Posted 2:27 am Sunday, June 07, 2009
Tyler Man Gets Back On Track With Program For Blind
By ADAM WADSWORTH
Staff Writer
Tyler resident Ken Cary has done many things in his life, from 20 years in the banking industry, to another 20 fundraising for nonprofits and skydiving. The difference with the last one is Cary was blind when he jumped out of the airplane.
Staff Writer
Tyler resident Ken Cary has done many things in his life, from 20 years in the banking industry, to another 20 fundraising for nonprofits and skydiving. The difference with the last one is Cary was blind when he jumped out of the airplane.
He retired in 2000 after suffering a stroke which was the catalyst for a steady decline in his sight, hearing, and memory.
Having been active all his life Cary said he felt comfortable retiring because he had done everything he thought he wanted to do, but staying at home eventually caught up with him and he began to question why he was stuck in such a difficult situation.
"I just kind of gave up on life," he said. "And I said 'Why me?' and then God said 'Why not you? Why don't you get up and start doing something?'"
Cary then began to turn his life around. He started by enrolling at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center in Austin, where he worked long days, often from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., to try and get back on track.
One thing the program emphasized was the importance of finding a job and remaining active.
When he first went in, Cary did not believe he could work again, but by the time he graduated from the program he was almost independent.
"I don't think God ever intended for us to quit working," he said. "I tried that with retirement for three years and my spirit was busted."
At first he had difficulty finding a job. He said he applied everywhere he could think of, but was not having any luck.
Finally Cary found East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, a division of Horizon Industries that works to ensure blind people always have a place to work.
He said people in Tyler do not realize how great a program Lighthouse is.
"Without Lighthouse (for) the Blind we would be unemployed and probably couldn't find a job anyplace else," he said. "So they're really in the life-changing business."
Cary is still working for Lighthouse answering phones at the front desk.
He has refused to allow his situation to limit him and has been involved with activities many people could not do even with all their senses.
Cary has learned to play golf blind, has gone water skiing and has even jumped out of an airplane.
Skydiving has become one of his favorite things, traveling to San Marcos on three different occasions to make jumps.
He has video of all three trips and encourages everyone to get up and go try it.
Cary also has worked to better himself in other ways.
He said he has always been a bad public speaker, even when he worked in banking he had one of the people under him give speeches.
So Cary began working with Toastmasters, an international organization that focuses on making public speaking easier for people who struggle with it.
Now, he said he enjoys public speaking and works with the Tyler chapter of Toastmasters in the morning before he goes to Lighthouse.
He also is a member of the Lion's Club and volunteers at the Discovery Science Place in Tyler.
Although many people would have given up when put in a similar situation, Cary has made the best of it and greets any visitor to Lighthouse with an upbeat attitude and a smile.
