The American Printing House for the Blind

Have you ever been to a place and thought, "Gee, I could work there."? I've been out of the mainstream work force for over thirteen years and on a very few occasions, I've had that feeling. Today was one of them.

For the last three years I've wanted to tour the American Printing House for the Blind. I discovered it's nearby presence when I was researching the area and have had it on my to-see list (see previous list making post) since then. For whatever reason, I was never able to find the enthusiasm in anyone else for the museum and tour. I'd flown the idea to various visiting relatives and my immediate family on repeated occasions and somehow, something always seemed to come up.

Last night, I saw my chance and took it. The love of my life was leaving the country for another work trip and I knew that he'd be willing to do whatever I asked on the day that he abandoned me for 10 days. A poor attempt at making it up to me but one I was willing to accept in order to get to the American Printing House for the Blind. My darling children were dreading starting school after a long break so I knew that they'd go anywhere and do anything just to postpone the inevitable. The last hurdle to cross was the 10am starting time for the tour.

Miracle of miracles, we got up, dressed, and there in time for the tour. Bonus! We were the only tourists in attendance. Our guide was lovely and interesting. The history of and the work done by the American Printing House for the Blind was impressive and inspiring. Not only do they print books and magazines, they are responsible for "talking books and magazines" and a wide variety of products designed to improve the quality of life and education for visual impaired consumers. The amount of though and effort that went into so many of the products we saw was impressive.

There were several jobs that I could see myself doing at the American Printing House fo the Blind. I'd happily run the museum, give tours or read all day. The satisfaction of working for such a necessary non-profit organization doing something I love would be a gift, at least in my imagination. Of course, as my daughter reminded me on the way home, I've got about 13 year until I'll be able to do that kind of work.

Until then, I'll be mindful of my blessings and thank God for abilities that I've taken for granted. I'm not sure anyone else loved the tour as much as I did but they all loved me enough to make the best of it. Yet another thing I gave thanks for today.