#seeing blind

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Seeing in The New York Times the photograph of Helen Keller in the Observation Tower of the Empire State Building, I [Dr. John H. Finley] wrote her asking her what she really “saw” from that height. This remarkable letter written by her came in answer and was published in The New York Times Magazine. It will be agreed by all who read it that, as she said, she “beheld a brighter prospect than my friends with two good eyes.”

January 13, 1932 Dear Dr. Finley:

After many days and many tribulations which are inseparable from existence here below, I sit down to the pleasure of writing to you and answering your delightful question, “What Did You Think ‘of the Sight’ When You Were on the Top of the Empire Building?”

Frankly, I was so entranced “seeing” that I did not think about the sight. If there was a subconscious thought of it, it was in the nature of gratitude to God for having given the blind seeing minds. As I now recall the view I had from the Empire Tower, I am convinced that, until we have looked into darkness, we cannot know what a divine thing vision is.

Perhaps I beheld a brighter prospect than my companions with two good eyes. Anyway, a blind friend gave me the best description I had of the Empire Building until I saw it myself.

Do I hear you reply, “I suppose to you it is a reasonable thesis that the universe is all a dream, and that the blind only are awake?” Y—es—no doubt I shall be left at the Last Day on the other bank defending the incredible prodigies of the unseen world, and, more incredible still, the strange grass and skies the blind behold are greener grass and bluer skies than ordinary eyes see. I will concede that my guides saw a thousand things that escaped me from the top of the Empire Building, but I am not envious. For imagination creates distances and horizons that reach to the end of the world. It is as easy for the mind to think in stars as in cobble-stones. Sightless Milton dreamed visions no one else could see. Radiant with an inward light, he sent forth rays by which mankind beholds the realms of Paradise.

But what of the Empire Building? It was a thrilling experience to be whizzed in a “lift” a quarter of a mile heavenward, and to see New York spread out like a marvellous tapestry beneath us. There was the Hudson—more like the flash of a sword-blade than a noble river. The little island of Manhattan, set like a jewel in its nest of rainbow waters, stared up into my face, and the solar system circled about my head! Why, I thought, the sun and the stars are suburbs of New York, and I never knew it! I had a sort of wild desire to invest in a bit of real estate on one of the planets. All sense of depression and hard times vanished, I felt like being frivolous with the stars. But that was only for a moment. I am too static to feel quite natural in a Star View cottage on the Milky Way, which must be something of a merry-go-round even on quiet days.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the Empire Building so poetical. From everyone except my blind friend I had received an impression of sordid materialism—the piling up of one steel honeycomb upon another with no real purpose but to satisfy the American craving for the superlative in everything. A Frenchman has said, in his exalted moments the American fancies himself a demigod, nay, a god; for only gods never tire of the prodigious. The highest, the largest, the most costly is the breath of his vanity.

Well, I see in the Empire Building something else—passionate skill, arduous and fearless idealism. The tallest building is a victory of imagination. Instead of crouching close to earth like a beast, the spirit of man soars to higher regions, and from this new point of vantage he looks upon the impossible with fortified courage and dreams yet more magnificent enterprises.

What did I “see and hear” from the Empire Tower? As I stood there ’twixt earth and sky, I saw a romantic structure wrought by human brains and hands that is to the burning eye of the sun a rival luminary. I saw it stand erect and serene in the midst of storm and the tumult of elemental commotion. I heard the hammer of Thor ring when the shaft began to rise upward. I saw the unconquerable steel, the flash of testing flames, the sword-like rivets. I heard the steam drills in pandemonium. I saw countless skilled workers welding together that mighty symmetry. I looked upon the marvel of frail, yet indomitable hands that lifted the tower to its dominating height.

Let cynics and supersensitive souls say what they will about American materialism and machine civilization. Beneath the surface are poetry, mysticism and inspiration that the Empire Building somehow symbolizes. In that giant shaft I see a groping toward beauty and spiritual vision. I am one of those who see and yet believe.

I hope I have not wearied you with my “screed” about sight and seeing. The length of this letter is a sign of long, long thoughts that bring me happiness.

