From the May 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine: “Blindsided”

After being diagnosed with an eye disorder that could leave her sightless, comedic performer and playwright Elaine Smookler felt terror. But then a moment with a stranger helped her to embrace the change — and keep striving for laughs.

She writes: "Like it or not, I needed to make friends with my anxiety. I began to relax a bit with my oh-so-groundless situation and put the kibosh on the idea that there was anything precious about my disability. Having a sense of humor helped. I started to refer to myself as "El Blindo" and told people I was hard of seeing. To my relief, I noticed that when I was easy with the reality of my newfound difficulties, other people breathed easier around me as well." Read the rest of her story here.

"Blindsided" appears in the special section "Embrace Change" in the May 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine. Click here to browse the issue online.

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