"It gave me a sense of meaning"
Glaucoma advanced to the point where Ron found it too difficult to do the volunteer work he loved in retirement. Still, he found a way to pull himself out of the hole he felt he was in and continue to give back.
Hadley
It gave me a sense of meaning
Ron: Losing your vision can throw you into a bad place for lots of reasons, but not being able to work in the estuary was certainly one of them.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Ron: My name is Ron Peterson. I'm 73 years old and I live in Imperial Beach, CA.
I went to school, studied engineering. I worked for the Navy as an engineer in weapon systems, and there were so many times in my career when I, when I thought, gosh, I should have been a Forest Ranger because I just love the outdoors and nature.
I retired about 10 years ago and I began working as a volunteer at the Tijuana Estuary. I loved working out there because I always loved being around nature, so I was planting native plants and removing invasive plants and helping maintain and clear the trails and such. Very satisfying work.
But then, about five years ago, I lost my vision to glaucoma. I'd actually experienced glaucoma symptoms about maybe 15 years ago, but I was able to control it with drops and such, and a couple of surgeries, but finally it caught up with me. 5 1/2 years ago, the bottom dropped out pretty fast. And it kind of surprised me. I wasn't really prepared for it.
And I was really in a funk there, are kind of in a deep hole for a few months.
That was very disheartening to me and losing your vision can throw you into a bad place. For lots of reasons. But not being able to work in the estuary was certainly one of them.
One of the things that I learned after losing my vision is that you need to ask for help. And I talked to the staff there at the estuary. I said, I want to continue to volunteer here and I love, I love these plants. What can we do and how can I help?
And together we came up with this perfect solution. That I would become a docent, and I would guide visitors in sharing the beauty of these native plants using the other four senses besides vision especially touch and smell.
And that's what really helped me along with the love of nature that I learned to basically climb out of that hole that I was in for a number of months.
I'd already learned how to identify 30 or 40 plants by sight, but I took a year or so and learned how to identify all these plants just by touch. And at this point I can go out there and wander around in this beautiful estuary with my guide dog and I can identify nearly 40 plants just by touch and smell.
On my nature walk which I give once a month, and I also give this walk on special visits from both sighted and blind groups. But we take about an hour, hour and a half and I introduce my guests to about 15 or 16 of these plants. The most beautiful plants and the most interesting plants.
But what it did for me was amazing. It gave me a sense of meaning. Connecting my love of nature with this business of volunteering and giving to others and it brought a lot of meaning to my life. And I'm frankly as happy now as I've ever been in my entire life, even without vision.
Marc: You never know who might need to hear your story. If you’d like to share with us, just leave us a message on our Insights & Sound Bites voicemail. By calling, 847-512-4867. Or, you can use your smartphone or computer and email us a recording to [email protected].
All Episodes
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Episode 82
When Elizabeth lost her vision in an auto accident, she went into survival mode. As she began to rebuild her life, she found certain connections and activities helped her focus less on her limitations and more on a renewed sense of purpose.
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Episode 81
When Eddie lost a fair amount of vision, she was scared and didn’t know how she was going to cope. But she found a source of strength and inspiration.
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Episode 80
As Kenneth lost most of his sight to glaucoma, he was feeling increasingly isolated and alone. Then he made a commitment, forcing himself to find ways to stay connected to the rest of the world.
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Episode 79
When Carol Lee was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, she was angry and frustrated. Over time, resentment began to fade a bit and the shock wore off. Gradually, her perspective started to shift.
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Episode 78
When Cliff unexpectedly lost a fair amount of his sight, he felt overwhelmed. But with time, he found a way forward.
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Episode 77
Thomas is experiencing many challenges of late, including vision loss. He finds inspiration and hope knowing he's not alone.
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Episode 76
Nikki has lost her vision due to a rare autoimmune disease. While she appreciates positive bits of advice and encouragement, she also stays grounded in the struggles she's facing and knows others do, too. She's feeling the loss.
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Episode 75
When a favorite hobby became more difficult for Dianne due to glaucoma, she learned to tap into something else. It turned out to be the ideal thing.
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Episode 74
Peter's sight slowly but steadily worsened over the course of several years. When he had to give up driving, his self-image took a hit. Working through his emotions has helped him cope and adjust.
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Episode 73
Sherry's vision loss has been gradual yet relentless. Asking for help to do things she used to be able to do on her own is a challenge for her, as it is for many. But she's finding some new tools and new ways to do things.
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Episode 72
Carolyn lost much of her vision after several glaucoma surgeries, leaving her feeling angry and discouraged. But a familiar childhood story inspired her to keep trying, even when tasks seemed impossible.
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Episode 71
Learning he would never see again was heartbreaking for Shannon. Embracing what challenged him, Shannon discovered strength in the unfamiliar.