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This is a short one: Recently I met a friend who works in adult education. The new semester had just started and due to the current COVID-situation, the students were required to wear masks. My friend mentioned how difficult it is to recognize his new students and learn their names because of those masks. Well, for a Stargardtien this is the steady-state: Even when people don't wear masks they are difficult to recognize.
I recently noticed that the majority of the time I am walking around Nyahururu with my head bowed down. This has nothing to do with my state of mind, rather the nature of the ground demands my full attention.
I've been here in Nyahururu for two years now and sometimes I still get the question of how I dealt with the culture shock. My answer is usually: Sorry, but I didn't encounter that one yet. Now I've found out how a culture shock expresses itself and read things like "Adaptation to the unknown", "Feelings of insecurity" or "Orientation systems". Doesn't that sound like Stargardt?
As a Stargardtien, you develop a feeling for light. You will immediately notice differences in light or insufficient lighting. For me, the question arises whether there are also cultural differences.
For once a technical contribution: As a Stargardtien, I can't do much with a laptop: The screen is too far away to work comfortably. The enlargement software helps a little, but it usually ends with back pains because I have to bend over the device. So all that remains is a permanently installed monitor of the correct size and height. Or isn't it?
I am Lorenz and have Stargardt since I turned 14. On these pages, I want to report how I live with the condition. On the one hand, I want to make the "normal seeing" people aware of what characterizes persons with Stargardt and why they sometimes act as they do, using examples of daily life. On the other hand, I want to show my "fellow-Stargardtiens" what tricks I use and where the chance of having Stargardt lie in perceiving the world differently.
Have fun reading and let me know your feedback!
lorenz@stargardt.ch