365 days project 2: Day 19. Blind(folded)

   Yesterday I saw a blind woman walk before me on the sidewalk and as I was walking behind her I was trying to picture myself in a world without sight. It was very frightening. Impossible. Unimaginable. A visual artist without sight is like a composer without hearing. Beethoven might have done it, but I couldn't. 

   And this brings us to... this present day when I was "kidnapped" at 5 AM by my maid of honour and one of the bridesmaids to go... somewhere. I told you previously that I was eagerly awaiting this day. And guess what. After going to the "getaway car" I was blindfolded and had earplugs in my ears and music was blasting through them. I couldn't see or hear anything. That was all fine and dandy until I had to get off the car and walk blindfolded like that towards what I thought would be the train station. In that very moment when my friends took my hands and were guiding me that image of the blind woman that I saw the previous day came back very clearly to me and with it all my thoughts I had then. I knew I was guided by my friends but I couldn't help not feel a bit of fear of the unknown. I didn't know where I was, if I had to climb some steps, if I could bump into something or someone and that whole feeling was a bit nerve wracking. I was happy it only lasted for a few minutes because in all that time that seemed like an eternity I became so thankful that I can actually use my eyes and create art. I don't mean to say that blind people can't be artists, I know they can, I just think I couldn't be a photographer anymore. Not the way I am now. 

   The good thing about this whole situation is that at the end of the walk there wasn't a train station waiting for me but the airport. Yes. The airport. And then the blindfold came off and I was handed in my passport and a flight ticket to... Venice, Italy, the city I ALWAYS wanted to see! I couldn't believe my eyes. This was the "somewhere" everybody around me was keeping as a secret. My dear God, what a huge and beautiful surprise! The trip that would soon become the best trip I have ever had in my life! 

The same steps

   People hurry all in one direction. They know where they're going. Or at least they think they do. In fact, nobody knows. We're all heading towards a destination instilled in us, somewhere we can't deny. Sometimes we stop along the way and we wonder: "Is this the right direction for me? I think I want to turn around." But even if we do, we eventually end up where we once were. I told you. It's instilled in us. 

   We're all walking the same road towards the same destination. Some walk it faster others take their time, but the steps are the same. And we're all bearing the fruits of our lost love. The holes. Microscopic or not, they are all there. Pieces of us that were stolen by him and her and him again. For those we received in exchange patches of the ones who lost us. People who fell without us asking for it. And this is how we're all walking on the road towards It with holes and patches. Blind and ignorant. We couldn't move on if we wouldn't be like that.  

   Sometimes a scent reminds us of one of the holes and we sigh. But there's no going back after we pass the golden bridge. Just straight ahead. And it's funny how sometimes we feel like strangers in our own life. Strangers who walk and walk and walk... towards The Great Unknown. All following the same steps.