I am, with every good wish for the New Year,

Sincerely yours, Helen Keller

Top photo: Times Wide World Photos/Letters of Note Bottom photo: Associated Press

#vintage New York #1930s #Helen Keller #Empire State Building #Empire State Bldg. #Jan. 13 #13 Jan. #blind #deaf #imagination #seeing blind #how blind see #idealism #materialism #American materialism

[bizzielisteningtogreta]

feeling absolutely normal and totally fine😀

from twitter user @ bigbucketdan

#these made me want to rip my hair out #seeing blind bc i poured bleach in my eyes #i say it every time but.. i can’t take this #sammy kiszka #jake kiszka #jakey <3 #sammy baby #flicker #seeing blind #niall horan #forbidden twins #sammy gvf #jake gvf #sam kiskza #sam gvf #greta van fleet #gvf #greta #gretavanfleet #daniel wagner #daniel gvf #josh kiszka #josh gvf #danny wagner #danny gvf #Spotify

[imaginedreamwrite]

Seeing Blind

Tea party Tuesday drabble

Summary: After what could have been called a meet-cute, Bucky becomes enamoured by his neighbour and her daughter. The more Bucky gets to know the two, the deeper he falls in love with both, and finally finds what he’s looking for

Oh, my, my

When I look into your eyes

It's a sight I can't describe

Oh, I must be seeing blind

#chubby!Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes x single mom!reader #Bucky Barnes x singlemom!Reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky barnes x reader smut #bucky imagine #bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes #seeing blind #seeing blind masterlist

[highladyofterrasen7]

I want Niall to play seeing blind

#niall horan #tslot #the show live on tour #maren morris #seeing blind #flicker #slow hands

[awesomefringey]

do you have some recommendations of Alpha louis fics , you konw bc Mentally I can not cope with harry Alpha

I read Light, Spark and Fire before

I really love Seeing Blind by zedi. It’s one of my favorite Alpha Louis fics and I’ve read it multiple times. Maybe you will enjoy it too.

Plot:

Louis finally turns his head in Liam’s direction, knows his face is showing the longing he’s been aching with ever since it took root in his chest. “What the fuck do I do, Liam? He wouldn’t want me like that, but I want-” his voice cracks, and he turns his face back downwards. “What do you do when you’re not perfect for the person who’s perfect for you?”

OR the one where Harry’s an independent omega who likes to have his fun and Louis is the blind alpha that changes Harry’s priorities.

Let me know what you think!

#ask #larry fanfic rec #larry fanfiction #seeing blind #zedi

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF movie Vanessa doesn’t know Moon’s crimes,,

#myart #chloesimagination #comic #moondrop #fnaf moon #fnaf vanessa #fnaf vanny #vanessa afton #vanessa shelly #fnaf #fnaf movie #security breach #fnaf fanart #five nights at freddy's #MOON MENTIONED 🌙🌙🌙 #seeing I did sun had to do moon next!! #Vanessa doesn’t know how evil this lil guy is #she just doesn’t like seeing em get hurt 😔 #moon is definitely using Vanessa’s kindness to his advantage BAHA #Can’t get blinded if girly is protecting him #I think Vanny recognizes this and wants to turn the lights on more

[cupidtxt]

thresher sharks

#art #my art #shark #sharks #thresher shark #thank you mochi for the. autism shark comparision i was too blind to see it

[whyisthisfrenchguymasturbating]

@staff put the pictures back to the way they were this sucks. the blurry version of an image in the background is bad and distracting. not being able to double tap to zoom sucks. scrolling down to an unrelated video or image? genuinely go fuck urselves. this app keeps getting worse and fucking worse stop changing shit that doesn't need to be changed

#im gonna uninstall this app i swear to fucking god. this sucks so bad #i already have a hard time seeing do you know how much harder youre making it for my blind ass to make sense of what im seeing? fuck you #tumblr update

[icedghostlatte-art]

It was weird.

"V-Man!"

That man was completely blind... and yet. I could feel like he could see me.

I was right.

— Ectolocation AU

#danny phantom #nao's art #danny fenton #vlad masters #vlad plasmius #blind!vlad #he uses echolocation to 'see' #he can see Danny clearly #even as a human #he just can't see him as a human #ectolocation

[periswirl]

Poison Ivy is hired to revive an extinct flower. It's good money and the flower has no adverse effects on the environment so she's more than happy to take the job.

