Getting a ‘Sense of the World’

In 1821, James Holman was blind when he traveled the world and followed his dreams, yet he still had the capacity to experience the environment more boldly and passionately than many of his peers. He was sightless, yes, but his vision remained quite clear. In Jason Roberts‘ stirring and inspiring biography, “A Sense of the World,” we embark on Holman’s journey toward self-fulfillment and satisfying his life’s ambitions. The man lost his sight at the age of 25, and yet he never allowed this tragic adversity to overcome him.

How many of us give up when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, settling for a life of complacency and bitterness? While reading about Holman’s travails, I realized how easy it is for us to lose ourselves while trying so very hard to find ourselves. It’s ironic; we desire a life without pain, yet instead of making positive choices, we take the alternate route, a destructive path of self-inflicted agony and despair.

James Holman was blind, but he was unstoppable. He kept his dreams alive, and in turn, his dreams kept him alive.