Blue and Other Colors

Blue And Other Colors

"Do you dream in color?" That's a question I've been asked a time or two. My response is, "No. Sound only. Sometimes, it'll be about a vacation I've taken. One time, I dreamt I was back in high school. I heard my art teacher's voice very clearly. Not sure why."

Blind since birth, I have no visual memory. I have light perception, so can distinguish light from dark. I can see the sun, electric lights and shadows, but am unable to tell what shadows are.

Color itself means nothing to me. That's not to say I don't know what color objects are. As a matter of fact, that's how color was explained to me as a child. Apples are red, the sky is blue, and so on. Of course, as I grew older, I realized that this isn't always the case. The sky can turn from bright blue to dark gray in an instant, depending on the weather. And foods such as apples, grapes, and ketchup can come in a variety of colors! Why change the color of a product just to make it more appealing?

Color cordinating my outfits has always been challenging. As a kid, I guessed, or someone matched them for me. Now, I have a color identifier, a small hand-held device, which announces the colors of my clothes in a synthesized female voice. She's pretty accurate (most of the time.) It's very hilarious when she announces one color, then someone else has to correct it. She's only a machine, after all.

 The color blue has always fascinated me. Perhaps because it can be dark or bright; not too bright, like pink. Blue is also a neutral color; you can dress a baby in blue and no one will be able to tell whether it's a boy or girl. The ocean and sky are usually a bright and clear turquoise, unless as I said, Mother Nature has other ideas. As a child, I was told blue jeans can be matched with nearly any other color of clothing.

 Because I've never seen color, I don't miss it in the least. Okay, I sometimes wonder what a rainbow looks like, but that's about it. My brother said, "If you've seen one sunset, you've seen them all." If I woke up every day mourning my colorless life, I'd be miserable, and wouldn't enjoy life! That wouldn't be much fun.

Art has always been a mixed bag of experiences for me. In elementary school, all my crayons had braille labels on them, so I knew which colors to pull out for a project. Orange for pumpkins, black for cats, etc. In high school it was less coloring and more gluing different materials together. My senior project was an enormous life-sized Phantom of the Opera stage. I used among other things, cardboard, a silk curtain, velvet for the stairs, and sculpie for the figurines. The bottom was made of blue construction paper, to represent the Phantom's cavern.

I recently attended a watercolor class at our library. Needless to say my picture wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but neither was anyone else's. It was supposed to be a book lying open, with flowers and insects. With sighted help, I colored my butterflies black, and my flowers were green with dots. Next, we made bookmarks; mine had three layers, white, red, and silver.

My family wishes I could see color. If there was a procedure which could correct my damaged retinas, they'd want me to have it. I wouldn't though, because I've been blind all my life. I wouldn't know how to use my vision if I did receive it.

Many of my friends have unique perspectives regarding color. That's because not all blind people have the same visual perception. One has unusual vision. He said, "I see trichromatically. That means whites and light colors blend to make one color that appears white. Blues, greens, oranges, purple, and pink, all blend into a mid-toned color. Reds, blacks, and any shade of blue darker than navy appears black."

Another friend I've known since middle school shared, "I've been totally blind for sixteen years, and can still see my six-year-old daughter's face. I also still dream in full color. I miss the muddy water, a clear stream, and river. Turquoise, lime green, and yellow are more vibrant and easier to recognize. Sighted people can spot them from a distance! Some bright and dark colors stand out very vividly. I want to see the turquoise ocean again."

"I was born premature." Another friend recollected, "When I was real young and playing in the yard, I started squinting. That's when I realized I was blind. I don't miss color at all."

While waiting for our transportation home, some coworkers shared their thoughts. "I was born blind, my left eye's stronger than my right. I dream in color, in red blue, green, yellow. My favorite color is red, I used to wear it a lot."

"I could see color until I was about four years old, when I developed glauacoma. I remember the color of lightning, pink during the day, blue at night. I remember traffic lights and cars. I wish I could see color; if there was a procedure, I'd have it done. I dream about seeing colors." He said.

"I can see color, like details of people’s faces. My favorite color is blue, it looks good on me."

Over the phone, a girlfriend remarked, "I'm partially blind, so can see a little. I mostly see bright colors except yellow, it looks orange to me. I can see faces up close, not far away. No, I don't dream in color, voices only. I'm not really sure what I dream about."

Hearing the ocean waves splashing, getting its salty spray on our faces, and feeling the gritty sand beneath our feet are the many ways totally blind people can enjoy the beach. We're able to experience nature, too. For example, when some friends and I white water rafted in Colorado, it was awesome! Besides sighted staff, we were a bunch of blind children on a trip. We might not have been able to see the crystal-clear river, or the animals and trees, but we sure felt the rush of excitement going down the swift chilly rapids! Another example, with the recent solar eclipse, those of us with vision could tell when the darkness was total as the moon blocked out the sun. Blind people may be able to see some colors very clearly and others not at all, but we can still experience the beauty of the world around us.

The End