By Kristi Lovejoy

One day while on my way to work, driving of course, I stopped at a stop sign and proceeded to turn left on to a four-lane highway.  At the same time, a small minivan was making a left-hand turn from the highway on to the road I was on.  I proceeded to hit him right in the center of his van.  That was the day I realized I really was blind.

I had been “legally blind” since 1993, but until this moment I never came to terms with my blindness.  I always felt that I could see just as good as anyone else, and I had myself convinced of that fact.  I even had little tricks to get around town and at work so no one really knew.  But on that day when the police checked my driver's license and registration, I sat there wondering what I was doing.  I decided at that point that I shouldn’t drive anymore, and I needed to get some professional help.

I didn’t know where to start.  I looked through my MaxiAids catalog and decided to buy a white cane.  I didn’t know how to use a cane, or what to look for when purchasing one, but I called them, and the customer service representative was quite helpful and assured me that I was getting the equipment that I needed.  When the cane arrived in the mail, I still couldn’t face the fact that I was blind.  It couldn’t be me.  So I put the cane in the corner of my bedroom and tried to make friends with it for the next year.  Then one day, I started having problems with my ears.  As these problems kept persisting, I realized how much I used my ears for my eyes.

At that time, I really realized I was blind.  So I was bound and determined to get some help.  I called Montana Blind and Low Vision Services, and they sent a representative.  I asked him for help in coming to a school I had learned about, Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND) Inc.  And after a couple months of paper work and discussion, I am finally getting to learn how to use my cane.  I’ve finally come to terms with my blindness, embracing it as I go and learning something new every day.  I am very thankful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and cherish my days ahead as a blind person.