At a family reunion a few years ago, I asked, “What if everybody in the world suddenly went blind?” My cousin’s 10-year-old kid replied, “Then those who see with their hearts would finally lead the way.”
We all laughed at the time, brushing it off as a cute response from a kid. But his words stuck with me more than I expected. Over the years, I’d think back to that moment during times when I felt misunderstood, overlooked, or when I’d witness people judged too quickly by their looks, jobs, or background. I never thought I’d live through something that would make me revisit that question — until last summer.
I had just started a new job in a smaller town. Marketing assistant for a local non-profit that worked with people with disabilities. It was a decent job, nothing too glamorous, but it paid the bills and I believed in the mission.