Wonderful People

[Alja-Markir]

I'd like this thread to be a place where folks can talk about the amazing, incredible, and fabulous people who are in the world and in our lives.

If you know someone who moves you, someone who inspires you or uplifts you, someone who does the incredible and the beautiful, please, share a story or two with us all.

This is a place to celebrate the wonderful people we know.

*******

So last weekend I went to a get together with friends on Halloween. There, I met someone who has since become a fabulous friend and who has given me much to reflect on, both about the world and about the incredible people in it.

Mademoiselle Z, as I shall refer to her, is blind. She's coped with it for most of her life. She's currently attending a school for the blind in another region of the world, but she was here in my area temporarily visiting friends. I'd never met someone like her before, and we fell to talking and spending time together. She needed a bit of help getting around, and she wanted the company, so that was as good an excuse as any to spend time with her.

For really the first time, I found myself face to face with so many little details about life that I take for granted in my own. Countless times in just a few days I caught myself forgetting the difficulties of her condition: her not knowing where she was, not knowing who or what was around her, not being fully mobile without someone to guide her. Thankfully, these were only momentary lapses on my part, a split second typically, before I realized I was failing to account for her because I was so used to not expecting to have to deal with such things.

Z has a fabulous sense of humor, and she'd laugh at all the little idiosyncracies of her life. She'd ask me to describe where we were, where things were positioned, she'd poke gentle fun at me for leading her through crowded and noisy areas by loudly singing Irish drinking songs. I'd lead her over steps and curbs, letting her know they were coming up most of the time, forgetting to mention it at others. When I did forget, she'd always somehow manage to not quite stumble. I'd appologize profusely at first, but a lifetime of coping on her own has made her remarkably agile when walking on unever terrain, and far too kind and forgiving of me when I erred.

She's fascinating, in her own way. She sees shadows, vague shapes and differences in light. Her hearing has compensated for much of her missing vision, and with her cane in hand she is incredibly mobile in even the most unknown of locations. But she still will never have the same abilities I and most others do.

One evening, I caught myself just a moment too late when I off-handedly commented on how I found the evening sky beautiful. For a moment she looked at me and I couldn't think of anything to say. It was made worse by the fact that I realized she couldn't see my discomfort, the blush on my cheeks or the shifting of my weight. But she gave me a great big hug, and slowly asked me to try and describe the scene: not in colors or visuals, but in feelings and emotions.

She's hard for me to read, sometimes. I realize now just how much I subconciously draw information from other people's eyes, but with Mlle. Z, this is sadly impossible. I quickly learned to listen more closely to her tone, particularly her volume, as well as to watch her lips. The subtleties of her mood are reflected in her smiles and mannerisms. She's a quiet person, even more so when she's sad or uncertain, but when she laughs or grins ear to ear, you can't help but feel her emotion brimming over onto you.

She's also very tactile, something I love about her. She has no qualms hugging people she likes, and she lingers there, something I wish more people did. No hug is too long for her. She'll cling to your side all afternoon if you like, happy to simply be walking along listening to the world pass her by.

She's gone away now, back to her schooling. She was sad to leave, having made a number of friends here who she adores. She plans to come back in a few months, but the day she left I could tell she wished she didn't have to go. I wished the same thing.

We've been chatting the past few days over the phone, though. She's getting back into her routine, is happy to "see" her roommate again (a detail she loves to press for comedic effect), is happy to be somewhere she knows well and can navigate on her own. She's happy to be getting on with her schooling, because the sooner she is done, the sooner she can come back out this way and visit.

And that's the amazing thing, really. Even though there are so many things in her life to sadden or dishearten her, so many troubles to make her life just that much harder, so many unfair cruelties and undeserved injustices, she's happy. Yes, sometimes she smiles through her tears. But she still keeps smiling. And she helps me to do the same, even through my own tears.

~Alja~

[Allen!]

I am, in fact, pretty amazing. Also, nice story, Alja.

[Machalllewis]

Yeah thats a very sweet story dude. Sounds like a very nice person.

To be honest my line of work (Radiotherapy) brings me into constant contact with people with cancer a fair amount of whom will die from it. There is no specific person who I saw and was like "Oh you wonderful person" because the vast vast majority of them just kind of get on with life while they've got it and don't let the metaphorical blade hanging over their head bring them down too much.

Then again theres also a ton of self-pitying arseholes who try and use it as an excuse to be dicks.

[masamune]

unfortunately i haven't met anyone wonderful for a long while, but i just wanted to chime in and praise you on that beautiful piece of writing.

