36．Philip is 55 and blind. He has been blind since birth. He says he does not feel like he is missing anything, because he cannot imagine what sight is like. He can smell a rose, but he cannot tell if it is red, or blue. It does not matter to him;he enjoys the beauty of the scent(pleasant smell)itself.
People sometimes take pity on him, but he never complains;he does not feel cheated by Mother Nature. But his life is not always a bed of roses. It is difficult for him to travel. He cannot drive, of course;he travels by bus. At home, he cannot just look out of the window to see what the weather is like, and then dress appropriately. He can't look at the clock on the wall to see what time it is. He uses his Braille watch or a special radio for that.
Philip can look for and look at, but he cannot see. He says strangers often correct themselves when talking to him. They'll say, "I see, "meaning "I understand. "But then they think they've been rude, so they'll correct themselves and say, "I mean, I understand. "
Philip has never seen a good movie or a bad TV show. He doesn't know what a sunset or a full moon looks like. He is a musician. He plays the saxophone, but not in a band. Four times a week, he travels to Old Town in Pasadena on the bus in the afternoon. He gets off at the bus stop and then finds his way across the street to The Cap, a hat store. On the side walk in front of The Cap is his "spot. " There, he puts a hat, upside down with change in it. He sits down and starts playing his saxophone. He usually spends about four hours there and earns from ＄10 to ＄30.
