Can't See Sh*t!
Yesterday was the most frightening day of my life, or at least that's what I thought for like 2 terrible minutes. I'm not good at self improvement speeches, not am I a fan of them as I think each person knows or has to figure out what is good or bad for them, but when certain things happen, I write write it down as I realize how we tend to take almost everything for granted.
Yesterday my morning started with a setback as there was a blackout, which is rare around here. The was no electricity, the internet was gone as well obviously. Good thing I have mobile internet for my laptop too and bought a new battery for my laptop lately, so I thought I could work an hour or two, with the battery I have. Lucky me, the blackout lasted only for 5 minutes and the internet was back in 10 minutes as well.
Then before leaving to run some errands, I got a payment request of $299 from someone I had no idea even exist, let alone know the person. $299 is not pocket money in my country. You think twice or tree times before you buy something at that value and my mental health is quite good, I'm not suffering from dementia to forget that I made such a purchase, so imagine my surprise when I saw the email from PayPal. I delayed my leave and after investigating a bit, was able to cancel the payment request.
At the evening I was still working on my laptop, but my eyes were hurting and were a bit dry. Usually this is the time when I need to take a break to rest my eyes. I went to the kitchen to have a tea and while waiting for the tea to cool off a bit, I shut my eyes, covered both my eyes with my hands as it felt good. When I opened my eyes, couldn't see shit!!! Literally couldn't see anything. It was dark, like at the bottom of the well. I suppose my heart skipped a few beats, when I saw that I can't see anything (funny words). The first thing I did was closed my eyes and rubbed them again, thinking I could get back my vision, but it was still dark when I opened my eyes.
Photo by Roland Lösslein on Unsplash
When you lose your eye site, what is left? I was thinking what to do next. No matter how stupid it sounds, a was thinking if I could roll back the time with one minute, redo things and get my eye site back ... I don't think I can describe the fear that ran through me.
Then I heard an alarm and no matter how annoying it was, I couldn't be happier to hear it. (There's an alarm somewhere close to my flat, that goes off when there's a blackout.) I got up, went to the window and looking outside, I saw a weak light, provided by the moon. Yeah, it was way part 10pm and at time it's dark outside.
What do you think it happened? There was another blackout, kicking in right when I was covering my eyes. The funny thing is, if someone would have told me a similar story, I would have said the person is lying as there's no such thing. I mean come on, what's the probability of such thing to happen? Slim to none. Yet, it's happened to me!
Photo by Simon English on Unsplash
So I went to my study, where the flashlight was, got the flashlight and turned on. That was the moment when my blood pressure (otherwise below normal) sky rocketed and my head started aching like hell. I think I needed 10 minutes, to get myself together and get back to work, but even so, the thoughts kept running through my head, for the whole evening.
I've been in tough situations before, when I could not move for a day or two and after that I was walking with a walking stick. Three weeks before my masters dissertation I was told I need surgery as I might have cancer and went ahead with my dissertation knowing I might die soon. So I'm not a snowflake who has never experienced any hardship.
Photo by Lukas Leitner on Unsplash
When You Lose Something
Every time something like this happens, I'm thinking of how we tend to take everything for granted. The plural is justified as I'm not the only one, I'm sure of that. We know tomorrow is another day, we know we can get up, do what we can do, see, hear, smell, walk and so on. Then sh*t happens and some of those things or possibilities are taken away from us at a blink of an eye. Then you start to regret a lot of things and choices you made or didn't make, but it may be too late as you can't turn back time and can't change things that has already happened.
Life doesn't have DELETE or BACK button. This is why I have to appreciate what I have (not that I don't) and make the most of the time I have left. Sounds like those cheesy motivational speeches, I know. However, it's true.
Since last night I keep thinking what life would be like, if I would go blind. I would not be the only one as there are millions living in the dark. However, there's a difference between being born blind and going blind at some point in life.
