I'm legally blind, been that way for about 14 years now. I have no side vision, depth perception or night vision, and I'm starting to lose color perception as well. Yes, I'll be fully blind within 12 - 15 years.
Anyways, there's a lab at Schepens Eye Institute in Boston called the Peli Lab. They work on developing different types of technologies and visual aids for people with low vision. I'm one of their "field testers". I get called in occasionally to use and test these various proto-types. Lots of fun, I get to play with "toys" that sometimes cost over a quarter of a million dollars! They like me, because I'm not a "yes man"... If something doesn't work for me, I tell them.
The Peli Lab recently released the results of a study on a piece of equipment they've been developing. This pair of glasses is so new, they don't even have an official name for it yet. For lack of a better term, I would call them, "Visual Field Maximizers". Anyways, Ivanhoe Broadcasting contacted the Peli Lab to do a story about these glasses. As part of the story, they wanted to interview someone who had used these glasses, and film them using them in the lab. The Peli Lab asked me to come to Boston to be that person. Ivanhoe does these stories and distributes them to news outlets around the country, so in a couple of months, you might see me being interviewed about these glasses.
The interview also went further. Not only did I talk about the glasses, we discussed what it was like living with low vision, how I adjusted to it, etc. We also spoke about the CHM Research Foundation, and about my self defense program for the blind. The producer was REALLY interested in the self defense program, and is seeking permission to do a full story on just that subject!!
I'll let everyone know when I'll be holding my autograph sessions.... LOL
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
In case you're interested, here's what I see. This picture shows what my visual field is in comparison to a normal visual field. The light grey area is a normal field, the tiny white area in the middle is what my visual field was as of May '05.
To put numbers to it, out of a possible 180 degrees of visual field, I have about 3 left.
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
cory, despite your sight issues you continue to be a legend, you have so much more than 15 minutes of fame to offer.
god bless you and the work you do and your progress, not sure if i have told you before but father has sight issues too, so in a small way i understand where you are coming from. recently there was an international conference here in perth on sight issues and my father was one of the 'exhibits'. he did this happily to enable people to learn about his particular loss of sight issue.
so fly and be free and shoot for at least 30 minutes of fame, i am sure you can do it
I think there is a scrrenplay somewhere in all of this- something about a blind clown who works with children. Yeah, something like that.
Start writing your story. It can be made into a movie-for sure. Then the misses can retire and you can travel all over the world and meet me in Italy next year.
They're supposed to be sending me a copy of the finished product, they said in about two months or so. I'm assuming it will be getting distributed about the same time.
I'm eagerly awaiting to see how they took 90 minutes of filming and cut it down to a couple of ten second sound bites.... LOL
I started writing a book once. It was based on my experiences in running a convenience store, funny stories, robberies, how a local c-store is a mircocosm of society, etc. The working title was, "Zen And The Art Of Counting Cigarettes".
I had about two chapters done and my computer crashed. Lost it all, and never started again.
I would write a book about my life, but my life isn't over yet... Besides, who would believe it? If I hadn't lived it, I'd be hard pressed to believe it myself... LOL
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
Way to go, roomie. Some people are publicity "hounds" who constantly sniff out the limelight...you're a publicity "magnet". The limelight always finds you, Cory, because your life and accomplishments are such a compelling story.
That says something pretty powerful about you, my friend. It's my privilege to know you.
Chris, I'm trying to figure out if it's the clown makeup, the Elvis voice or the splits between the chairs shtick that attracts the limelight. Whatever it is, let me know so I can stop...
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
MM, you can be my mom.... Are you okay with telling dirty jokes that you heard in ceramics class to 10 year old boys?
And are you okay with smacking the sh*t out of your kids if they give you any back talk?
Can you be the strong woman who raised 4 kids as a single parent starting in the early '60's, on welfare, living in subsidized housing? Knowing that one or more of them may come home bloody from a fight in the neighborhood? Would you be able to give them your strength of character, morality and ethics, so they would know right from wrong, so they wouldn't end up like a lot of other kids in those projects ended up?
If you can do that, then the part will be easy for you..
Good luck with the play, I know you'll do well!!!
Note: I NEVER say "break a leg". The reason is that during my junior year in high school, we all said it to each other before a play... and someone DID break their leg. LOL
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
"So now you know why I follow behind most of the time."
NM, all you need is that stick that tells you have eye problems, all the cars stop for it! The way I figure it, we're probably "safer" following him across a busy highway then trying to run across ourselves :>)
Cory, like Chris, I also feel privileged to know you
Throughout my life, I never had to wear glasses. I always had better than 20/20. Shortly after d-day #1, my vision started going downhill. I had to get glasses for nearsightedness. They are very weak, if fact, I only use them to drive when it starts getting dark. Now, I also must wear reading glasses if I don't want read printed material from across the room(darned presbyopia!) I whine and complain all the time because I can't get used to wearing glasses. I tried to wear contacts, but they are even worse. I can’t stand to wear glasses inside because they are too strong. I have almost quit reading books because reading glasses make me nauseated when I read for a long time.
