Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:39:00
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| Article by:
Midgett
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We have five senses, but sometimes we take them for granted.
What are they? Can you name them in an instant? If not, I hope this column will jog your memory so hopefully you will not take them for granted.
When I decided on the topic for this column, I could did not name them in an instant. I had to ask one of my students to remind me to name two that I had forgotten.
I will write and describe how fortunate I feel to have my five senses in tact. We need to continue to appreciate the joys along with dealing with the uncomfortable aspects of the senses. The mental, physical pain, allergies and gossip also are part of the five senses. The up side is we were given these senses, some of us, in the beginning of life. Today, I will share my own perspective along with another friend’s experiences.
Sight. I never took my eyesight for granted. My mother had taken me to the eye doctor periodically as a youngster when needed and the diagnose was always the same – I had a lazy left eye. I started having watery eyes from reading, which began at the age of 32. This usually happened at night when l would fall asleep with a book on my chest. I didn’t pay those episodes much attention.
As you may recall, next month I will be 74 years young. I always had daily eye check ups every two years. This last check up five months ago the doctor and I noticed the change in my eyesight. I notice I didn’t have to use my glasses to read on the bus or when I was reading in the evening at home. These were the habits in the past when I was taught I needed to use my glasses in the classroom during the daytime. I could read outside in the sunlight, but not in my apartment. I began to notice these last couple of months that I could read in the sunlight and in doors without my glasses.
When my examination was finished, the doctor told me I am experiencing a gradual case of glaucoma. I didn’t go into shock, just surprised. She told me to return in one year instead of two, that the disease is a gradual process. I am gradually experiencing the process. I cannot see faces across the streets, they are a blur. But colors of the people’s clothes are clear. I have never taken my eyesight for granted because I have been around blind people as a youngster and my best friend is partially blind.
Touch. I can’t remember when my mother didn’t hug me. When my children were born, to this day, hugging is a must when we greet or part. I hug strangers, friends, neighbors or whomever I think needs it. This especially holds true for older people. After conversing with many of them I hear they have lost their families and are alone. They need touching and the comfort it can bring.
Hear. I am a music lover of all kinds and a patient listener.
Smell. I enjoy the smell of flowers, food, ocean, grass, trees, rain and others.
Taste. My treat is a banana split once a month. I would miss that wonderful taste if not for this sense.
Mary Midgett is the author of “New York Flavor with a San Francisco Beat.” The San Francisco resident is available to do presentations and seminars on social and family negotiations. She also conducts workshops on parenting, self-esteem and social and intimate relationships. For more information, visit www.marymidgett.com or email midgettcorner@aol.com. |
