Kim Kilpatrick, a "storyteller, disability awareness presenter, and music therapist" from Ottawa, embarked on a journey in January 2011 that would see her write at least one blog post per day on the great things about being blind.  Almost 500 posts later, she is continuing strong with the tradition. 

The world is not a perfect place and yes, there are things about it that need to be fixed to ensure that those who are blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted can fully enjoy and participate in the community, be that school, work or recreation.  Access to information, books, web sites, and media generally is a challenge.  But what Kim has done with her blog is to suggest that, assuming one has a bit of a sense of humour, it isn't all necessarily always doom and gloom.  She describes her blog as follows:

I started this blog on January first, 2011.  I began it after hearing about the blog about awesome things.  I started it because I really get tired of the negative things written about disabilities every day.  I have been totally blind since birth and live now and have always lived a very active, full life.  So, I wanted to write every day about one great thing about being blind

So what is so great about being blind?  Well, according to Kim, the great things include:

• The Novelty of Braille (January 2011)
• Making Tea (February 2011)
• Listening to Rain (March 2011)
• Touching Colours (April 2011)
• Driving My Boss’ Car (May 2011)
• Paralympic Experiences (June 2011)
• Peeing and Rabbits (July 2011)
• The Moving Tobogganing Hill (August 2011)
• The Food On My Plate (September 2011)
• Touching the Elephant (October 2011)
• The Fur Coat Adventure (November 2011)
• Identifying Gifts (December 2011)
• Icy Sidewalks (January 2012)
• Advantages of Not Looking in a Mirror (February 2012)

So what is to be learned from all this?  One could say something about lemonade and lemons, but it really comes down to embracing the positives, and trying to make light of the negatives.  I challenge everyone to find one good thing each day to consider and remember.  Amidst all the negativity, such thoughts are a breath of fresh air.

Read more of Kim’s blog at http://kimgia3.blogspot.com/.