I was standing at a bus shelter waiting on the 15A bus that would take me into Dublin city center.

The young couple next to me stepped out first when the bus arrived. It was then that I noticed that the young woman was blind.

I watched as the young man accompanying her escorted her onto the bus—allowing her to accomplish almost everything by herself and only stepping in when necessary. Once seated they clasped hands and exchanged tender affection. I wrote a song, inspired by this encounter.

Fingertip Eyes

Tender fingertips running along my lips



are your eyes straining to see,

The face you’ve never seen, not even in your dreams

for your fingertips are your eyes ..

~ Gerard Murphy 1998

Prior to and and throughout my college years, I spent many summers as a camp counselor at camps for visually impaired and blind youth; consequently I have developed a loving sensitivity to the blind and have learned so much from them—particularly their refined sensitivity to touch.

A few years ago Brenda Peterson authored a book of essays entitled, Nature and Other Mothers. The first entry—In Praise of Skin—is a gem: At one point in her life she was afflicted by severe skin rashes. She had done the rounds of doctors but had found no cure. Multiple medications proved ineffective—the rash always returned.

One day her grandmother assessed her and pronounced a more “intuitive” diagnosis: “Skin needs to be touched!” Her grandmother then began to give her regular skin massages and these did what conventional/sophisticated medicines couldn’t do—they cured her.