That's what everyone's attitude is about everything. At least, that's what
my fully sighted children have said to me when I have expressed concern
about what would happen to me in the future, as I watched my spinal
condition worsen, my arthritis worsen, my sight decrease, and my hearing
decrease. Having lived a life as a visually impaired individual, attempting
to live as independently as possible, always, when I lived with a partner,
having a totally blind or visually impaired partner, I'd always planned for
unforeseen contingencies. But no one around me seemed to do that, not as far
as my life was concerned, and not in terms of their own lives. I'm writing
this because I've been reading all of the justified criticisms of how our
administration has handled the Covid-19 crisis up to this point. And it
occurs to me that all of the political leaders and the many people who have
resisted the kinds of planning and closings and quarantines and tracing that
are required to get a pandemic under control, have acted the way most people
appear to act in most situations. People don't normally buy things to keep
in erserve, for example, because if they run out of milk or orange juice or
whatever, all they need do is just jump into their cars and go buy what they
need. I, on the other hand, for most of my adult life, did food shopping
once a week with sighted assistance. There were various arrangements. At one
point, I was taking a taxi to the store and the store provided a young eomwn
who worked there, to help me find what I needed. Sometimes, I paid someone
to drive me to the store and help me shop. Later, when standing and walking
became more difficult, I paid someone to do the shopping and errands for me.
But whatever the plan, I had extra stuff, just in case I might run out,
because I couldn't just go to the store on the spur of the moment. So my
life has been built around anticipating what might come next and planning
for contingencies. But that isn't how most people live. It involves thought
and self discipline to live in a situation in which one must constantly
anticipate possible problems. People who haven't had ptctice, resist living
that way. They want spontaneity and they value people with easygoing,
relaxed attitudes. The blind people who are lucky enough to be able to have
relaxed attitudes toward life, are those who have not been visually impaired
since birth and who, additionally, live in households with sighted people
with whom they have close relationships. It doesn't surprise me that China
and South Korea did so much better than our country. Asian cultures do not
value the individual nearly as much as they value the individual in relation
to other individuals. It's networks of people that count in Asian cultures.
Of course, New Zealand also did really well. But Americans, perhaps more
than many other people, have been propagandized to believe that they're
special and chosen. Isn't that what Trump is playing to, that belief in
American esceptionalism?
Miriam
