troubling post. It suggests an addiction to squabbling with members about the nature of this blindness. It's almost as if you're missing a447 and his constant nitpicking and this is an attempt to encourage another member to pick up the cudgel. I'm sure I'm wrong.

Yep, wrong. This one was actually sparked by a snide remark I read from Smiles this morning. I'm just tired of it now, so thought I'd open up the floor to questions. I figured learning and understanding is better than being cynical and sarcastic. I'm happy to answer questions, but getting replies like, "you can't be bline, because you're able to spell 'geez'" is just stupid.

Well anyway, here goes. You mentioned that you were interested in going to some 'blind school' and helping them out some time ago. I was wondering how you're getting on with that?

The blind school here in particular? Nope, not at all. They have a Christian School for the Blind here in Khon Kaen, but the head administrator there proceeded to tell me their institution can't be of assistance because I'm not Thai. Really pissed me off, because they knew I was happy to pay any fees, plus at the time I was just recently blind, and all I wanted help with was helping get back online. All I wanted was help just to do a simple Google Search, and read what came up, and I could gihure out the rest myself. Still pissed about that, and I should really send a message to the regional HQ in Australia.

But yes, it's always been an aspiration of mine to help others, and leave this world a better place than I found it. I help in the small personal ways I can, but same as everyone. For the most part, still stuck taking care of ourselves, and in that "get rich, or die trying" stage. If I can manage to make myself successful in that endeavour, without question we'll be helping others. I think every human has an intrinsic feeling to leave this world a better place than they found it.

[christianpfc]

How do you process data? I'm a visual person, pictures (obviously), mathematical and chemical formula (and while it has been a while that I did programming, let's include code as well), while it can be spoken, I could not process it in audio form. Blindness would be the end of my job as a chemist because I can't process the data (and if I were a programmer, the same).

[cdnmatt]

How do you process data? I'm a visual person, pictures (obviously), mathematical and chemical formula (and while it has been a while that I did programming, let's include code as well), while it can be spoken, I could not process it in audio form. Blindness would be the end of my job as a chemist because I can't process the data (and if I were a programmer, the same).

Good question. Best answer I have is us humans are very resilient creatures. We're the poorest evolving species on this planet, and by all accounts and measures should have been extinct long ago. However, we're also extremely adapative, and learn to adapt to our envrionment, hence why we're still kicking around on this planet. Best answer I can give.

Just think, if you lost your eyesight, you said yourself you'd be fucked for work, right? Then what would you do? You can't just quit, because human nature doesn't allow for that, so after an initial period of emotional shock, you would pick yourself up, and figure out a way to move forward, correct?

For example, you're a chemist, so being able to view diagrams of the makeup of a molecule would now be impossible. However, if it was absolutely required through necessity, with having an audio of the makeup of that makeup, you would be able to visualize it in your mind, correct? Remember, you're in a position where you either figure it out, or you go homeless. Take your pick.

Same as software development. I've been at this 16 years, and granted, not easy doing it blind. Especially debugging code, because instead of just a quick 5 second glance to see the problem, I'm now stuck spending a huge amount more time going through things character-by-character to find the bug. It's a total pain in the ass, but it's not like I have a choice in the matter. It's that, or go homeless in Thailand. Before I used to joke that other than software, the only thing I'm qualified for is stocking shelves in Walmart, and I'm not even qualified for that anymore, so I have no choice but to make software work.

Thankfully, going blind did give me a couple of the best business ideas I've ever had in my life, which I at least think have huge potential. Test pilot will be launching in Chiang Mai in the near future. If I do things correctly, I'll never have to type another line of code in my life within ~12 months. Time will tell.

[Smiles]

A quote by Cndmatt: "But yes, it's always been an aspiration of mine to help others, and leave this world a better place than I found it."

OK, now I really must barf. Canadians rarely indulge in such treacley self-love. Last time I heard something along the same idea above was by a tearfull Tammy Fay Bakker crying for the little children in Sudan or somesuch. I really miss her.

[cdnmatt]

Once again, quit being a smug asshole. Very un-Canadian of you. Do you pride yourself on it, or something.

No, same as nearly every parent out there wants to leave this world a better place for their children. It's a basic human instinct that has kept our species alive throughout the millenia. Just because I'm gay and don't have any kids doesn't prohibit me from having the same instinct.

[frequent]

What I'd like to know is this (along as how he brings it up): What is the name/diagnosis of a disease which causes a young man (I'm assuming that Cndmatt is somewhere between 25 and 45 ~ something like that, I could be wrong) to go completely blind literally overnight?.

I'm guessing it's not one of these - http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellnes...ry?id=11700175

[frequent]

A quote by Cndmatt: "But yes, it's always been an aspiration of mine to help others, and leave this world a better place than I found it."

OK, now I really must barf. Canadians rarely indulge in such treacley self-love. Last time I heard something along the same idea above was by a tearfull Tammy Fay Bakker crying for the little children in Sudan or somesuch. I really miss her.

It's a generational thing Smiles. cdnmatt belongs to the generation where it's all me me me - how I feel blah blah blah. You can see it in Prince Charles' sons. Another manifestation is selfies

Once again, quit being a smug asshole. Very un-Canadian of you.

Really? Being a smug asshole is a racial/cultural characteristic that can be attributed only to residents of certain countries? I'd have thought we had to put up with post upon post upon post of you being a smug asshole before your relationship with your previous catamite turned to shit