Have you ever read a book, imagined in your mind how every place looks, what the characters look like and the mood of every chapter?
Then someone comes out with the movie, and everything you had envisioned is totally different?
Well, this is exactly what happened to me with my dining experience.
I pulled my eye mask down before stepping into the dining room. After all, this is what the evening was about.
My escort held my arm, informed me of what my next few steps would be like. Were they on concrete or on a rug. Was there a threshold or a step down? If there was a concrete pillar, a chair or a person in front of me.
The sensation of feeling the ground beneath my feet was oddly strange.
Now, let’s talk about dining without my vision.
I sat at the table getting my bearings with my hands only. Everything I learned was at 12-3-6-and 9 o’clock.
At this point my senses are heightened. Everything sounds louder than normal and the room feels as if I was in a grand ballroom.
Eating no longer came with ease and grace, but rather caution and curiosity.
Sony Rego meticulously described each part of the meal to us, along with the wine pairing associated with it.
And then the moment of truth was upon me…Eating my food.
The salad was decadent and paired nicely with a crisp white wine.
Then followed from what I envisioned to be a beautiful piece of filet.
Now, here is the kicker because I am a big steak eater. I did not like the texture or flavor of the meat without seeing it. It was almost foreign and heartbreaking to me.
And to my surprise…the cheesecake was off the charts for me. I am not at all cheesecake connoisseurs whatsoever.
My biggest takeaway was being the last person wearing my eye cover at the table and listening to everyone chit-chat with everyone except me.
I sat there and tapped my nails on my glass of wine, wondering who would engage with the one person at the table that was still blindfolded. It felt like an eternity before Marc engaged and others followed suite.
Honestly, I have never felt so alone in a room full of people. I cannot begin to imagine what someone with a disability experiences in a room full of people.
I will never again take anyone for granted at a table or room again.
I am honestly completely blown away by the entire experience and the lessons that came with it.
Evelyn Cano…gracias amiga. What an “eye-opening” experience!
See you next year!
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