Vision is taken for granted until you lose it. And then everything comes into focus.
I suffered a full retinal detachment in May 2020. Saturday morning, my first day off in weeks. When the vision in my right started to diminish as a green colour seeped in from the side, I dismissed it as something that would pass. There was no pain. No visible signs of trauma. Why worry?
Monday morning at my ophthalmologist’s office was the first step to recovery from a full retinal detachment. Two surgeries, six months of recovery later, I was informed the nerve damage was so great I would not regain my sight. 85% of retinal surgeries in Alberta are successful. Mine was in the other group.
The surgeon gave me a stern warning that the next time I had any symptoms of a retinal detachment I should immediately get to the clinic.
That day came on October 1st.
Late in the evening, my good eye started to experience colours and flashes of light. Anxious, but calmly, I told my wife what was happening. She packed us up in record time and drove us from our lakeside cabin to Edmonton.
My first reaction was, “I can’t go blind. I’m only 70. I’ve got so many more things to do.”
A retinal migraine. Have you heard of that? Me neither. But that was the diagnosis. My good eye is still 20:20. Rest required.
Thank God for sight. And mercy.
Blindness
is not the end of life or function, but sight is so much better for living.
When vision is threatened, everything comes into focus. And even with half sight, you can still see the whole world. And sometimes better. You see clearly what really matters.
It’s easy for our vision to be distracted by catchy but unimportant things.
It’s the same with a writing vision.
Whether yours is a book or a blog, a poem or a screen play, you have your sights set on what you want to accomplish through your writing. That vision gets you through discouragement, setbacks, rejection, and disillusionment. Vision is everything.
R.J. Palacio has a vision for writing. She contributed a series of books on kindness to the literary realm. And her writing is moving. It provokes thinking ignites emotion, and changes behaviour. Have you read her books, Wonder, or White Bird?
A writing vision is powerful.
In my role as a church coach, I remind pastors that vision raises money. People functionally give out of obedience in stewardship but they give passionately and generously because of vision. Vision, not budget, creates provision.
My vision for writing is to be a hope dispenser. I write to give hope to readers. And to other writers.
What is
your vision? Please leave a comment below. Thank you.
Bob writes about hope at REVwords.
