NEWSWEEK: Man's Comically Honest Insight Into What It's Like to Be Blind Goes Viral
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The ability to find humor in difficult situations is not only a great skill but also clinically proven to reduce stress and increase serotonin.
In the words of the Dalai Lama, "Choose to be optimistic; it feels better."—and that's exactly what author and illustrator Paul Castle chose to do when he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease.
"I was born with the condition," Castle told Newsweek, "but I didn't know until I was learning to drive at the age of 16 when I had a very near collision on a country road in Canada where I grew up, and my family took me to an ophthalmologist for some special tests.
"Soon after, I heard the words 'Retinitis Pigmentosa' for the first time in my life. It took several years for this information to be fully processed because, in the beginning, I was more concerned about my parents' sadness and wanted to remain positive for their sake."
It wasn't until college, where Castle attended his first group meeting for people in the blind community, that it really hit him.