I was watching a rerun of Becker the other night. One of the main characters is blind. Near the end of the show they did the commercial for the sponsor of the closed captioning. It made me think. Which would be more difficult--being blind or being deaf? And by this I mean for someone who had previously had been able to see and hear.

For me, it wasn't a difficult question-- it would be far more difficult to be blind. I don't hear very well. I don't listen to much music. I don't remember things if I only hear them. I always email/write letters if I can avoid making phone calls.

But I LOVE to read. I remember facts by remembering how they looked on the page. I love numbers and stats. I figure out math problems by seeing them. And I love sightseeing and peoplewatching. Not to mention, of course, that while I may not enjoy driving, I love hiking, running, walking, biking, backpacking-- and I really enjoy doing all of those things alone, difficult if I could not see.

Not that anyone is ever given the choice, but for me, it'd be obvious. I could handle being deaf, and I often wonder if I'm losing my hearing. But being blind would be very tough for me.