For those of you who need a refresher on who I am and how I came to write these weekly blogs, I thought I’d give you a brief refresher course.

I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana with two brothers (one being my twin) and one sister. I was born 2-and-a-half months premature and weighed 2 pounds. This coupled with the 100% pure oxygen being placed in my incubator for six weeks caused me to become partially and eventually fully blind; known as RLF/retrolental fibroplasia known today as ROP/Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Attending the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, I learned how to read literary, music, and math Braille. Later, I attended a girl’s high school; where I first learned how to use a white cane for mobility. Though academics weren’t my forte, I blossomed in music taking piano, voice, and guitar lessons and singing high soprano in the choir. I went on to receive a BA degree from William Woods University, in Fulton, Missouri in music majoring in voice with piano, organ, speech, and English minors. Next, I went on to Pittsburg, Kansas, and received a Master of Music degree in vocal Performance and had the pleasure of singing the leading roles in two major opera productions La Boheme, and La Traviata. During this period, was when I received my first Seeing Eye dog.

I moved to Colorado in 1981 to undergo doctoral studies in vocal performance at the University of Colorado in Boulder. That didn’t work out for me; however, I did begin teaching piano which became my bread and butter ever since. Next, I adventured into the world of psychology and counseling and received a Master of Arts degree in this field from the Naropa Institute in Boulder and had my own private practice for ten years.

Over the past twenty-five years, I’ve had the honor of building and living in my former Habitat for Humanity home; was crowned Ms. Colorado Senior America queen and 4th-runner up in the national MSA pageant; and have climbed the historic 75-story Sydney Harbor bridge weeks before the world closed down for the pandemic. In addition, during my adult life, I’ve partnered with seven spectacular Seeing Eye dogs-Gretel, Lorraine, Kamber, Vinnie, Sarge, Maggie, and Ava.

Not to toot my own horn, I’m an acclaimed international motivational speaker, trainer on blindness education, and prolific author. You can see my blindness has not stopped me from living the life I want; nor has it prevented me to soar into my greatness. My first book, Soaring into Greatness, a Blind Woman’s Vision to Live Her Dreams and Fly relays my story of perseverance and passion. My second book, Soaring into Your Greatness, How to Live an Unstoppable, Unforgettable, Unbelievable Life Workbook is coming out this summer. And, the third book in the works is, (working title), Soaring without Sight, a Blind Woman’s Unstoppable Quest to Fly.

As many of you know, I have a phenomenal presentation called, The Blind Elephant in the Room, Changing the Way You See and Relate to Others. This interactive program will take you on a journey to significantly enhance the way you relate to others.  Through humor and heart-warming stories, you’re going to see, speak to, and touch the Blind Elephant in the Room. This presentation will educate, inspire, and change the way you see and change the way you live.