Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

The story of my life by Helen Keller

A triumph of the human spirit when someone who is both blind and deaf can describe their life in joyful detail.  

Her family must have been wealthy to have afforded the doctors and trips and their mountain summer home. I wonder if children of lesser means would have the opportunities for growth that Helen did. I wonder if she realized how fortunate she was to have the wherewithal to be educated, travel, and experience so much. 

Her sensitive nature and the honing of her remaining senses help her with her desire to experience the things that she cannot see or hear. The trip to Niagra falls impressed her in ways that she could not easily explain any more than one could explain love or goodness. 

How I agree with her about learning and college. She says "we should take our education as we would take a walk in the country, leisurely, our minds hospitably open..."
And of college, "one goes to college to learn, it seems, not to think."
One more quote on education, "Those dreadful pitfalls called examinations set by schools and colleges for the confusion of those who seek after knowledge."

It seems odd, in our age of ugly, to hear her rhapsodize about beauty and graciousness, of truth and nobility, and discourse on literature among friends. Obviously, Helen never had the opportunity to watch reality television.

A truly amazing and inspiring life.

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