Little m Long a

As I pulled to the intersection I made sure to leave plenty of room at the crosswalk before me.  I had seen the girl from nearly a block away yet was certain she did not see me.  She had a spotter, though he seemed to be doing very little.

I stopped and watched, silently as the girl gingerly made her way into the intersection and then on across the street.  I held my breath watching her every move, watching the other cars.  The long white stick she held before her swayed to the left, then right.  Feeling the way.  The spotter followed at a distance, again doing little to assist.

The light changed, I let out a quick sigh of relief  and pulled forward thinking little more of the scene that had just played out in front of me.  Then Zia queried from the back seat, “Dad, what was that stick for?”

Just when you think they don’t notice anything…

“Well, Zia, that girl was blind.  She uses the stick to feel her way while she’s walking.  She can feel when she comes to the corner or near a building.  Kind of like when you are walking in the dark and you hold your arms out to feel what’s in front of you.”

“Oh.”

She thought a moment and then said, “It’s a good thing she can feel.  Otherwise she’d be in big trouble.”

Good point, Pollyanna.  I’m sure she was just thinking that same thing.