Vision

Recently I was the keynote speaker at the Blind Merchants Association Convention. The organizer of the event asked me if I would attend the Women's Breakfast the next morning and maybe say a few words about entrepreneurship. I eagerly agreed to do so. I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect the hotel to serve a buffet style meal to a group of blind women. I watched in absolute awe as these women with guide dogs and canes successfully maneuvered the buffet line, serving themselves and carrying their plates to their respective tables to sit down and eat. It was the sort of task that even a sighted person might have trouble maneuvering. The speaker before me was an attorney. As I listened to her flawless presentation, I marveled at the thought of her going through all those years of study to become an attorney without being able to see. It's hard enough to pass the bar exam when you have your sight. Losing one's eyesight is an unforeseeable circumstance, but these women don't let it hold them back. They run successful businesses and attend national conventions, where they discuss the various trials and tribulations they experience daily as women entrepreneurs and focus on possible solutions. Being a part of this incredible experience made me realize that many of us take our abilities and blessings for granted. Sure we have unforeseeable circumstances, but most of them are minor compared to losing our eyesight. The big lesson I learned that day was, "You don't have to be able to see, to have vision."