three days to see.docx
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three days to see.docx
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threedaystosee
ThreeDaystoSee
HelenKeller
Allofushavereadthrillingstoriesinwhichtheherohadonlyalimitedandspecifiedtimetolive.Sometimesitwasaslongasayear;sometimesasshortastwenty-fourhours.Butalwayswewereinterestedindiscoveringjusthowthedoomedmanchosetospendhislastdaysorhislasthours.Ispeak,ofcourse,offreemenwhohaveachoice,notcondemnedcriminalswhosesphereofactivitiesisstrictlydelimited.
Suchstoriessetusthinking,wonderingwhatweshoulddoundersimilarcircumstances.Whatevents,whatexperiences,whatassociationsshouldwecrowdintothoselasthoursasmortalbeings?
Whathappinessshouldwefindinreviewingthepast,whatregrets?
SometimesIhavethoughtitwouldbeanexcellentruletoliveeachdayasifweshoulddietomorrow.Suchanattitudewouldemphasizesharplythevaluesoflife.Weshouldliveeachdaywithagentleness,avigor,andakeennessofappreciationwhichareoftenlostwhentimestretchesbeforeusintheconstantpanoramaofmoredaysandmonthsandyearstocome.Therearethose,ofcourse,whowouldadopttheEpicureanmottoof"Eat,drink,andbemerry,"butmostpeoplewouldbechastenedbythecertaintyofimpendingdeath.
Instoriesthedoomedheroisusuallysavedatthelastminutebysomestrokeoffortune,butalmostalwayshissenseofvaluesischanged.hebecomesmoreappreciativeofthemeaningoflifeanditspermanentspiritualvalues.Itahsoftenbeennotedthatthosewholive,orhavelived,intheshadowofdeathbringamellowsweetnesstoeverythingtheydo.
Mostofus,however,takelifeforgranted.Weknowthatonedaywemustdie,butusuallywepicturethatdayasfarinthefuture.Whenweareinbuoyanthealth,deathisallbutunimaginable.Weseldomthinkofit.Thedaysstretchoutinanendlessvista.Sowegoaboutourpettytasks,hardlyawareofourlistlessattitudetowardlife.
Thesamelethargy,Iamafraid,characterizestheuseofallourfacultiesandsenses.Onlythedeafappreciatehearing,onlytheblindrealizethemanifoldblessingsthatlieinsight.Particularlydoesthisobservationapplytothosewhohavelostsightandhearinginadultlife.Butthosewhohaveneversufferedimpairmentofsightorhearingseldommakethefullestuseoftheseblessedfaculties.Theireyesandearstakeinallsightsandsoundshazily,withoutconcentrationandwithlittleappreciation.Itisthesameoldstoryofnotbeinggratefulforwhatwehaveuntilweloseit,ofnotbeingconsciousofhealthuntilweareill.
Ihaveoftenthoughtitwouldbeablessingifeachhumanbeingwerestrickenblindanddeafforafewdaysatsometimeduringhisearlyadultlife.Darknesswouldmakehimmoreappreciativeofsight;silencewouldtechhimthejoysofsound.
NowandthemIhavetestedmyseeingfriendstodiscoverwhattheysee.RecentlyIwasvisitedbyaverygoodfriendswhohadjustreturnedfromalongwalkinthewoods,andIaskedherwhatshehadobserved.."Nothinginparticular,"shereplied.ImighthavebeenincreduloushadInotbeenaccustomedtosuchreposes,forlongagoIbecameconvincedthattheseeingseelittle.
Howwasitpossible,Iaskedmyself,towalkforanhourthroughthewoodsandseenothingworthyofnote?
Iwhocannotseefindhundredsofthingstointerestmethroughmeretouch.Ifeelthedelicatesymmetryofaleaf.Ipassmyhandslovinglyaboutthesmoothskinofasilverbirch,ortherough,shaggybarkofapine.InthespringItouchthebranchesoftreeshopefullyinsearchofabudthefirstsignofawakeningNatureafterherwinter'ssleep.Ifeelthedelightful,velvetytextureofaflower,anddiscoveritsremarkableconvolutions;andsomethingofthemiracleofNatureisrevealedtome.Occasionally,ifIamveryfortunate,Iplacemyhandgentlyonasmalltreeandfeelthehappyquiverofabirdinfullsong.Iamdelightedtohavethecoolwatersofabrookrushthoughtmyopenfinger.TomealushcarpetofpineneedlesorspongygrassismorewelcomethanthemostluxuriousPersianrug.Tomethepageantofseasonsisathrillingandunendingdrama,theactionofwhichstreamsthroughmyfingertips.
Attimesmyheartcriesoutwithlongingtoseeallthesethings.IfIcangetsomuchpleasurefrommeretouch,howmuchmorebeautymustberevealedbysight.Yet,thosewhohaveeyesapparentlyseelittle.thepanoramaofcolorandactionwhichfillstheworldistakenforgranted.Itishuman,perhaps,toappreciatelittlethatwhichwehaveandtolongforthatwhichwehavenot,butitisagreatpitythatintheworldoflightthegiftofsightisusedonlyasamereconveniencesratherthanasameansofaddingfullnesstolife.
IfIwerethepresidentofauniversityIshouldestablishacompulsorycoursein"HowtoUseYourEyes".Theprofessorwouldtrytoshowhispupilshowtheycouldaddjoytotheirlivesbyreallyseeingwhatpassesunnoticedbeforethem.Hewouldtrytoawaketheirdormantandsluggishfaculties.
