"On A Claire Day--- She Lost Her Sight But Still Has A Bright Vision"

Reprinted from SeniorityMatters.com with permission from its author, Sibyl Adams:


On A Claire Day--- She Lost Her Sight But Still Has A Bright Vision
01/18/11
Meet Claire Anderson. A long-time South Floridian, Claire, currently lives in Seattle, where she frequently mistakes herself for still being 37, even though it’s the 70-year-old men who wink often. Claire gets her kicks these days from riding the city buses, elbow-to-elbow with Microsoft execs and homeless people -- especially because she can’t tell them apart.

In this conversation with Seniority Matters, conducted on a warm-up visit to South Florida, Claire, who is about to celebrate her own 70th birthday, tells her own amazing story of life, lemons and lemonade.
Claire: I owned three businesses and was quite successful, living in Miami, with a wide circle of friends and family, and one day I was driving along and couldn't see....Turns out I had had an optic stroke...a series of them, in both eyes. I lost most of my vision, I had to drop my businesses....
SM: What kind of businesses did you run?
Claire: Computer, events planning and accounting. I called my clients and said, I can’t work for you anymore. And I lost them. I couldn’t even sell the businesses and lost a huge amount of money. My life was totally in turmoil. If I had known then what I know now...
SM: What happened next?
Claire: I sat around and cried for a couple of weeks. But I am a survivor, I slapped myself on knees, and said, “You’ve got to figure out how to deal with this.” I contacted Miami Lighthouse of the Blind...and they were terrific. They taught me how to live, how to cook, how to use a talking watch. I was 64 years old, and I was there for over a year. I owe my life to them. .... I didn't get get my business back but i was functioning.
SM: Why did you decide to move from Miami?
Claire: I have three children. They lived in Orlando, New York and Seattle. And they said, “You need to live in one of the cities that we live in.....I was stuck in my apartment. I lived in Coconut Grove, but I was eight blocks from a supermarket.....I tried New York, but just getting across the six lanes of Broadway with all the taxis trying to kill you.... So I moved to Seattle, and it turned out to be a fabulous place to live... lots and lots of help to live for people with disabilities, things like volunteer drivers, wonderful bus services, someone who cleans my house, someone who helps me with my computer. In addition to all that, I found my place there.
SM: Claire got involved in Toastmasters, one chapter of which met at maximum security prison, where she found she could help the prisoners overcome their fear of public speaking. Her companion dog, the “beautiful, friendly Davida,” goes everywhere with her. She is a leader of the local Mensa organization, and has recently won an award from her peers there. And she’s writing her autobiography, a slice of which you can read here.
You can read more about the indefatigable Claire on her blog, www.clairiescapers.blogspot.com
Claire: Life is about attitude. Everybody's got troubles -- health problems, family, financial. Either you're going to be a victim or a hero. Losing my eyesight, developing a disability... made me into a better person. I was a nice person, but i wasn't an inspiring person.
I’m a lot of fun, I’m a good entertainer. I have my guide dog, and we do fine. You have to develop an attitude of gratitude. Iif you are grateful everyone will help you. But if you are a whiner... (When something like this happens) you have to learn how to be someone else. There are new skills you have to learn. I don't have any fear. I look forward to the next thing that’s going to make life better. …...And that can be as simple as a talking bathroom scale.
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