Do You See What I See Eye Sight as a Metaphor for Vision for Life BY BEATRICE TATEM, PH.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS
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OMMY, DADDY, WHAT DOES that sign say? When riding public transportation as a little girl I would see advertisements and wondered what the ads depicted. To my parents, I was their little girl, who wanted to learn to read. Did they see what I saw? Unbeknownst to them, words were a blur to me. I began wearing glasses at age three. The blurred world I knew became clear. I could now distinguish letters, and I was learning to read. My eye sight had improved. Eye sight is conceivably the most primary of the five human senses. Having sight is also referred to as having vision. Metaphorically, vision can indicate an imagined plan for the future. There are many metaphors regarding the human experience of seeing the world around us. There are times when the world around us, our lives, need clarity, when we need to examine who we are, what we are doing and where we are going. Over the years, I have endured numerous eye treatments to correct my vision. I was initially diagnosed with myopia, a vision disorder that occurs when a person cannot clearly see objects at a great distance. As a pre-teen, a hole in my retina was discovered. As a teen, I began wearing bifocals, a medical decision I thought was way too cruel. I would learn quickly how much better I saw everything. After completing college, I was fitted with hard contact lens. More than a cosmetic change, it enhanced my vision. It was also the first time in my life I would remember not wearing anything on my face; I no longer hid behind 22 JANUARY 2017 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM
my glasses. For years, wearing glasses was an outward extension of my being. In the morning, the first thing I did was to put my glasses on, and the last thing I did before going to bed was to take my glasses off. While training to become a psychologist, I was diagnosed with Keratoconus or hardening of the corneas, a progressive eye disease which can lead to blindness a disease few outside the Ophthalmology world knew about. What was to come of me, my profession, my life? The state of my eyesight has always impacted my life. Literally and figuratively speaking, my condition has allowed me to join with those who struggle with poor eyesight, those without eye sight and those without vision. Recently, I met with a young client also experiencing an eye disease. He was brought to therapy to address what his parents diagnosed as depression associated with his poor eyesight. He discussed his difficulties, his determination to make the necessary adjustments for a bright future. He emphasized he was not depressed as reported by his parents but concerned. His parents were reminded everyone looks through different lenses, and sometimes our inability to see the future is due to a lack of vision and not poor eye sight. Recently, when told “you have cataracts” (common with individuals diagnosed with Keratoconis) and “you need to get reading glasses“…I hesitated… was this an indication that my eyes were worsening? Naturally, my eyes have worsened, it is part of the aging process.
Shamelessly sporting the infamous dollar store reading glasses, I can once again see clearly. Like eyesight as we age, our vision for life changes. As you transition into the new year, fix your eyes on the future you desire…have focus. Be a visionary and plan for the future; don’t allow yourself and those around you to lose sight of their expectations and dreams. Keep in mind we can be blindsided by challenges. Be a realist and shun blind optimism. Take time to reflect on what your past has given you. Establish a vision for yourself and nurture it everyday, every moment, in every way, at every chance you get. Avoid tunnel vision; be open to setting new goals, creating new dreams and implementing new ideas. Seek what is good and magnify the positive. Strive to be transparent and authentic in your relationships. There are times when life may seem murky and you have to make decisions; be clear on what you want, keep things in perspective and watch your dreams unfold. Keep your eye on the big picture. Have you had your eyes examined lately? Has your vision been corrected? What do you see? For more information about counseling services and outreach programming, contact Dr. Tatem at Wellness Initiatives, LLC 1900 North 18 th Street, Suite 414, Monroe, La 71201, 318-410-1555 or at btatem.bt@gmail. com