Many of us have that one dream or passion that is unreachable do to some kind of physical or mental disability. Maybe it's wishing you were a pro football player, but you don't have the correct body type. Maybe you would love to go to the moon, but aren't strong enough in math and science to get a high level astrophysics degree required for the job.
What do you do if you are visually impaired and most of your interests, dreams and passions are unreachable do to your visual impairment? I have worked all my life to find the answer to this question. Sometimes I have been frustrated by the fact that many of my interests do not line up with my visual abilities. How does one find happiness when they are unsatisfied with the "visually impaired friendly" options that society offers? There is a positive solution to these questions:
I have always been interested in boats large and small. As a kid I used to build them out of legos and then test out my designs in the bathtub. When I got a little older I learned how to use a table saw and I used to create wooden vessels out of pieces of scrap wood laying around my dad's shop. I told people that I was going to be a ship captain just like my dad, who taught me how to run a boat by age eight. I didn't think about the logistics of doing this job as a visually impaired person until I was an adult, then the reality of my abilities hit me. How was I going to be a ship captain, or a heavy equipment operator, or a pilot or an architect? The simple answer was I wasn't, at least not with today's technology.
The story doesn't stop here however, and it does have a happy ending. I may not be able to be a ship captain or a pilot, but that doesn't mean I can't get very close to my dream or passion. The key is finding a job in the industry where my dream is and working alongside it. Let's use my interest of being a ship captain for example:
I can't be a captain of a big ship, but there are other jobs onboard a ship that I could do. If it's a cruise ship, there are tons of jobs in hospitality, guest services, management, food service and entertainment. A job onboard a ship would allow me the opportunity to work in a similar part of the industry that I am most passionate about.
I am getting a degree in Public Relations, and I now know why. Simply pup, Public Relations deals with managing an organization's image and actions through the use of all forms of mass communication channels as well as teaching members of the organization how to act accordingly in front of their publics depending on the situation. I say "if I can't run a ship or fly a plane, at least I can learn everything there is to know and then talk about it to others." I believe that Public Relations will allow me to work in industries otherwise off limits to me.
The Moral of the Story?
I am jus like everybody else; I have dreams and passions that I just can't get to. However, with some personal encouragement, willpower, creativity and a positive attitude I can still chase my dreams and do a job that is realistic and attainable. Just because one particular job is out of your reach, doesn't mean another closely related job is.
