"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 98
As her vision changed, Martha worried her world might start getting smaller. But a trip reminded her that she didn't have to give up the things she loved. Turns out, asking for a little help can take you a long way.
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Episode 97
Vision loss doesn't always happen all at once. For Kara, it keeps changing, which means she's constantly figuring out what she can and can't do. Hear how she's learning to adjust, deal with the frustrations, and take each day as it comes.
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Episode 96
For Carolyn, connecting with people has always come naturally. When vision loss made it harder to recognize faces, she worried about missing those everyday connections. Hear how speaking up about her vision helped others understand what she needed.
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Episode 95
A close call on a walk changed the way Lance thinks about living with vision loss. It reminded him to stay open, keep learning, and keep moving forward.
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Episode 94
For Dottie, losing her vision meant giving up many things, and there was one farewell that hit especially hard. But after making a difficult choice to let go of something she loved, Dottie found a new perspective on what she had lost—and gained.
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Episode 93
Linda always imagined retirement would mean doing the volunteer work she loved, but after losing her eyesight, she thought that chapter of her life was over. Then one memorable hospital visit reminded her she still had exactly what people needed.
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Episode 92
As Mary's vision worsened, the life she'd always known began slipping out of reach. She wasn't sure where to turn or what might help. But a chance meeting changed things for her in ways she now hopes to pass on.
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Episode 91
When Susan began losing vision, she grew fearful about the future. But she found a source of hope and courage.
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Episode 90
Early in her journey with vision loss, Char was bitter and angry at the world. But one day, a heartfelt conversation helped her turn a corner and, as she put it, "look at vision loss through different eyes."
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Episode 89
The impact vision loss had on Todd's life was profound. Through cycles of anger and depression, he often took it out on those who cared most about him. Then he started channeling those emotions into a new activity, and that made all the difference for him and his family.
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Episode 88
When Pat was diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease, her doctor told her she wouldn't go completely blind, but her life would change forever. And while it's been a hard road, she's found some things along the way that help.
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Episode 87
Debbie has found a place near her that helps unleash her creative streak and her desire to give back to the community, a place where how much she can see doesn't matter.