She thinks everything is good and continues to grow these flowers for her client. Until a child shows up in her greenhouse and informs her that the flowers she's been providing are actually going to a branch of the government and are being used to destroy the a different realm.

The government has been tricking her into destroying the environment, earthly or not. Soon they'd learn exactly why Poison Ivy is feared.

#dc x dp #dp x dc #dpxdc #dcxdp #my post #dpxdc prompt #Im so very tired so this is pretty vague #Batman gets involved when he sees Ivy is going after the gov but he stumbles upon the AEA #and does the batman equivalent of turning a blind eye

[sopekooks]

i feel so normal about him wearing glasses

#she’s baaaaaaaaack (to be annoying <3) #btsgif #dailybts #usersky #annietrack #userkelli #userbangtan #yoongi #bts #my gifs #content: SUGA: Road to D-DAY | SUGA Meets Agust D #i see this man wearing glasses and i start ratteling the bars of my enclosure #this is for my fellow blind bitches <3

[iwasbored777]

The height difference in ITSV vs in ATSV is killing me 😭 Miles and Gwen were so shorter than Peter, now they're almost as tall as him

#i remember back when it was weird for me to see them older now it's weird for me to see them younger feels like it's been decades #they were babies #peter b parker #gwen stacy #miles morales #spider man into the spider verse #into the spiderverse #spider man across the spider verse #across the spiderverse #spiderverse #sick of comments how they're standing in front thats not why they look tall they are taller in the second one they're standing #in front of him in both pics #if you didnt see how much they grew up while you were watching sucks to be blind as you #i chose these pics for a reason cuz they're on the same distance from peter in both #but you can tell they grew

[they-them-pussy]

new metric for media literacy for film bros is if they understand the barbie movie.

the kens are first presented as accessories to their barbies and it's pointed out loud that they don't even have places to stay in barbieland. one of the barbies straight up asks "wait, where do the kens stay?". they're just arm candy made to look pretty and cool while the barbies run their world.

but that's fucked up!!! the film presents it as fucked up! that's why ken screams "YOU FAILED ME!" and why he is insecure in the first place because he wanted to be respected and seen as a person, not someone who only exists in relation to someone else. should he have done what he did? no!!! that's why it's part of the conflict! the root of both of their breakdowns was in their society in that the barbies are supposed to be perfect and the kens exist in relation to them! it's barbie and ken. he was a footnote. that's why barbie apologizes to him in the end and tells him he can be himself. she doesn't have to exist by some set of rules and neither does he! it's barbie and it's ken! sure, the resolution to the whole barbieland issue wasn't perfect, BUT KEN'S WHOLE ARC IS ABOUT HOW THEIR WORLD FAILED MEN. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MOVIE WAS 'WOMEN GOOD MAN BAD'. WHAT ABOUT THE NUANCE

#barbie #headcanon he got her house by the end btw. it's the mojo dojo casa house but it's also the dreamhouse dhdgdhshsj #look im sick of seeing the takes that are like hurr durr it's just another anti man movie #okay explain why they portrayed ken in a sympathetic light. his actions were fucked up but you could see exactly why he did them. #and in the end he is berated for his wrongs but also told that he doesn't have to continue down that path. did you miss the critique #did the pink blind you so much you couldn't see past it. did you american psycho this shit again dhdgdgdhd #barbie spoilers

[inkskinned]

crows use tools and like to slide down snowy hills. today we saw a goose with a hurt foot who was kept safe by his flock - before taking off, they waited for him to catch up. there are colors only butterflies see. reindeer are matriarchical. cows have best friends and 4 stomachs and like jazz music. i watched a video recently of an octopus making himself a door out of a coconut shell.

i am a little soft, okay. but sometimes i can't talk either. the world is like fractal light to me, and passes through my skin in tendrils. i feel certain small things like a catapult; i skirt around the big things and somehow arrive in crisis without ever realizing i'm in pain.

in 5th grade we read The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time, which is about a young autistic boy. it is how they introduced us to empathy about neurotypes, which was well-timed: around 10 years old was when i started having my life fully ruined by symptoms. people started noticing.

i wonder if birds can tell if another bird is odd. like the phrase odd duck. i have to believe that all odd ducks are still very much loved by the other normal ducks. i have to believe that, or i will cry.

