When a garbage can is a wonderful musical instrument.

I told stories to grade 7 and 8 students yesterday. One of them came up to me after and said how wonderful it was that I was blind because of a bit in my story about a big metal garbage can. Without spoiling the story for anyone who hasn't heard it, I have a bit about learning to use a white cane to travel around and finding a big metal garbage can and tapping it with my cane. The sound that came forth was wonderful. I didn't know it was a garbage can but thought of it as a wonderful musical instrument. The student said that she would have just seen a garbage can but that I heard much more before I touched it and realized what it was. She said it means that I can have a great imagination. What an insightful comment it was. I was touched and impressed. And yes, it is true, I can imagine things and sometimes vision could hamper this. For example, I still think of clouds as big huge fluffy marshmallows or huge feather pillows. And if you climbed in one, cotton or marshmallowy goodness would be all around you. I know this isn't how it is but it is how I think of it. I imagine the night sky as feeling like a piece of velvet. I could go on but I won't. But thanks to those students and their teachers for giving me a very special afternoon.