Third eye

We have been discussing different educational technologies and one of them is Skype. Our faculty-in-charge wanted us to NOT just read about it but install it and use it and so I did. It is pretty much similar to the other messengers but some would say it is better particularly for voice. I believe my hands speak better English than my lips so I am more of a “typing person” than a “speaking person” in messengers. But I am trying it now not just for voice chat but other features. They have Extras that goes with Skype. These are softwares developed by others but works with Skype. Some of them are for free others you have to pay for a fee. Anyway one of the features there was Pamela, a facility to record your voice conversation. I was looking for people to try it (by sending messages to all those in SkypeMe mode) and luckily I was able to find one from Belgium. I was able to record our talk (15 minutes is for free) but I will have to do a better one if I am going to use it as part of my podcast. However, what was interesting was the person. John played different musical instruments and he played for me his OUD. It is similar to a guitar except that it had a lot of strings and sounds different like it was speaking its own language. I don’t think it will be good to use it just to accompany a singer. Anyway, that’s just one of the special things about him One other thing is that he is blind. He can’t see yet he is so good with his computer giving me advice. He installed a software that converts all the text into voice so he gets to “read” all those stuff in the internet (except for pictures but I’ve read on Google working on being to read pictures too). That software has become his third eye! He gets to see the world through it and I think it is wonderful.

I am amazed at technology but I know that it doesn’t even require technology for others to see. It made me remember Kenneth who was in our tour to Tennessee. I have written about him before but I’d like to talk about him again. He was part of our tour but he was on another bus and I would hear our guide talk about him often. Unlike John, from Belgium, He wasn’t blind all throughout his life but turned blind as a result of a bungled up operation. He had been to the places we were going on our tour (The Smoky mountain) and he wanted his wife to see them, particularly the fall foliage, since he knew they were beautiful. It was his anniversary gift to her.

I chanced upon them in Gatlinburg, a very picturesque town. They were seated in one of the benches and we talked a bit, I also asked them how they find the town and Kenneth answered that it hasn’t changed much. He says that there were just more people now but it was still lovely. He was looking through the eyes of his wife and using his other senses. With those he gets to appreciate the beauty that surrounds him. I find it really heart warming and now I think that it will be great if we all had an inner eye (a third eye) to see the innate beauty not just of the things around us but of the people around us. It could be difficult at times but if it were so then we get to appreciate others more… and maybe then there won’t be strife and wars anymore. Ahhh just a thought but a good thought I think… I wish….