the blind Kid

[Mobuck]

My younger Son who's legally blind called this morning while he was walking to work. Hadn't talked to him for a while and he was just checking in pre-Father's Day.
He related that he'd had to do some mechanic work on his FIL's small Case-IH utility tractor and I figured maybe an oil change or something(FIL is NOT a mechanical kind of guy). Noper, Son changed the water pump which is buried under several layers of red parts. Put this into perspective: Son selects wrenches by TOUCH and finds the bolt heads by TOUCH and lays out the removed parts in order so he can put everything back in place by TOUCH.
He commented he remembered helping me change a water pump back in the 90's before he lost his sight. Give that some thought. He SAW something done once twenty years ago and then did the task by FEEL using the basic procedure 20 years later. Those times when most folks thought I was being too tough on the blind Kid weren't. Those times were my way of helping him prepare for his future. Just like shooting and hunting as a way of building confidence and life experience, allowing him to dismantle old lawnmowers and help with mechanical tasks gave him a base from which to work.
He's got a job that's basically 100% profit as he can walk to work and take his lunch so he's not out much. He has a following of mostly older folks within the store's customer base who ask for him specifically which seems to impress the manager types. I put a lot of effort and $$ into getting his college education which he doesn't seem to be utilizing but maybe that too was simply a building block rather than a pedestal as I envisioned it would be.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Amazing. It's great to hear of or see someone work to overcome or compensate for their limitations rather than just sit down and give up.

 

[pete44ru]

.

Good on him, and YOU !

.

 

[Robb Barnes]

Great story and testament to both of you. Reminds me of a discussion around the dinner table several years ago. My daughter had a guy friend come home with her for part of a holiday break from college. Her older brother was also home on a break from the Air Force Academy and she was regaling her friend with how tough I had been on them when they were growing up. Remington politely listened to her true stories and when she was done he calmly agreed but then he said because if that upbringing it made the military academy a cake walk. He understood how to listen, follow directions and get things done while many of his classmates were dropping out simply because they had never experienced the need to be self disciplined or they had never learned to follow instruction thus now orders. He said he slept like a baby from day one at school. Very politely silenced his sister. Well at least for a few seconds!

 

[45Colt_Man]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have a fine young son.

Dana

 

[gunman42782]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have a fine young son.

Dana

+1!

 

[vito]

Very impressive and heart warming. Too many people with even minor disabilities fall prey to those who say they are helpless victims who need to be cared for by the government, rather than trying their best to overcome whatever shortcomings they have. People will limitations should look at your son as a role model to be emulated.

 

[contender]

Humans are basically an evolved form of animal. (Sorta!)
Animals either learn from their mothers how to survive,, or they die. They also learn by doing stuff. How to forage, hunt, find secure nesting places, fight for breeding rights,, etc. If they do not learn these things,,, they die.
Humans used to have to do the same thing. Learn or die. Life is tough,,, and those who fail to get an education at a young age,,, often never survive to become an old person. Or,,, worse,,, they become dependent upon artificial means of escape,,, all while having others keep them alive.
In the BSA,, we teach the young boys how to do something,, then we expect them to do the same thing & work to earn rank or merit badges. Life lessons.

You may have seemed "tough" on your son who is now blind,,, but I'd bet a lot he is THANKFUL now that he's an adult & can do for himself. It appears the same is true for Robb's older son.

The greatest compliments I've ever gotten are when my son's thank me for teaching them stuff,,, and seeing them succeed in life.

Looks like you are experiencing the same things.

 

[Kevin]

Mobuck, It sounds like you are very proud of your son. I bet he is proud of you. Great story. Thanks.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Mobuck, your son sounds like a few other blind folks I've known thru my life: he's not handicapped, just slightly inconvenienced! I think the memory thing is something many of them develop as a way of getting around whatever it is, whether just taking a walk, or using machinery in their jobs, etc., and I think it must work almost like a recorder, in close to real time.

I knew a couple of girls in high school whom I kept up with for a couple of years in college. We'd get together for coffee or pie once every few weeks, and on one of these get togethers, they asked if I minded them bringing a classmate, Patty. Hey, no problem. Well, Patty was completely blind, from birth. She brought her dog, a beautiful golden retriever, and off we went. It was night, though that meant nothing to her.

When we got to the restaurant, we had to first maneuver the parking lot, then maybe 50 yards of sidewalk with some trees beside it. Patty asked if she could just take my arm instead of letting her dog lead her. That was fine with me, and I guess I did a good enough job for the dog to approve, too: he kept an eye on me all the way! Once we got to the sidewalk, there was one tree with a low hanging branch, so as we approached, I told Patty about it. We went in, visited for a while, then headed back to the car. We were approaching the tree branch again, maybe 10-12 feet away, when Patty spoke up before any of us. "Watch that tree branch coming up." I was amazed...

And I'd bet if I told your son that story, he'd tell me "It's no big deal!" or something similar, right?

Rick C

 

[Mike J]

Wow! Your son is an impressive young man. There are people I have known that have full use of their sight and other senses that wouldn't do that for themselves.

 

[SAJohn]

Thank you for your post. Looking back, I have worried that I was too tough on my kids even though I tossed in a lot of love. All three are doing great as adults. I am no longer worried.

John

 

[WendyZXZ]

Excellent story and your son does sound like a fine young man who is in charge of his life and doing an impressive job of it!