Overcoming life's obstacles
Some say that when a person loses one sense, another becomes heightened. If that’s true, then perhaps when DeKalb’s David Kuhn lost his sight after an auto accident years ago, it wasn’t his hearing but his heart which was strengthened, compensating for his lack of vision with extra helpings of toughness and determination.
Kuhn, although legally blind, runs marathons. Last Sunday, he ran the Chicago Marathon, tethered to his running guide by an 18-inch piece of rope. The guide was his third since the 57-year-old Kuhn began preparing for this year’s race; the previous two guides had to cancel because of injuries.
Kuhn trains by himself on a rural road outside of DeKalb, able to faintly make out the white traffic line that he follows. That line is what captures his attention. While running, he’s not regretting events of the past, but instead he’s focusing like a laser on what lies ahead.
We can all learn something from Kuhn, who somehow seems to have avoided that condition which afflicts so many of us, the Terrible Toos (Too busy, too old, too tired, too cold, etc.) “Too blind” would seem a reasonable explanation for slowing down, but Kuhn clearly will not even concede that much.
Instead, he continues to run, while also raising money to help the Family Service Agency’s Senior Service Center, where he works. A blind runner is bound to stumble from time to time, and he’s taken his share. It’s not his stumbling, but his getting up and starting again that is so inspiring, proving time and again that with a little focus and a lot of heart, we can overcome any obstacle.
