Of course your points are valid. That's not in question.

But at the same time, it's possible to be too fixated on your limitations even if they're valid. If you stop as soon as you realize you can't get there you might be giving up too early. There's almost always a way to do anything you set your mind to.

One of the guiding principles in my life is to replace everything blindness has taken away with something else. Can't jog down the street? Then jog on a treadmill. Can't snow ski? Then water ski. Can't fill my bedroom with eclectic art? Then fill it with eclectic music. Can't ride a bike with my wife? Buy a bicycle built for two. Can't dance without running into people on a crowded dance floor? Dance holding hands. Can't draw or paint? Take up wire sculpture.

That's how I choose to respond. I could just say "I can't - I'm blind," but that road leads to boredom and depression. I chose adventure over excuses whenever I possibly can.

Life is harder without vision, no doubt. We face challenges other people don't. But the bigger the challenge, the better we feel when we conquer it. Don't give up, bro. Don't settle for less than the life you want to live.

Of course your feelings and points are valid. I think we can all agree we all get frustrated and upset of being blind/visually impaired especially when we are trying to do easy every day tasks.

I hang out with a group of friends and we have been friends for a while and to this day they don’t know how much I can’t or can see. With that said they know I can’t see to drive. So when I’m asked to hang out they know that means they are picking me up. Because this was their invite! When I invite them I offer them gas money to pick me up. (Still cheaper then Uber).

They will never know how I can see and no one ever will and that’s okay. As long as you communicate with them. They took me out bowling last weekend. I could of easily said ‘no, I can’t see the pins! What’s the point!’ But instead they wanted me to try it out because I’m physically able to and them placing me where to stand and shouting and cheering me on just bonded us even more. And guess what? This blind gal did not come in last! How awesome to shove that in a sighted persons face lol.

I’ve hiked with friends as well but of course they know I’m going to need their assistance the whole dang time. And if they are okay with that then yes they are worthy of my money and time. I get to hike a place I would never imagined possible with out their patience, guidance and time. Most importantly their eyes.

I honestly don’t agree on not being friends with someone because they don’t understand your vision. If that was the case for me. I wouldn’t have any friends. Wouldn’t have traveled or done things I thought I was not capable of doing. So I shouldn’t be friends with my gals who have had babies? Because I’m not having children? Because I don’t understand motherhood? I won’t ever understand it but that mean we can’t be friends.

I am going to just straight up answer your question from the post title, and say yes. After reading all your replies to other posts and this thread, you do come off as an asshole. I have not met any straight up angry blind people that are mad at their situation, but you kind of come off as that person.

Hey, you asked.

From what you’ve said here: you might be a bit of an asshole?

Your points are valid. Of course blindness effects all aspects of our lives. I have some usable vision, and it still impacts all of the major decisions I make, and many of the minor ones. And sometimes, the sighted world is really frustrating (more so, I imagine for someone who’s totally blind).

Here’s the thing. While sighted people need to learn and adapt to what we can do if we want to have strong, meaningful relationships, we have to adapt and learn, too.

To use an example from my own life: I found myself getting frustrated with my fiancé expecting me to be able to see things until he explained. Because my eyes are so light sensitive, the amount I can see varies a lot by lighting, and as someone not looking through my eyes, he couldn’t tell when I was having trouble because sometimes, I could see the thing just fine. He was trying to help but didn’t have the information to do so. So it’s up to me to let him know when I need more help, and when I need less. Just getting angry and blaming him for not understanding doesn’t get me anywhere.

It’s one thing if someone repeatedly refuses to hear and understand what you’re telling them about your (lack of) vision. But I generally give the sighted the benefit of the doubt because most people have encountered, what, one or two blind people ever? And sight loss varies so much that my vision and their blind friend’s vision, even though we’re both blind, could be wildly different. I tell sighted people to ask what I see and what I need, and not to make assumptions. That means I also need to be willing to explain what I can and can’t see, and what kinds of things I need. I can’t expect them to just know that.

For your hiking example. If you’re just not interested in hiking, tell your friend that, and find something else to do that you’ll both enjoy. If you want to go hiking but find it inaccessible, communicate your issues with your friend and see if you can come up solutions together. Like, to get to the trailhead, maybe you can get partway there on a bus, and your friend can drive you the rest of the way. Or you can offer them some gas money to pick you up and drive the whole way together. For the trail itself, maybe discuss what kind of guidance your friend can give as you walk, like warnings about tree roots, or low-hanging branches. See if your friend will take the hike at a slower pace, so you can navigate more easily. I like to bring a sturdy walking stick on hikes instead of my cane, as I can feel in front of me still, but it’s less likely to get snagged. Maybe something similar would help you? And if your friend is not willing to work with you at all, you don’t have to get mad at them, but can always still decline to go hiking with them. Saying ‘no, thank you’ is always an option.

Sending love,peace and fortitude,you are not alone and this is but one life in many lifetimes.You are strong,stronger than you give yourself credit for,you are all of 32 years old and so much more you will achieve and give. I wish you nothing but the best that life has to offer.❤️❤️❤️

Hmmm. In a sense it seems like your identity is too wrapped up in your blindness here, and it seems to define and limit you.

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I guess here’s the thing:

If I get home to an empty house where everyone wants to either ignore I’m blind or pretend I’m sighted, than, it’s apparent to me that I’ve 100% wasted my life

I don’t ever want to get home and feel that way. And, so, I need to work to create a home wherein when I walk into it after doing some sort of career that hateful sighted people value, I’ surrounded with people I can cal friends who understand and honor how difficult it is for me to use my visual sense

I don’t currently have that and so I’ e failed on a massive scale. I’m hoping things get better soon

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