sights without sight.

Today I was showing my friend Julia who came to visit for the week around Prague. We were aimlessly walking over the Charles Bridge just being pushed along as though we were in a cattle car when suddenly the crowd seemed to part. Walking towards us were 2 people with their arms linked and in each of their hands a blind cane. They were tapping their way along the cobblestone, every now and then hitting the others cane. It seemed like the whole crowd stopped to watch this man and woman, both of whom had backpacker's backpacks on their backs. (Wow, I said back a lot.)

It was literally the blind leading the blind. There was not one single person in sight that they knew who was guiding them across this bridge. There they were: these two blind backpackers, sight seeing.

I instantly began to think of what a slap in the face that word is... "sight seeing." Both of the words that make up the concept are things that neither of the two could do. They don't have sight. They see nothing. And yet they there are doing just that: sight seeing.

It was really amazing to me. I stood off to the side almost baffled, the expressions on my face were apparently clear to any onlooker because Julia took one look at me and said, "I know. It's really insane."

I couldn't help it. My mind ran through what it would be like to see the world without eyes. Of course we've all thought about being blind before or what it would be like in everyday life but never did I think that blind people ever went anywhere other than where they were. That sounds close minded and bizarre but I just never thought of a blind person backpacking across the world. I almost felt betrayed when I heard myself think "what's the point?" I was shocked that the thought even ran through my mind. The more I thought about it the more I realized that a blind person most likely experiences the world and "sight seeing" so much better than you or I do. They hear better: while I'm so hung up on the way the Czech language looks like a language I'll never be able to comprehend the only thing they known is that their world has suddenly become a mix of new languages when they entered the country. They taste better: while I'm so hung up on how I can't see what kind of meat is in my goulash they probably have more respect for Czech cuisine and Pilsner beer than I ever will. They probably even imagine better: for every sight I've seen on this trip they have had to envision it themselves. I wonder what the Charles Bridge looks like to a blind person.

Above all the emotions that coursed through my body as I watched them take their final steps off the bridge I mostly felt proud. Whether they knew it or not, could hear the people looking on in astonishment or not, these two people were showing the world how to think twice. These two people were showing everyone on the Charles Bridge today that not all sight seeing needs to be done with ones eyes.