My advantage would be that my surroundings is printed in my memory. Most likely would be easier to adapt to moving around in the house, without seeing but what would I do all day? I know there are audio books, there's Braille reading, speech to text apps and so on, but still ...
Hopefully I won't forget this event and it will be in my mind to remember what I have to do.
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😂😂 what a coincidence. It happens to me a lot of times as well. In this part of the world, electricity isn't always stable.
I might be on my way home, seeing electricity in all building, but once I open my door and plug in my phone's charger into the socket, 💥 boom there's blackout.
That's a nice motivation quote.
I understand but that is different though. Not to mention you're used to it.
Yeah, I should put that quote in my profile 😁
Yes, I can imagine that was very scary for a few moments.
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I was thinking of another blackout when I was at this part and yay I waz right.
So I assume you're not so familiar with blackouts what we are so familiar and it becomes a regular thingy.
We heard an announcement last night about a blackout in our area and it'd take around 8 hours (8am to 4pm) so I started saving water as we'll be sort of water in that time.
It's kind of an everyday routine here although it's goood that it's almost winter here and we're getting less blackouts nowadays.
I am very familiar with blackouts, but I'm not used to it anymore and that's how life should be. I know there are many parts of the world where this is normal, but it shouldn't be as this is the 21st century and we should not go backwards. Thank God this was jut a technical problem that got solved quickly.
There's a few factors that can cause sudden blindness, I'm not a doctor so don't know exaxy what they are and how long it can last etc. however it is something that can certainly happen.
I guess though, that your situation stands as a good reminder that life can change, and understanding that can make people more motivated. Like your dissertation, you knew what you might have faced and you did it anyway.
Adversity can be turned to our advantage and whilst it never feels good, it can be made to be good, or at least inspire better things in the future.
A nice post Erikah, thanks. I hope things have normalised.
Indeed there are a few things that can contribute to impermanent or permanent blindness, that crossed my mind too. You know, when you're in trouble and scared, you think of all kinds of things.
Yes, that was a hell of a 3 weeks period. MY surgeon told me to go ahead as 3 weeks won't matter in his opinion and gave me green light. The problem was if I did not get the exam, would have had to wait one year. Legislation can change in one year and then I would have redone my dissertation work, which was crazy.
Wise words and this is why I wanted this unfortunate event printed in my brain as a good reminder never to forget that nothing is guaranteed.
Thanks for the nice words and have a nice day 🍩
It's something you'd worked towards and I think the prospect of having it put on hold for a year and have to go over the work again wouldn't have made you feel good at all, so you got it done; adversity motivated you. IT's pretty cool how something negative can turn into a positive.
Only if you know how to turn it into positive and don't let it crush you. Many do though.
I agree, many capitulate rather than dig deep.
I think exactly the same as you and I have good reasons ( 69 years old). I often wish I could turn back time... Obviously, it was not possible but luckily I was able to get over those moments.
I understand exactly what you say and agree. However, age is not always the reason life ends, so we don't know who's going to go first. This is why we have to live every day as if it would be the last one.
I agree, you're right! I remember as a child I believed that people die in the same order in which they are born and I didn't believe that a child or young person can die before an old person...
It’s human nature to overlook what we have and take nature’s gifts for granted because we feel like everyone starts out with those abilities like seeing, hearing and stuff. But not everyone really starts out with those because some people are born blind, or deaf, and even others who weren’t born with these disabilities can be struck by them due to accidents or illness.
Unfortunately, until we’ve had an experience where we almost lose one of those natural abilities, we don’t give thanks and feel like we’ve been blessed. This is why some people frequent hospitals and cemeteries, to appreciate the gift of life and good health.
Everyday alive and well is a gift, and no matter how bad life is treating you, you have something to be happy about even if you don’t realize it. I think waking up everyday being conscious of these “little” gifts will help us live more happier lives.
That's true, not everyone is so fortunate to be born healthy. So many people start their life with a lot of disabilities and still have to fight day by day to survive.
