It is not often that you will meet a man like John Hull.
A former professor at the University of Birmingham who lost his sight in his mid 40’s, Hull kept a remarkable audio diary over the next three years that reveals the impact this loss had on his life and those around him.
His candour is refreshing on the tapes, and he delivers his musings without a trace of sadness and completely factually. As if he was a bystander to his own life.
This made me realise, that along with my having lots to be grateful for including 20/20 vision, the wisdom and skills you develop when you have no choice but to do so, could give inspiration to the many others who do have a choice.
Directors Peter Middleton and James Spinney have made a couple of poignant dramatisations to go with Hull’s audio diary entries that will form part of a documentary called Into Darkness. And though these dramatisations fit exactly, you realise halfway through that when it comes to Hull’s passages, the visuals will always take second place.
And here are two other passages that hit home for me
John’s Diary: 17th April 1984 – The Blind Person’s Consciousness of Time
John’s Diary: 22nd Sept 1983 – On Smiles
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