Hello everyone! I didn’t think such a community on Reddit existed; but I found it and am happy. But not at the same time.

How do I overcome fear of being different? I’m legally blind; with sight in the left eye at 20/200 with corrective lenses, and none on the right, due to being 4 months premature. Right eye total retinal detachment, left eye they fixed.

I didn’t like wearing glasses as a child; but eventually learned that they help me see. I got a cane super late, like almost at the end of high school late. And that refusal to use it for fear of sticking out continues. Anxiety doesn’t help either.

I want to use it so it helps me see drop offs, ledges and the like; but I don’t want to be looked down upon, pitied, seen as different by the rest of society.

It’s a pointless fear; as everyone is different obviously. How do I get to using my cane regularly? How do I remember? How do I not be afraid to stick out? I have active anxiety and am on medication for it, but the worry about the stigma continues.

I stuck a cute owl keychain thing on it to try to customize it, so I’d use it more, but I still don’t.

On a completely different note, how would I teach myself Braille? I’m sighted somewhat so idk if it’ll be helpful or useless... but I wanted to learn Braille anyway. Never learned it...

One more question if nobody cares; I have a bunch of scattered thoughts right now, is what I get for being sleepy. How sensitive are you all to loud sudden sounds? I jump and flinch whenever startled, and unfortunately cry if startled sometimes. How do you all deal with this? Or are you used to it?

Sorry for dropping so much on you all at once. Mainly happy that this subreddit exists; and a bit sad that I’m stuck in my own ways and angry that I should’ve learned all of this through experience.

Final thing; anyone else feel ostracized in school? Tho they got me accommodation; big textbooks, enlarged assignments, I still had to drag a cart (wheels cart) that had a lamp on it, that I needed. And didn’t get magnifiers or other tools of that nature (specifying long range ones, like monoculars to see far away things until my last year of school.