Be my eyes

tl;dr

I came across a wonderful app Be My Eyes , an app that connects blind and low-vision users who want sighted assistance with volunteers to help them perform a task that needs better eyesight . I highly recommend anyone reading this to download it and be a volunteer.

the background

Helping others is a worthy goal in itself, and being able to help people with a few minutes of your day sometimes is a no-brainier. But for me and my family it takes an important meaning as my grandfather, was diagnosed with a rare eye disease when he was in sixties where he lost his vision by up to 90%. 

He was a wise man with exceptional skills who believed in the timeless principle of doing simple things but taking them very seriously. He is respected and revered to this day by people and companies he helped with his wisdom. 

I remember as kids in my hometown in India, my grandfather would ask my grand mom or us to read the newspaper to him, he had clients for whom he would consult after retiring from his job in the Income Tax department  and I would be his eyes in reading the documents to him. 

One of my fondest childhood memories was to write letters and recommendations to his clients,  and as I grew up and had a mind of my own, debated with him about what should be written. This has shaped so much of how I think and lead my life. 

Although he lost his vision, this led to countless memories with him and helped a bit of his remarkable wisdom shine on his children and grandchildren, help us lead meaningful lives.

today

It brought back so many of my childhood memories today as I got my first call from someone asking me to match a shirt with his pants, my grandpa use to ask me to do that too. It was just magical, just how technology should be. I strongly urge you to download the app and sign up for it. Here are the links to the apps :  Android ,  iOS