Blind man Ming Ming Edgar talks about how he sees life

Lindy Laird talks to blind man Ming Ming Edgar who is hell-bent on meeting life full-on.

Ming Ming Edgar says he doesn't feel fear - ever. And he never sees danger, literally.

He admits he decided not to do the bungy jump off Auckland's Sky Tower once, it just didn't appeal to him.

''That's just stupid. Why would you?''

This young blind man who grew up in Dargaville has been abseiling, white water rafting, snow skiing, cycled the Otago Rail track, sailed, kayaked, surfed, walked a half marathon (21km in 3 hours, 20 minutes), travelled on his own from Dargaville to Whangarei to Auckland airport to Wellington ...

Taking height as an example, he says he's not scared of it because he's never seen what height is.

His senses are pretty well attuned to what's happening around him, but he can't feel height so what's there to feel afraid of?

There's no vertigo or any other physical reaction until he's zooming down to ground level, and that's fun.

''Abseiling, it's only going backwards with a rope on you. I can't tell when I'm up high but I get descriptions. I need to keep tabs on the information, that helps me feel I'm in control. The more I learn, the better.''

People have asked him before if he's scared of a hard, fast cricket ball flying toward him when he's playing for the New Zealand Blind Cricket X1.

''Definitely not. Nothing scares me.''

Besides, the cricket ball is filled with ball bearings so the team can hear it coming a mile off, he says.

For him, though, having a cricket ball whizzing toward his head feels pretty normal.

When you're blind you can have the attitude that everything is flying toward you and is potentially dangerous or you can think that's just life, and not be afraid.

''And I say that's just life.''

Ming Ming is chatting to the Advocate because Blind Week starts on Monday.

He points out he doesn't usually get involved with the Blind Foundation's annual awareness and fundraising campaign, but he's happy to talk about a couple of aspects of being blind.

Firstly, about what a full life he leads, accepting as many rewarding challenges as he can. Secondly, it's a chance to help remind others about people the lives and needs of people with any disability.

He says strangers are always willing to help, and the Blind Foundations provides gadgets and equipment to help. When he wants to do something, there's usually a way to get.
Never turn down opportunities, he says.

Life is pretty good.

He has come in with his three times a week carer and friend Max Cole, who has cerebral palsy. They've been working together for about five years.

Max meets Ming Ming off the bus from Dargaville in Whangārei and drives him to various sports training sessions, the Aquatic Centre, or up to the Blind Foundation rooms in Kamo Rd if they need to drop off or pick up something.

Regular training often includes power lifting, in which Ming Ming does well.

He competes in the general classes, but as far as sports and athletics go has also competed in blind rugby, hockey, discus, shot put, running, swimming and long jump, '' with javelin coming up''.

He's thrilled to learn about legally blind Whangārei Boys' High School student Mitchell O'Brien who recently won the archery competition at the national Halberg Games for physically or visually impaired young people aged from 8 to 21.

''That's incredible, that's seriously impressive. I'm really pleased to hear that.''

Once a month Ming Ming visits a rest home in Whangārei and plays the piano for the old folk.

He's a clever, inventive and enthusiastic pianist - thumping away with gusto on the knees-up numbers, with a more sensitive touch during the softer tunes.

This reporter has seen it, his head dipped for his ear to catch the audience's responses, the residents singing along with joy, or sometimes tears in their eyes, his occasional quip about having to turn the pages of music, his big smile as he gets pleasure from giving them pleasure.

He has a huge repertoire and picks up music by ear easily, often remembering it after hearing it only once. He's also had formal tutoring.

''I started learning the piano when I was 6, for a while. I'm a drummer too. I also used to learn the violin. I've played in a band. I like most music ... well, I'm not sure about rap.''

Ming Ming says he isn't a fast reader, Braille can do that to you. Radio, TV, his talking phone and computer, which read messages and emails out to him, and Skype keep him connected with people and what's going on.

He rattles off the names of a few sportspeople but among many inspiration in his life was the late George Phiskie, who died in July aged 96.

Blind since he was child, George lived alone on his family farm at Waipu and was a mentor for many people in the blind community.

''He was such a character. He used to play lots of tricks on people, too - did he what!

''He had a pretty good innings but he'll be missed. It was incredible how he lived the way he did on the farm, and everything he did.''

Another inspirational person is his mother, Gaynor Edgar, a single woman who adopted a blind toddler when she was a teacher in China, and brought him home to New Zealand when he was 7, 21 years ago.

''She's fantastic, she's a hero,'' Ming Ming says.

''She's been through a lot of things. We've done a lot together. We've travelled to America, England, lots of places.

''If I've never stop learning, she's never stopped wanting me to learn.''

His mother always encouraged him to take part in as many activities as he could, even when she worried about his safety or ability to cope, he says.

The day he visits the Advocate, he's pleased about mowing the lawns at home the weekend before. It's a battery run mower, and sleepers stop him ramming into parts of the garden he shouldn't mow. He laughs at the suggestion the mower needs to be very sturdy. He laughs a lot.

So it's a surprise when he says he experienced bouts of the blues a few years ago. At those times, he lost motivation easily.

''It seemed to happen when I wasn't as active as usual. Then because of how I felt, I didn't want to be active.''

It's sorted now.

''For me now, I'm just going to keep working at it. I'll keep challenging myself to find things I haven't done before.

''I'd say to anyone, we need to teach people that if they don't get on with life, if they don't face new challenges, they're not making the most of themselves. It's a waste.''

That's why he's talking to us, on the eve of Blind Week, Ming Ming says.

''I don't normally do this, I don't normally talk about myself, but if other people read this and can learn from us [people without sight], they can teach their kids about what anyone can do.

''They can see the positive stuff that happens when people help each other.''