PerhapsIcanbestillustratebyimaginingwhatIshouldmostliketoseeifIweregiventheuseofmyeyes,say,forjustthreedays.AndwhileIamimagining,supposeyou,too,setyourmindtoworkontheproblemofhowyouwoulduseyourowneyesifyouhadonlythreemoredaystosee.Ifwiththeon-comingdarknessofthethirdnightyouknewthatthesunwouldneverriseforyouagain,howwouldyouspendthosethreepreciousinterveningdays?
Whatwouldyoumostwanttoletyourgazerestupon?
I,naturally,shouldwantmosttoseethethingswhichhavebecomedeartomethroughmyyearsofdarkness.You,too,wouldwanttoletyoureyesrestonthethingsthathavebecomedeartoyousothatyoucouldtakethememoryofthemwithyouintothenightthatloomedbeforeyou.
If,bysomemiracle,Iweregrantedthreeseeingdays,tobefollowedbyarelapseintodarkness,Ishoulddividetheperiodintothreeparts.
TheFirstDay
Onthefirstday,Ishouldwanttoseethepeoplewhosekindnessandgentlenessandcompanionshiphavemademylifeworthliving.FirstIshouldliketogazelonguponthefaceofmydearteacher,Mrs.AnneSullivanMacy,whocametomewhenIwasachildandopenedtheouterworldtome.Ishouldwantnotmerelytoseetheoutlineofherface,sothatIcouldcherishitinmymemory,buttostudythatfaceandfindinitthelivingevidenceofthesympathetictendernessandpatiencewithwhichsheaccomplishedthedifficulttaskofmyeducation.Ishouldliketoseeinhereyesthatstrengthofcharacterwhichhasenabledhertostandfirminthefaceofdifficulties,andthatcompassionforallhumanitywhichshehasrevealedtomesooften.
Idonotknowwhatitistoseeintotheheartofafriendthroughthat"Windowofthesoul",theeye.Icanonly"see"throughmyfingertipstheoutlineofaface.Icandetectlaughter,sorrow,andmanyotherobviousemotions.Iknowmyfriendsfromthefeeloftheirfaces.ButIcannotreallypicturetheirpersonalitiesbytouch.Iknowtheirpersonalities,ofcourse,throughothermeans,throughthethoughtstheyexpresstome,throughwhateveroftheiractionsarerevealedtome.ButIamdeniedthatdeeperunderstandingofthemwhichIamsurewouldcomethroughsightofthem,throughwatchingtheirreactionstovariousexpressedthoughtsandcircumstances,throughnotingtheimmediateandfleetingreactionsoftheireyesandcountenance.
FriendswhoareneartomeIknowwell,becausethroughthemonthsandyearstheyrevealthemselvestomeinalltheirphases;butofcasualfriendsIhaveonlyanincompleteimpression,animpressiongainedfromahandclasp,fromspokenwordswhichItakefromtheirlipswithmyfingertips,orwhichtheytapintothepalmofmyhand.
Howmucheasier,howmuchmoresatisfyingitisforyouwhocanseetograspquicklytheessentialqualitiesofanotherpersonbywatchingthesubtletiesofexpression,thequiverofamuscle,theflutterofahand.Butdoesiteveroccurtoyoutouseyoursighttoseeintotheinnernatureofafriendsoracquaintance/Donotmostofyouseeingpeoplegraspcasuallytheoutwardfeaturesofafaceandletitgoatthat?
Forinstancecanyoudescribeaccuratelythefacesoffivegoodfriends?
someofyoucan,butmanycannot.Asanexperiment,Ihavequestionedhusbandsoflongstandingaboutthecoloroftheirwives'eyes,andoftentheyexpressembarrassedconfusionandadmitthattheydonotknow.And,incidentally,itisachroniccomplaintofwivesthattheirhusbandsdonotnoticenewdresses,newhats,andchangesinhouseholdarrangements.
Theeyesofseeingpersonssoonbecomeaccustomedtotheroutineoftheirsurroundings,andtheyactuallyseeonlythestartlingandspectacular.Buteveninviewingthemostspectacularsightstheeyesarelazy.Courtrecordsrevealeverydayhowinaccurately"eyewitnesses"see.Agiveneventwillbe"seen"inseveraldifferentwaysbyasmanywitnesses.Someseemorethanothers,butfewseeeverythingthatiswithintherangeoftheirvision.
Oh,thethingsthatIshouldseeifIhadthepowerofsightforjustthreedays!
Thefirstdaywouldbeabusyone.Ishouldcalltomeallmydearfriendsandlooklongintotheirfaces,imprintinguponmymindtheoutwardevidencesofthebeautythatiswithinthem.Ishouldletmyeyesrest,too,onthefaceofababy,sothatIcouldcatchavisionoftheeager,innocentbeautywhichprecedestheindividual'sconsciousnessoftheconflictswhichlifedevelops.
AndIshouldliketolookintotheloyal,trustingeyesofmydogs-thegrave,cannylittleScottie,Darkie,andthestalwart,understandingGreatDane,Helga,whosewarm,tender,andplayfulfriendshipsaresocomfortingtome.
OnthatbusyfirstdayIshouldalsoviewthe
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