[iamafish]

Wow Alja I am touched both by your amazing story and also the tender and sensitive way in which you told it. thanks for sharing.

[Evil Jim]

A few years ago I had a friend who was blind. She could tell the difference between night & day but that was about it. She loved the way I described the world for her. For her birthday or perhaps a holiday I gave her a "magic painting." In reality, it was a nicely framed & matted piece of blank, white paper. But at her request, I would describe the painting for her. It could be one of an infinite number of scenes, worlds, people, still-lifes, etc. I would describe something different each time & it would be a painting only she could see.

[Tinasaur]

That was a very touching story Alja, well written indeed and thank you for sharing it.
Evil Jim, the story of that painting made me smile.

[Arius]

That was a very touching story Alja, well written indeed and thank you for sharing it.
Evil Jim, the story of that painting made me smile.

+1

[Theremin]

That was a very touching story Alja, well written indeed and thank you for sharing it.
Evil Jim, the story of that painting made me smile.

+1

+2

[ThrashJazzAssassin]

Jim, you too are a wonderful person.

But don't worry, we won't tell anyone. As far as the rest of the world knows, you're still evil.

[wedrinkritalin]

Touching story alja : )

[Gordon Fearman]

It is a touching story. Almost too touching.

I'm watching you Alja.

[Kdz]

I may be biased, but my girlfriend stays so positive all the time, in spite of all the shit that would get me down on a daily basis were it not for her and her effervescent personality. It's so strange to me to find a person with that kind of attitude, and I appreciate it greatly.

But yeah, the opening post is kind of a tough act to follow. I wish I were better at writing and expressing my feelings like that. Damn.

[Alja-Markir]

It is a touching story. Almost too touching.

I'm watching you Alja.

So long as you aren't touching me. Without invitation, that is. *eyebrow waggle*

Also, Jim, I'm TOTALLY stealing that idea. But I'll give you credit as the artist. I'll use a blank canvas, but I'll scrawl your "signature" in the bottom corner.

And Kdz, if your dear lass is wonderful, share anything you like! After all, this isn't a competition, it's a celebration. Mebbe you have a silly story of one time she did something sweet and simple and purely wonderful, even if it was just something small. We'd love to hear it!

~Alja~

[Tinasaur]

I have to make a little post about my two best friends, a really lovely couple. I met the girl when we attended artschool together and then got to know her boyfriend as well. I was going through some real tough times at that point but they still befriended me and opened their home and their hearts. I wouldn't have gotten through that without them, they supported me through it all and even though they got to know me at my worst they have stuck it out with me so we now can celebrate the good times together.

[Gordon Fearman]

I know of no "Wonderful People" and while I'm pretty cool, I am nowhere near as magnificent as these dudes. Mostly 'cause I apparently unintentionally caused someone to EDIT: ALMOST TRY TO commit suicide.

Don't question me on it, I don't remember the circumstances, only that someone once told me it.

[Evil Jim]

Also, Jim, I'm TOTALLY stealing that idea. But I'll give you credit as the artist. I'll use a blank canvas, but I'll scrawl your "signature" in the bottom corner.

~Alja~

If you want to tell her where you got the idea that's fine, but if you're giving a magic painting of your own to your visually impaired friend the responsibility of painting it each time is up to you. Therefore, *you* are the artist ^_~

[Unlucky]

My definition of wonderful people would be those who are capable of empathy truth be told. Those who are capable of seeing and feeling others pain and handling it just beautifully. I've met one person who truly does it and two others who are exceptionally close.

I will go into more detail later (when it's not 1am) however I am going to toot my own horn for a change and say I am also one of those people capable of empathy, just the amount of pain I deal with from people daily has taught me a great, great many lessons.

I shall share some of these stories later, promise.

[Sieg Reyu]

The most wonderful guy I now was my High School Chemistry teacher. he was just an awesome guy all around. His foremost goal was getting his students to love science.

He's really easy to get along with. He has the right combination of interests to make everyone like him. When I was "Science Research" my senior year, I had a ball. We were supposed to do all of these papers and what not, but it basically came down to us doing his grunt work. It might sound bad, but it was fun as balls. I got to mess with some potent HCl and dilute and dispove of various unlabeled acids. Most other teachers would have given detention for most of our Tomfoolery, but he was involved with most of it. Probably didn't help that he was only like 7 years older than us.

But it's beside the point. Him and his wife are the foster parents of two. He is involved in a lot of projects to better the community, and when a giant tree fell on his garage and damaged his roof, he mourned the passing of a few items, but laughed it off mostly.

He is my hero and inspiration.