Featured Short Story

Have you ever been tempted to take a ride in one of the guided horse carriages?  It seems so romantic and peaceful trotting through the city or a quiet park.

I think about how difficult it would be for a horse, taken from a pasture, to be placed in a noisy city to be told where they should go. That is why the owners use blinders.

Blinders are leather flaps on the bridle that keeps the horse from seeing to the sides. It helps the animal to focus and stay on course.

Blinders were used on farm horses and mules to pull plows or wagons in the small farm community where I grew up. By limiting the horse's peripheral vision he is not distracted by the surroundings, and the owner has better control.

Glaucoma is a disease that can limit the peripheral vision in adults, also. It is a disease of the eye, characterized by increased pressure within, and hardening of the eyeball. If left untreated the disease can destroy the peripheral vision (vision that is around and outside the center of the eye), and eventually result in blindness.

Not being able to see all the things around us can be frustrating. Imagine hearing the sound of a bird or the laughter of a c...