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[MNHighwayMan]

As the subject says: what if you went blind? (Regardless of cause.)

I've been thinking about this for a while now, because roadgeeking is a highly visual hobby. I imagine that it would be really difficult to appreciate roads (in the ways we do) when you can't see the infrastructure (bridges, signs, the pavement itself, etc) or look at maps, never mind just being able to drive, for that matter. If I lost the ability to see, I'd also lose my ability to enjoy one of my most important hobbies.

Your thoughts? (In regards to this hobby—obviously, losing your vision would suck for an enormous number of other reasons, too.)

[Max Rockatansky]

Much prefer to go deaf.  Not only would it kill all my Road hobbies it basically would render me a home body unless I could learn to run blind somehow.   Things like National Parks and travel would largely be out the door too. 

[webny99]

Much prefer to go deaf.

Yeah, same here. Not even a question 
I'm a very visual person, I don't know what I'd do without sight.

[Hurricane Rex]

I would not survive because so I rely on my sight for so much because all my passions involve some sort of eyesight.

[adventurernumber1]

There are few things I fear more in this world than going blind. Seeing is indescribably important to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think being autistic may even make me an even more highly visual person than the average person. And of course, being a roadgeek, the hobby is extremely visual, and losing one's vision would be detrimental to it. I would unsurprisingly much rather go deaf (though that is something I would rather not happen at all either) as well. What's very strange is that since I am very pessimistic and tend to worry way too much, I have actually pondered the theoretical scenario (what if I went blind) many, many times, in the anticipation and preparation that it may legitimately happen. What I have seemed to think is that should I theoretically go blind, I would probably mostly have to completely rely on imaginary roads. I would have to use my vivid imagination and creative brain to create fictional roads in my head, and ponder on those things. And if it were even physically possible, attempt to draw them (vaguely) on a large mass of paper directly in front of me (despite being completely unable to see). I guess it could be possible to have information about roads (real stuff) read to me audibly, but I am so bad at coherently encoding stuff that is only transduced through my ears (the sense of hearing), that it would be very unbearably hard to do, and it would take a lot of mental energy and focus and concentration, and it would only be possible every once in a while. After the theoretical event of me going blind, I think the only contact and communication I would have left with the roadgeek community would be to have family members and/or friends read posts to me from this forum (very hard though, since it is only audible, not visual), and then me vocally compose a response for them to type for me and post. This would be very complicated, but it would be the only possible way I could still communicate with the roadgeek community in any possible way - unless I was driven to a road meet, but I wouldn't be able to see anything there, of course, so I would have to rely completely on my hearing. Going blind for me is definitely a nightmare scenario, and it is one that I never, ever want to happen. 

[Takumi]

I would be more ok than most, since one of my passions is music. I would miss driving, though.

[formulanone]

I would be more ok than most, since one of my passions is music. I would miss driving, though.

I'd enjoy music; holy hell, if I went deaf...losing music would really suck. Maybe I'd appreciate those trips to Walmart like few others, though. But I think it would be the few saving graces of losing sight. Hearing the voices of loved ones would be magic, and the amplification of taste and touch might help me through a rough life.

But I think my trusts lay with visual media and especially visual phenomena; color, contrast, hue, tint, words, photos, so I feel I'd lose a lot of experiences and likely all desire for travel if I couldn't see it. I can only imagine the challenges that would lay ahead if that was my life.

[adventurernumber1]

I would be more ok than most, since one of my passions is music. I would miss driving, though.

I'd enjoy music; holy hell, if I went deaf...losing music would really suck.

Maybe I'd appreciate those trips to Walmart like few others, though.

I absolutely love music as well. That would suck big-time for me if I ever went deaf. However, for some reason, I have somewhat of an ability to vividly play songs in my head, even when there is no audio input (maybe it has something to do with autism (photographic memory/hearing?), or anyone can do it and I had no idea) - but this definitely isn't the same as hearing the actual songs, obviously. But going blind would be the worst for me, since vision is generally even more important, and I love highways so much. Losing hearing would definitely be a hell if it ever happened, though. 

[corco]

It would suck. But it would be an interesting challenge and I would adapt. I'd probably take up writing.

[vdeane]

I can't imagine what my life would be like if I were to become blind.  I can't imagine it would be pleasant, though.  As someone with developing astigmatism and lattices on my retinas (and also very nearsighted), it's actually something I worry about from time to time.  So much that I actually passed out when my eye doctor discovered the lattices on my retinas.

[slorydn1]

I don't want to lose any of my senses, obviously, but I would much rather be deaf than blind. Everthing that I truly love to do takes the ability to see. Pretty much anything that has do to with our hobby requires sight.

I could still shift gears in my car by using the tach rather than listening to the engine. I could still read and write online. I could still play video games (wouldn't be as much fun without sound but doable). I could still travel and see things. I could still go to the range and shoot (hey no more ear muffs to make my head all sweaty, thats a plus lol).

I'm already used to watching TV with closed captioning (at work) so I would just have to get used to having to do that all the time.

I would miss hearing my wifes voice or my dogs growl/bark, yes, but I could still see them and interact with them alot easier. It would also suck because I would lose my job because I couldn't hear the phones and radios any more, but I'm sure I could find something to do much easier being deaf than being blind.

[LM117]

I'd rather be deaf than blind if given a choice between the two. My dad is blind with nothing but very little light perception in his right eye due to a combined effect of diabetes and a side effect from a Zyvox treatment years ago. It's changed his personality and not for the better. I damn sure don't envy him.

[kkt]

It would be awful, and I don't know how I would cope.  So much of my life requires sight.  Work, pleasure reading, theater, movies, driving my daughter places, astronomy, appreciating the natural world, hiking along trails that may not be completely smooth or predictable...