three days to see.docx

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