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If blindness meant nothing more than not being able to see, I'd be able to drive a car. This seems a weird idea, but the essence of driving is to hold the gas pedal, turn the wheel and make the car go forward... one could do all this without sight. So blind people can drive? Of course not, and there are many other things blind people have difficulty with, although the essence of them to me ain't sight.

I'm often ashamed of things I'm not able of doing. Why not? The only thing that's wrong with me is that my eyes don't work. So yeah, it's understandable that I can't read print, but why on Earth are most difficulties I have only indirectly relate to blindness?

But it's true - blindness affects many areas of life at least I wouldn't think the essence of is sight. And that makes explaining and dealing with my abilities and inabilities difficult. Some people will ask if my house has stairs, as if I can't climb them. And I can't say I do things "exactly the same as you", cause I don't know how they do them. Also, other blind people may be capable of more than I or compensate for their lack of sight by their other senses better than I, which then makes me wonder: how do they do that? Am I stupid I can't do some household stuff and have really no idea of how to feel, hear or whatever that?

A dictionary definition of "blindness" may be simple, but what it's actually like to be blind is much more complicated and involves, or is thought to involve,almost every area of life, from sports to socialization and from academics to self-care.