They say life is 10% about what happens to you and 90% about what you do about it and that's true. You need to know how to handle things, look at the bright side and try to live life to the fullest.
Thanks for the comment.
Such articles are always very useful. No, not for the readers, for you. Writing them down will help them stick in your memory and I am sure you will be happier for your eyes or any other healthy part of you. I'm sure people will read this and learn something from it. So I'm going to reblog this.
This means I wrote this piece for nothing and wasted my time. Thanks @incublus 😁
Ok, jokes aside, thanks for the regblog and you're right, we learn from such happenings and change what we have to.
C'mon you know that I didn't mean something like that 😂.
From now on I'll be happy every beauty I see. Like my girlfriend @ezgicop 😂
I know but could not miss a good joke! 😉
And you do that, enjoy every little thing that comes your way, besides your girlfriend, of course.
Good post!
And I wish you good luck in everything and that everything is normal!
Thank you! I wish you all the best too.
Thank you so much!
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Life doesn't have a delete button, that's very true and not a cheap motivation, if only that button were in my life then I would delete the period I got married first, it's a mistake I made
I understand what you mean and not that it's a consolation, but you're not the only one. However, that's life, you make mistakes and learn from them, then you go on.
Of course I've forgotten all that and started my new life happily, thanks for the response😇
Yep. Scared the crap outta me. My friend, @tengolotodo said Life is too short to not live in the present and he's right. We know not when something may happen and most times, things that happen are things that can't be undone.
Yes it is. Scary stuff though.
Moral ... don't go make tea at 10pm 🤣
Gald you were okay in the end!
And we also know that one day there will not be a tomorrow! So enjoy life while we can.
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I can relate to you. I remember sometime back my Eyes felt like they were going to pop each time I went outside or saw a single ray of light. For about 24hours I couldn’t see sh*t and I had to put on dark shades to block the light rays from my eyes.
The only taught that was going through my mind was I’m I going blind?. I felt really scared, I tried hiding it behind a fake smile telling my family that it was nothing serious I just needed to stay indoors for a while.
Hopefully after seeing a doctor and certain medication were prescribed I was fine. Being able to hear, see, taste and talk are gifts of life that we those that have it rarely appreciate until you are pushed to a point that you nearly lose it. Only then would you know that it was really important. Thank you for sharing this wonderful post.
The exact same thing happened to me once I woke up and when I opened my eyes I couldn't see, it turns out it was the middle of the night and the power had gone out. The scare is indescribable.
I think it's events like these that make you think about how lucky we are to be healthy and independent. That's why we always have to be thankful for one more day.
Welcome to the Daily Blog community, Erikah. Thank you so much for sharing your day here, I hope all went well after that. And I hope the electricity doesn't go out again in your area.
Cheers ❤️!
I'm sorry to read you've been through a similar situation, but as you say, it helps us appreciate what we have, more.
Thank you for the nice words, this was just an accident or something as it doesn't happen often, there are months or even half a year without anything similar, but it happened twice that day.
Have a nice evening my friend ❤️
My heart skipped a few beats reading this, @erikah! I'm glad it wasn't actually your eyes, and that you were able to take such a scary situation and turn it into something positive with your post. My eyesight has been terrible since I was young, and there was a time I used to imagine what it would be like to be blind (yes, after reading Helen Keller's book). These days, the thought fills me with dread and if the same had happened to me, I'm not sure I'd be able to write so well about it, as I'd probably still be curled up in a ball on my couch. 😜
It was a scary two minutes or so, I can't even describe it (didn't want to dramatize much in the post), and the headache that I got after was epic too. It makes you think what if!
I'm sorry to hear about your eye problems, I'm also wearing glasses, so I know what it means to not see properly. But to go blind ... that's another level. Let's enjoy what we have and make the most of it!
Thanks for the nice comment my friend ❤️
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