When I think of you, your loss of vision and your steadily declining eyesight, I realize that I need to quit my bellyaching and be thankful for what I have. You have accomplished so many wonderful things and helped so many people. I am humbled by your acceptance of your disease and how you have not allowed your loss of vision to prevent you from living your life to it‘s fullest.
You amaze us all.
Thanks for being you .
aanisah
Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.
<Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten.>
I love that song, Aanisah!! What a nice post. It's true, we all need a little perspective every now and again.
Monica
My yesterdays are all boxed up - and neatly put away.
Hey Cory! Since we are all your buddies from this site, do we get your autograph for free?I'll put yours in my hockey autograph book.Maybe next to Gretzky's or Stan Makita's!
My eyesight has gotten worse the last few years & I am in the process of saving so that I can get an eye exam & new glasses.I have worn glasses since grade school & am near sighted.Can't see the biggest letter on the eye chart. Well, the last few years my eyesight has gotten worse & I can't ready laundry tags on clothes or any of the movie times. I have to keep asking my kids to read those things for me.
Barbara, if you want an idea of what I see, take your glasses off, then look through a straw... Oh, and do it in low lighting. Picture looking through light shaded sunglasses while indoors. Because of light perception issues, that's "normal" for me. Kat has seen my kitchen, so she could tell you what kind of lighting I need to be able to cook.
Aanisah and everyone else, thank you for the kind words. Because you're all my friends, I'm going to be completely honest with you here and share some of the REAL Cory with you... This is going to get a bit dark, so if you're not up for it, I'd suggest you not read it.
I am NOT the super strong saint you all make me out to be. I'd love to be, but it just isn't true. There are many times I sit in this house and cry, usually after another "incident" due to my sight (or lack thereof). Sometimes, just bumping into the doorway because I didn't line myself up correctly is enough to set me off. Or when I cry in frustration because I can't sit and read a book for more than 20 minutes. Or taking 10 minutes to find the TV remote, and discovering it was 2 feet from me. Or the absolute worst, when I knock one of my grandkids flat because I didn't see them in front of me.
I HATE that I have to have someone lead me around in dark and/or crowded places. I HATE the fact that I have to use that cane, and still have enough sight to see the stares and looks of pity from others. I HATE that if I drop something, I need someone to help me find the object so I can pick it up.
I'm NOT brave... I'm scared shitless. I'm scared of going blind, I'm scared of that "helpless" feeling in dealing with it, I'm scared that my sight won't hold out long enough to see my son grow into a man. I can give you all the platitudes and wisdom in the world, share the stories of my brothers in blindness and how they cope, but the bottom line is this: I still have that infantile fear of the dark, and no, it's not going away.
Cory
www.blind-justice-self-defense.com
The Three Rules of Happiness: Friends, Freedom and an Analyzed Life - Epicurus
I hear that you're scared and frustrated about this, but you don't seem bitter. That is a huge thing.
We all have our struggles, aside from the infidelity stuff, and no one should compare pain. I've had a hell of a few days myself (I've written just bit of what's going on on the board today). It's even crossed my mind today -- will it really matter in 100 years whether I die today or when I'm 90? Sometimes life is such a struggle.... We can go to bed hoping tomorrow will be better but often times it's not. I guess the bravest thing we can do sometimes is just keep putting one foot in front of the other -- either figuratively or even literally, as for you. I know for me, I get very tired putting one foot in front of the other. I know my kids need me tho, even though I feel I don't quite know what I'm doing as a mother sometimes....
I think it's great what you're doing with the self-defense stuff, the interview, and the book. I took a look at your website and I'm sorry that I can't remember a lot of the details. Giving back to the community helps but even with that, our human suffering remains. Like with me, nearly every day of my life I am in pain of some sort. Some days are better than others, but it is extremely rare that I am pain-free. The few times a year when that may happen, I'm so happy that I'm giddy -- it's like Christmas to a child.
I just want you to know how much you have changed peoples lives. I would not still be with my W if it wasn't for your help and support in the early days when I was struggling so much with the aftermath of her affair.
There were times when I was about to give up and leave and whenever I posted on here you always replied and told it like it is which supported me and helped me much more than you could have thought.
I know you have done the same for countless others on here too and we all respect you very much.
It pains me so much to hear your suffering with your loss of sight. It puts the whole world into perspective really and makes me realise how selfish we all can be when we moan and complain about the slightest thing.
I was sat at my pc feeling sorry for myslef yesterday. I was resenting the fact that my W had an affair even though she has done so much work to try and repair the damage since. She has been talking about it recently rather than running away from it....and part of that is down to you too as I stayed strong and wouldn't back down until we got it all out in the open.
Anyway, hearing your pain and frustration made me step back and take a good look at myself and my life. It made me realise how you have such adversity with your loss of sight. You run a foundation and raise countless amounts of cash for research, you teach blind self defence. This is the first time I have heard you show any vulnerability and tell us all how you are feeling. This is a good thing because we can show our gratitude for helping us by supporting you when you need it too.
Keep going Cory because like it or not you are a great example to us all and keep us going.
