What would you do???

I would still do it blind.

I am a visual communicator by trade. Much of my hobbies involve my hands and eyes. Furniture building and woodworking, casting, light blacksmithing amongst others. I have always thought my life would pretty much be empty if I lost my ability to see. But I recently saw a commercial about a blind guy that builds furniture. He was pitching power tools, but I was astonished that here is a guy that did not let his disability get the best of him. The furniture he made and the tools he used I would stack against any other sighted professional or serious hobbyist woodworker. Mind you it would take a huge leap of faith to use my table saw and other power tools without the benefit of my eyes, but this is a great example of the power of personal drive and committment that I find very admirable in an individual. It gave me an insight (no pun intended) that the loss of my eyesight would not be the end all and that I could continue on with much of my endeavors. There would obviously be an immense new learning curve but the satisfaction and peace of mind that the possible still exists after something traumatic like that does'nt leave me with dread or a sense of loss if it should happen. Would I continue to model? Probobly, painting would be difficult but helk if Stevie Wonder can have someone dress him I can certainly have someone do the paint work... Certainly would give us a good example of art or authenticity wouldn't it?

Mike

Doesn't really matter in my case, most of my models look like I was blind anyway Just kidding. I echo Renarts inputs.

I personaly don't think that i would be capable of kitbashing because it is such a visual hobby. i am not being defeatist here as my son David is totaly blind (from birth) and his abilities can sometimes amaze me and the wife his love and knowledge of music is almost unbeleavable he can name alot of tunes and songs after only a few notes. Not bad for a 10 year old.....Greg

take up aircraft modeling ;D

I got a chance to really think this one over recently.....

I came down with 'Iritis'. I know, sounds like a made up ailment, that's the first thing I told the eye doctor too.

Basicly, it's the muscles around your iris getting super inflamed (like arthritis). It hurts like..well...it hurts. Anytime your iris tries to adjust it feels like someone takes your entire eye and rubs sandpaper across it.

If it's not caught soon enough, it can cause blindness.

The first doctor I went to misdiagnosed it as allergies. After a week of putting cream in my eye, no results and had to go back.

Essentially, over the past month and a half, I've been modelling with my good eye open, and my other eye squeezed shut. The eye drops they gave me kill the pain and it's almost cleared up completely, but I'm getting a real lesson about taking my eyesight for granted.

On a lighter note, you'd get a kick out of some of my one-eyed attempts at detailing. I had to shelf a few things and now that I've got both eyes at almost 100%, I can tackle them again.

Take care of your eyes...wear goggles when people tell you you should and so on....

I would think realistically it would be quite a downer to not be able to enjoy the box art, watch the project come to life and enjoy the finished piece once built. Blind people are quite amazing in how they adapt, whose to say a modeler couldn't find some way too adapt themselves.