What kids teach us

Last month, I did a presentation to year six and seven students from schools all around Western Australia at the National Young Leaders Day. Right from the start of my talk, I was amazed at the responsiveness of the kids, and their lack of inhibition. I was up front with them about my total blindness, and they were equally up front with me with their reactions to this. On request, they let me know with huge roars where they were all seated - first the left side, then the right, then the top rows - and then without prompting, I heard whispered directions when I was locating my props on the stage.

The kids were not fazed by my blindness, as they showed me again later in question time. They asked me intelligent questions about my life as a blind person, questions that adults are too fearful to ask. And yet the questions were not intrusive or insensitive: instead, they showed a keenness to understand and to learn. What the kids asked were things like: “what do you actually see?”, “what would be the first thing you’d do if you got your sight back?” and “do you still use a pen to write?”. This last question was prompted by the story I had been telling them; the story of my life at the blind school where I’d had to give up pen and paper for braille, despite having some sight at that time, and how I’d vowed to go back to pen and paper when I left the school. Although I have no sight now, the answer is “yes”, because old habits die hard. It’s funny, but I find that recording something like a phone number using pen and paper seems to cement the number in my head. I visualise the numbers as I write them, which helps me to store the number on my computer or other device later on, knowing I’ve got it right.

Being with these kids and their honesty, directness and openness made me realise just how closed off the adult world is, a world where shutters are drawn and things should not be said. Fear seems to take over from a friendly curiosity, which I think is very sad. I came away from that event feeling recharged and reconnected with something that is solid and in a way supportive.

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