Our team won! We are through to the semi finals! I kept it together in the old ‘fear of heights’ department!
It was a good day. Our luck was in. Then something happened on the car journey home which reminded me just how lucky I am.
The radio was on and the sports commentators were giving the post match analysis. Every now and then they would read out a comment which they had received via phone or email. Most of these were the usual comments, like…
“Armagh was robbed!” or “The better team lost.” or “Donegal will hammer Dublin in the semi final,” (which they will). But in the middle of all these was a comment which sent me into a daydream.
“Michael Healey would like to say thanks for all the thrilling live match commentary down through the years. Michael has been blind since birth.”
The chat continued on the radio and also in the back seat but I was now miles away, in Michael’s kitchen. Blind since birth! He doesn’t know the colours of the pitch, the players, the flags, anything. He doesn’t know colours. He has never seen a player jump to catch a high ball. He has never seen a ball soar through the air or between the posts.
In fact he doesn’t have a fear of heights because, high seats or low seats, they are all the same to him.
And yet he takes the time to say thanks.
Michael Healey, whoever you are, we the people with eyes that work are grateful to you for showing us how to cope, and still be thankful.
I hope your county team do you proud.
Thank you for reading
Frankie.
A big thanks to Vic Briggs for the photo. http://shardsofsilence.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/in-the-absence-of-sound/
In response to http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/not-lemonade/
Oh, what a lovely moving post, Frankie. Delighted to hear. Humbling, the bit about Michael Healey, God love him. xx
Thanks Ali. Yes, humbling, that’s the word. xx
Good one Frankie. Cheers to Michael, God love him. And what about those beautiful girls? You must be a proud Dad!😊
I am proud. 🙂 They all have different personalities which makes for a noisy house but they have hearts of gold. But who am I telling? Your boys are great.
Aye Michael, God bless him. I can’t imagine.
It would seem hearts of gold run in your family. 😊
Very sweet post. A wonderful reminder that there is always something to be thankful for. And what a great picture of your girls! 🙂
Thanks Patty. “..always something to be thankful for..” nicely put. 🙂
This is powerful Frankie. We take so much for granted. It takes one less fortunate to make us “see”
Thank you. We do take a lot for granted. I can’t imagine what it must be like for him. But such a manly attitude to take an interest in something as visual as football. Hats off to the guy.
‘Like’ doesn’t appear to be working and I do ‘like’ this very much! All any of us can do is hope Mr Healey is given the best commentary available. I will never again complain about long winded commentators.
Like! is working now!
Same here. They do tend to make the dullest game sound exciting but yesterday I realised it is the highlight of one man’s week. And what a man!
Very moving and sure makes us appreciate what we have. Beautiful little ladies and love all that red hair. 🙂
Thanks Sue. It really slapped me in the face to show how good I have it.
They are good girls. Plenty of redheads in Ireland 🙂
FANTASTIC post – running on all cylinders, and then some. Good work, Frankie.
Thank you Maggie 🙂
Vroom…Vrrroom…
Aww, that’s so sweet! 😀
Thanks Rachel 😀
🙂
Congratulations and hope your team continue to do well. Thank you for the mention. Wishing you a great week ahead.
Thanks Vic. And thanks for the photo too.