04 April 2016

I once was blind, but now...

Colorblindness is really a misnomer; it is more akin to color-confused. Whereas your spectrum is quite vast & includes a veritable plethora of color, those of us who are genetically-deficient have a much smaller range & therefore colors get smashed up together, confused with others, & many unseen at all. 
I am colorblind, one of the most severe degrees of such. It is bothersome at times, disappointing at others, but as with any handicap (& I even hesitate to use that word as comparatively it is a non-issue), one learns to adjust & compensate for such. I also like the fact that I “inherited” from my Poppy, my mom’s dad, who left much too early in my life & sharing this genetic trait is at least something by which I can feel closer to him.
But being colorblind does affect me every day- the loss of a beautiful sunset, inability to decipher a traffic lite, seeing lots of green skin on folks I know are not Martians… unsure if I’m wearin’ a pink shirt. Being an artist (albeit one who predominantly works in black & white), an art teacher & just a lover of looking & seeing & really absorbing this wonderfully vibrant world around us makes it even more distressing at times.
This wonderful company EnChroma has changed all that with their incredible &, I dare say, inspiring sunglasses that promise “color for the colorblind”, & y’know what, they actually deliver on said promise in a big way.

Just back from Méjico where I sported these EnChroma Commander CX-14 sunglasses that profess (& do indeed deliver on that promise!) to allow the colorblind to see color. 
These are amazing, wonderful, & truly awe-inspiring & you can see my reaction to wearing them in the video...
(Lo siento for wind noise- tried to fix to no avail. 
Keep watching, it does improve later in video.)




& as an extry bonus, here is some comix I doodled way-back in college about bein’ colorblind… 
Enjoy:
the greenest hair

7 comments:

Jack SS said...

Just happy to be with you when you first experienced color

Ali said...

That is awesome!

Anonymous said...

so amazing and I am so happy for your experience

Jackso said...

Wow robert!! That is awesome that has to be such a crazy experience!

Glenn said...

I'm glad someone finally used technology for a good purpose!!! It must have been quite a hindrance as an art teacher/ lover.

Amanda said...

Soooooo very, very delighted for you!!!!
They are truly a wondrous invention, and a great gift to you and your kinfolk. The side benefit for the rest of us (and a big one): witnessing people experience a full range of color for the first time is a very moving reminder never to take for granted the ability to perceive all these shades and hues.
Yahoo and enjoy!!
Amanda

Wey said...

Thanks for sharing this tremendous news, Robert. I'm so happy for you, and for everyone else who gets to benefit from these magic glasses. And not only are they magic, but they look fabulous on you, too!