i remember my 5th grade teacher holding the curious incident up, dazzled by the language written by someone who is neurotypical. my teacher said: "sometimes i want to cut open their mind to know exactly how autistics are thinking. it's just so different! they must see the world so strangely!" later, at 22, in my education classes, we were taught to say a person with autism or a person on the spectrum or neurodivergent. i actually personally kind of like person-first language - it implies the other person is trying to protect me from myself. i know they had to teach themselves that pattern of speech, is all, and it shows they're at least trying. and i was a person first, even if i wasn't good at it.

plants learn information. they must encode data somehow, but where would they store it? when you cut open a sapling, you cannot find the how they think - if they "think" at all. they learn, but do not think. i want to paint that process - i think it would be mostly purple and blue.

the book was not about me, it was about a young boy. his life was patterned into a different set of categories. he did not cry about the tag on his shirt. i remember reading it and saying to myself: i am wrong, and broken, but it isn't in this way. something else is wrong with me instead. later, in that same person-first education class, my teacher would bring up the curious incident and mention that it is now widely panned as being inaccurate and stereotypical. she frowned and said we might not know how a person with autism thinks, but it is unlikely to be expressed in that way. this book was written with the best intentions by a special-ed teacher, but there's some debate as to if somebody who was on the spectrum would be even able to write something like this.

we might not understand it, but crows and ravens have developed their own language. this is also true of whales, dolphins, and many other species. i do not know how a crow thinks, but we do know they can problem solve. (is "thinking" equal to "problem solving"? or is "thinking" data processing? data management?) i do not know how my dog thinks, either, but we "talk" all the same - i know what he is asking for, even if he only asks once.

i am not a dolphin or reindeer or a dog in the nighttime, but i am an odd duck. in the ugly duckling, she grows up and comes home and is beautiful and finds her soulmate. all that ugliness she experienced lives in downy feathers inside of her, staining everything a muted grey. she is beautiful eventually, though, so she is loved. they do not want to cut her open to see how she thinks.

a while ago i got into an argument with a classmate about that weird sia music video about autism. my classmate said she thought it was good to raise awareness. i told her they should have just hired someone else to do it. she said it's not fair to an autistic person to expect them to be able to handle that kind of a thing.

today i saw a goose, and he was limping. i want to be loved like a flock loves a wounded creature: the phrase taken under a wing. which is to say i have always known i am not normal. desperate, mewling - i want to be loved beyond words.

loved beyond thinking.

#spilled ink #writeblr #personal #please don't ask me to talk on my experience on the spectrum lol. i hate how ppl talk to me about it #i really try not to write so specifically about it #bc inevitably someone talks to me like im a child #i think this is the first time i've ever openly identified with it but i've been hinting for years #i might delete this. feels big. #the thing is that being on the spectrum actually IS a spectrum #and if u say ur autistic #inevitably someone makes an assumption about ur needs/symptoms #please do not treat me differently than u usually would. like.... we can tell when you do #and like i mention. i do appreciate the effort. i do truly appreciate the effort. #but it still feels like... #when i was blind. sometimes people kind of did the same-ish thing. #they'd find out i was blind and start talking really loudly? #and while i KNOW they're just trying to help. it would be like. i'd be trying to find #the right way into a building (sometimes only 1 door is unlocked and i couldn't see the signs posted about where to go) #and ppl would be like ''OH UR BLIND? YES SO THIS IS A DOOR. IT OPENS INTO THE BUILDING. IT IS LOCKED NOW." #''A DOOR CAN BE FOUND IN MANY LOCATIONS.'' #and it feels like. when i admit to being autistic #someone comes screeching into my life being like THIS IS A DOOR.

[drulalovescas]

They were a COUPLE and I don't care what anyone says. No one can convince me that they weren't.

#they were so married #and if someone doesnt see it #theyre simply blind #destiel #supernatural #spn

[awesomefringey]

Do you um maybe have any um alpha Louis recommendations? I hadn’t read one in a while and then you recommended the one by thedevilinmybrain and I was just you know 🥵🥵

OH I FEEL YA!

Have you read "Seeing Blind" by zedi? I linked it here. It's one of my all time favorite fics. AND it has a wonderful Alpha Louis in it.

#ask #abo larry fanfiction #larry fanfiction #larry fanfic rec #seeing blind #zedi