Listen to how this man takes on restoring his sight.
The facts are pasted in below.
But as the truth behind the facts drenched down in my soul, I could feel this golden orange Florida sunset on the water bathing my tired face and reminding me that the suns warmth will be back tomorrow. Stop for a second. Can you hear the waves? Listen. You are welcome here. If you are reading this, let your heart slow down just a little. Someone will hand you a glass of something cold and you can hear the sounds of the ice cubes tinkling, now your shoulders relax. The happy smell of the juniper berry drifts by singing gin songs. You are welcome here. This is a party for Rod. A celebration.
Rod is here. Telling the story. And the inspiration in the room rises like the tide. Courage is too weak a word to describe what he’s talking about. To know this kind of bravery, facts simply won’t suffice. You’ve got to come to the party. Listen to his story.
The story calls to mind theologian John Howard Yoder’s two “Perspectives” on getting things to turn out the way we want.
The “Majority Perspective” assumes that it’s power and wealth that makes something happen. Power and wealth simply make it happen. That’s it.
The “Minority” perspective never makes that assumption. The minority perspective uses imagination, uses courage, and is in it for the long haul. Knows that power structures fade. Learns to hope. Knows that there is something larger than ME. Goes beyond embracing the power and the money. Creates a party just like this one.
And sits there at sunset dreaming of a new day. Staying strong. Staying brave. Read what a brave man wrote here. Raise your glass to him.
Maybe you’ll be just a little bit braver too. I know I will.
Rod’s Letter:
My Dear Friends,
My business associate, Donna, is helping me prepare this letter.
As many of you know, I suffered a detached retina in my left eye in February of 2010.
Since then, I have had 4 surgeries and am expecting to have another next week. Hopefully once that surgery is complete my vision in that eye will be improved over what it currently is (approximately 20%). How much improvement is as yet unknown. However, it is expected that it will be approximately 20/70.
During these past months I have been able to rely on my right eye the vision of which has been 20/25 to 20/30 unfortunately the night of November 28th for some unknown reason blood flow to that eye was cut off and I was rendered totally blind in that eye. The following morning the pressure in that eye was reduced and some blood flow was restored. To this point, very little vision has returned. It is unknown if vision will ever return but to the extinct that it does, it will be limited. Therefore, I can no longer read or write as I once did.
I am sharing this with you because so many of you have become my friends and shared with me those things in your life that are of importance and interest, and I want you to know that I will miss continuing that exchange. But for the foreseeable future, I will no longer be able to communicate with you as I once did.
I know that for many of you this will come as a shock and that you will want to reach out and express your concern as well as good will. Trust that I know this in my heart, and therefore you need not send those wishes to me by mail. All is well. This is the beginning not the end of a new adventure… One that I anticipate will lead to restored vision. Until that time, I remain.
Your friend
Rod