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alt=a woman in a museum uses her cellphone to circumvent vision challenges.

Always Looking for Tricks

The past summer of 2021 slowly evolved for all of us. The scares of the pandemic became not so overwhelming at times, especially with being vaccinated and just being careful. Just by wearing masks and being aware of the crowds around, our life became almost normal.

A getaway

With us feeling more confident, my husband planned a little getaway for the two of us. A two-day trip to the city of Eureka Springs, located in the state of Arkansas. It was a short drive away and was a perfect pause from everyday life. We stayed in a very quaint Bed & Breakfast and enjoyed the quiet and beauty as it sat nestled in the hills of Arkansas.

Where the action is

After checking into the B&B, we ventured out to explore the town. The lure of this city is the downtown area. There are several points of interest to explore, artisans set up in so many shops, crafts, and coffee shops. There are many restaurants, bars, and museums to enjoy, and we enjoyed our fair share of all three!

The hang up

It was in these museums that I had an almost slap-in-the-face moment. There are times I can “forget” I am dealing with macular degeneration, this diagnosis does not even cross my mind or make me feel all is as normal as the rest of the world. Until that one moment, something raises its little head and with an annoying wave of its flag, says “hey, you can not see that." Then I remember.

As I was wandering around this interesting little museum, there were a smattering of very carefully placed information tags, clearly meant to inform and educate anyone who had chosen to visit. I stood there, silently contemplating those tags, focusing and blinking, trying to enhance what could possibly be seen by trying harder to see and read it. Nothing worked. In my head, I screamed, “I cannot see it!!”

Technology to the rescue

Thankfully the place was not crowded, and I was not blocking other people from the view. At that moment I had an epiphany. I got this. I will not be blocked from this. Pulling out the handy dandy iPhone, I opened up its camera application and promptly took a picture of the evasive information tag. Enlarging the view of the recently taken photo, I too was able to read and learn all that could be gleaned from the tag.

I smiled a little to myself and moved on through the other exhibits.

Our tricks

With macular degeneration taking away the view that we have had all of our lives, I am so happy to be able to circumvent my way around its struggles. I will continue to search for other ways around this annoying diagnosis. I may not be able to clearly see things at first glance but I will constantly strive to achieve the clear view ahead of me at all costs.

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