Blind Spot

Even though we are licensed drivers in New York, in order to get a driver's license in North Carolina, we had to take a test on road signs and get our vision examined. I passed the road sign test with a little help from my examiner after I failed to identify the "school zone" sign which was presented as a blank shape. My examiner said "you might see this shape around a school". 

With that hint I passed the test on road signs with a perfect score.

Next was the vision test.

Although I wear glasses, I always try to take the vision test without them. My examiner said "that's fine" as I removed my glasses.

The vision test has progressed past the chart on the wall era. Now you had to look into what resembled a monitor. Inside the monitor were two rows. The row on the right contained the letters to be identified. My examiner directed me to the line that I needed to focus on in order to identify the letters in that row. They all looked pretty clear to me except for the last two of ten. I hesitated a little bit but thought I nailed it.

My examiner said "now look to the row on the left....what do you see?"

That was easy enough as the space was empty.

"There are no letters in that space." I answered with confidence.

The examiner said "very good". I thought I was gold.

"Now put on your glasses and take another look at that space."

I put on my glasses. Focused on the row to the left. Nine letters had somehow appeared. Nine letters which I absolutely did not see with my glasses off.

" Oh yeah, I see them now"

"Good", she said as she added corrective lenses to my license.

I got my license in the mail about a week later.

During that week and up until this moment, I've been giving that eye test a lot of thought. Particularly the row on the left.

The blind spot.

It took me awhile to realize I had that particular blind spot. I was feeling pretty damned good about myself before it was revealed to me. When it became obvious that I had a blind spot, I began to feel stupid not only about the blind spot itself but about the phony confidence I had manifested before I learned about the existence of the blind spot.

The examiner, already knowing that I had a blind spot suggested a remedy for that liability. 

Put on your glasses.

As soon as I put on the glasses, the blind spot disappeared. The letters in both the row on the left as well as the row on the right popped right into my brain with the clarity of reassurance.

The whole experience was an exercise in learning.

We are usually unaware of our blind spots.

We become overconfident because we are unaware of our blind spots.

We can often recognize the blind spots of others before they recognize them.

We can either help them recognize their blind spots or let them go on thier secure and merry way.

If we know of a corrective remedy, we should provide that remedy and let them discover the blind spot themselves.

This is called teaching.

Or...we can talk about their blind spot behind their back and label them as stupid.

This is also called teaching....bad teaching, cruel teaching, stultifying teaching.

Teaching through pain and humiliation.

We've all had and will continue to have both kinds of teachers.

If we are fortunate we've had more good than bad.

Now wouldn't it be nice if we could just put on a pair of glasses to help us overcome our difficulties like we put on sunglasses when what we see is too bright to behold. Everybody understands why the shades are on and they look cool.

Who knows...maybe someday.