A Special Friend

I have a special friend that I would like to tell you about. He's special in a way that makes him unique. He is blind. Mark and I met last spring. He is a local d.j. at our "oldies" station. He lives in the next county, so each day their transit company brings him to the county line, and we pick him up there and take him on to work. In the afternoon, we reverse the procedure. It works well for him, and fortunately, it has blessed me with a very good friend.
Mark was born blind. He attended a boarding school for the blind from kindergarten thru his senior year. He is proficient at writing braille, so he writes out his commercial ads and other highlights for his 5 hour daily radio program. He also sings duet with a gal from his town and they do programs all around the community. I attended one of their concerts this summer. Wow! Can Mark ever sing. He sang, "I Can Only Imagine," and I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd. I couldn't help but think that it is true of Mark. He can only imagine what colors are, what people look like, even his own two boys.
Mark also plays drums in a band. He owns his own recording business, and his voice is heard all over the U.S. on commercial ads he records. He is adept at wiring a 16 station sound board, too, all without sight.
But the thing that has made us friends is his sense of humor and the ability to rise up above his handicap and just be real. He laughs at himself, and isn't afraid to ask for assistance if he needs it, which is rare. He is more self sufficient than a lot of sighted people I know. When I pick him up in the evening to take him home, he is interested in my day, laughs at the antics of my school pupils and is also interested if I caught his show and what I thought of it. He plays favorites of mine on the air, never hesitating to mention his friend, the "bus driver." He's fun to be around, and has taught me a lot. When I feel sorry for myself, I just think of Mark and how he makes it through life, how he handles what God has dealt him. I don't have it so bad.
Life is good. With friends like Mark, it can't be any other way.