For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
The Impossible – The Labels Series – Part 2
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor 5:7 (NKJV)
Yesterday I mentioned the “Invisibilia” podcast episode, “How to Become Batman”. In it, hosts Lulu and Alix introduce Daniel Kish: a man who had both of his eyes removed due to cancer when he was a toddler.
Daniel’s introduction has him leading Lulu deep through the Californian woods. Yes… a blind man leading a person with perfect vision along a complicated and potentially dangerous path. And Lulu felt completely safe.
From a young age, Daniel learned to navigate the world using mouth-clicks, much like a bat uses echolocation to see. He learned to use these clicks to make sense of what's around him, and through this technique, he accurately negotiates everyday life.
(Side note: his mum is an absolute legend. She allowed his curiosity for exploration to flourish rather than letting her fear control what Daniel could and couldn’t do.)
The clicking and locating skill empowers Daniel to do things we wouldn’t expect a vision impaired person could do. Things like climb trees, ride horses, and bikes, lead people through a wild and remote state forest…
What is more astounding than Daniel’s ability to supersede our expectations of what a blind person can achieve, is his rationality that it is completely normal. He feels that, for the most part, he really can “see.”
Despite the expectations and stigma of society, Daniel shows us that he, and others, aren't as impaired as we assume (or label) them to be.
Google “Daniel Kish” and watch the Youtube clip of him riding a bike around a car park, navigating cars, clicking and riding as if it were second nature – it's awesome.
Daniel pushes back the belief system we’ve built on our cumulative assumptions of what people can and can’t do, and challenge the boxes we put people on because of a label, or name of a condition, that they bear. He, and others like him, question what we believe to be safe, fair, and possible.
He forces our old “limited” thinking to die and allows belief in the “impossible” to soar.
The father of the “Wright Brother’s” (the famous pioneer aviators) was a preacher. He would often say in his sermons, “If man were born to fly, God would have made him with wings.” Those brothers must’ve been fooling around during those sermons because that idea did not take root in their hearts.
Or perhaps they chose to defy the label and pursue the impossible.
Go to Part 3 – Open Your Eyes »
Written by Jesse Milani
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