But with all its ad-vantages it has not taken the place of my many years of learning how to read and write. This leads me to another obstacle that I had to circumvent. As the years went by, my eyesight continued to deteriorate. I was afraid of losing the ability to read and write. Without a method to make notes to myself, read recipes, write to friends, and read stories to my children, I knew I would have a very meager existence.
Engineers are practical people.
There is an obvious alternative to being illiterate when you cannot see print. I began to learn Braille when I was in college. I had several classes, and the rest was just practice. Today I find Braille very useful for taking notes during meetings, giving a technical brief, and living a very full life. My job has provided me with many wonderful opportunities to be resourceful and to reach for new horizons.