Achromatopsia

Have you ever wondered about what you see? Is what I see different to you? Imagine not being able to see colours, how black and white everything would be. The medical term for this is Achromatopsia, it is said to affect 1 in 30,000 people. Imagine how boring everything would be, not being able to see the orange beauty of a sunrise, or the blue of the sea, imagine not being able to see the different hues of a blossomed flower, or the intense red of human blood. I wonder if a person suffering from this condition has heightened other senses, such as with blind and/or deaf people who are believed to have developed other senses more accurately. What would you trade colours for? If you were able to get full vision back, what would you be willing to sacrifice? I guess no one has everything they want in life, there’s always something ‘missing’. What we really need to do though is be grateful for what we do have. Among the obvious things like physical health and loved ones, I am grateful for the sense of smell, every nuance of perfumes, and I am grateful for the fact that I can hear full symphonies with my ears. And yes, I am grateful that I can appreciate the full spectrum of a rainbow, in all its glory. Next time you are wondering what you can be grateful for, may be consider something as little thought about as colour.