Being visually impaired is not the end of the world and sometimes it helps just to laugh about it. If I stumble over an uneven tile (again for the umpteenth time) I laugh. If I accidentally knock over advertisement in the supermarket, I laugh. If I take a bite from my nectarine and it tastes very odd… I laugh. Because I thought I had taken nectarines but it turned out I took plums. I can go o and on but the point is to laugh about it. Things are not always funny of course but they can make a great story someday. Sometimes when embarrassing things happen to me, I try to laugh about it because it helps me feel less embarrassed but also because it is okay not to take things too serious all the time.

From the outside you cannot tell that I am visually impaired. So if something happens, the people around me can’t tell that it’s because of my impairment and they will go look for other reasons to explain what happened. I am overanalysing this right now, I know, but in split seconds people have thoughts. And I know that it is better for me not to want to fill in the thoughts of others but that is just what happens. I feel like people will think things of me that are not true. I’d rather have people think that my actions are caused by my impairment than when they think I am stupid, careless, arrogant etc. I don’t like the feeling of being judged wrongly (or being judged at all but that is how people work), that is why I always try not to judge people or talk negatively behind their back or in my head, it’s just not nice. And when I do have a negative thought, I will secretly correct myself saying that I don’t know that person well enough to think the things I think haha. (I am a integer person).

So when something (due to my impairment) happens, like, walking super hard into the bag dispenser in the supermarket causing it to fly away 2 meters next to me… I just laugh haha. Because I feel embarrassed and when I laugh, the people around me can laugh too. But instead of feeling laughed at.. I feel that people can laugh with me. Does this makes sense to you? Anyhow, I laugh because it makes ME feel better about the situation and not to make others feel better.

Other self-spot is also important. I always make jokes that I want to be able to look myself straight in the eyes. Not that I visually can, mahaha. Or when someone doesn’t wear their glasses and they say that they have trouble seeing, then I say: no, I am the blind one. But the one I like a lot is saying: Who can’t see can only feel. Comes in very handy when I am around my boyfriend, wink wink, haha! (Nah, just kidding… or am I?).

Please be aware that you have to be very careful when/if making jokes about others who are impaired. It’s called self-spot for a reason and not ‘other-spot’. There are some friends who are allowed to make jokes too, I know them and their intentions well enough for that but some people make jokes about my impairment which insult me.

Like I said, being visually impaired is not the end of the world. Life can be hard, bla bla. Just don’t forget to laugh every now and then. Matching your socks can already be a life struggle but my impairment lets me get away with that! Ha, how about that?

Hopefully you learned a bit more regarding the world of having a visual impairment. Maybe you found this fun or helpful.

@boosje123