Albinism and the "appearance" factor

One of the "joys" of having albinism is low vision. (HA HA) The lack of pigment hinders the development of the fovea in the eye which is responsible for sharp vision. The lack of pigment in the eye also allows stray light to enter which makes it very uncomfortable, which is the primary cause of the squinting. I wear sunglasses outdoors, even on cloudy days, not just to look cool. (I do look cool, don't I? LOL) Some type of a hat with a rim also cuts down on the glare factor. No, I'm not hiding from the world, just trying to navigate through it without being blinded.

In a culture where eye contact is important, I feel that some may mis-perceive a dude walking down the street wearing shades as someone hiding something. Often times people that are under the influence of alcohol or drugs shield their disposition by wearing sunglasses. Trust me, I wish I didn't have to sport my Oakleys all the time.

Even indoors where the lighting is omnidirectional or strong daylight coming in can wreak havoc on my perception of the world as well. This is manifested by more squinting and lack of direct eye contact, which in term can be interpreted as lack of confidence and nervous energy.

Nystagmus, the involuntary movment of the eyes "wiggling" back and fourth doesn't help my cause either. Now you get the picture. Add to that the fact that many people have never seen a person with albinism, let alone an Asian one. LOL

The energy I have to put out can seem a bit daunting at times. The energy to deal with the eternal stimuli as well as balancing the physiological impact on those I encounter throughout my day.

Thought I'd throw that out there in case you come across one of "us" in the wild. LOL I think my personality helps to offset that freak factor in the social context, but I still run into the occasional small minded person that react negatively to my presence and feel that they need to remind me via derogatory singular noun often used to label, classify and attempt to belittle. I can tell a lot about a person by the way they approach or react to me. I try to use these times as a teachable moment if they hang around long enough, which they don't. LOL