Are you colorblind?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
November 18, 2008 8:13am CST
I didn't find out that I was colorblind until Jr. high. Wanting to follow in my dad's footsteps as an electronic engineer, I signed up for a basic electronics class. Before long we figured out something was up because I had a hard time with the color coding on resistors.
The next hint came in chemistry class. We were learning about the color spectrum and prisms. When I looked up the tube I was supposed to see all the colors of the rainbow... what I was was about three colors, none of them very clear.
Learning that explained a lot of things, like I always wondered why people called the traffic light "green" when it was the same color as manilla folders. Or why people said that grass is always green when really well kept yards are red.
Once in awhile it does cause problems. I really have to pay attention when I do some things because I can't take the colors I see for granted. It completely changed my plans for career, and has kept me from more than one job I would have liked to do.
It hasn't been all bad though. I've come up with ways to have fun with it. After awhile I got tired of getting the "what color is this" questions, so I just started joking "purple with pink polka dots, and little peace signs in the polka dots. Some of you who having been reading my stuff for awhile might notice the irony in that... since I can't see the color purple at all and have no idea what it looks like. :~D
What about you? Are you colorblind? Are there any women out there that are? I've met a lot of colorblind, but only 1 woman.
Tell me your stories.
2 people like this
5 responses
@lorelei1622 (329)
• United States
18 Nov 08
Although I'm not color blind, my dad and my nephew are. I read somewhere that it is predominately a male condition that is hereditary. My dad has to look for the glow on traffic lights and if it's a single flashing light he treats it as a stop. The hardest part for him is now that he has retired, he restores and rebuilds toy tractors and has to ask my mom or someone else what color they are and has my mom buy the paint then write on the can which tractors it goes on and what part of the tractor gets that color. When he wanted a tool or something when we were younger he would tell us precisely where it was and was very particular about things being put back exactly where we found them, I didn't understand until I was older why he was so worried about it, but now I figure this is how he knew which was which, since he could tell things apart by colors.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
21 Nov 08
If your dad and nephew are, chances are you will have at least one son that is. It's usually past to sons though the mother of a colorblind father.
1 person likes this
@sirrob (4108)
• Philippines
18 Nov 08
So far I have good vision and I am thankful for that and I hope I could continue to take care of my eyes. I just finished a medical check up last month for my new work and eye test is part of it and I was able to pass the test and the rest of the medical examinations. It's nice to know that I am healthy despite of the kind of work I am having right now.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
21 Nov 08
Oh, I have great vision. Until my early 40s I could read the bottom line on the eye chart.. sometimes I could even read the "made in" and patent numbers at the bottom.
1 person likes this
@betsyraeduke (2670)
• United States
20 Nov 08
I am not colorblind but I think my oldest son, Gabe is a little bit. He knows all of his colors as long as they are basic. For example, if he's looking at a box of 8 crayons, he can accurately name all eight colors in the box, he knows the grass is green and the sky is blue and basic things like that. However, when you start getting into the different shades of colors he gets really confused. Like if he's looking at a darker green, say about the color of green olives, he'll swear the color is brown. There are also some shades of brown which he'll swear are red and some shades of gray which he swears are green. So while he is not completely color blind, we do think that he is just a little bit colorblind.
1 person likes this
@devylan (695)
• United States
19 Nov 08
Well, Ted, I'm not colorblind, and I don't even think I realized you were. Wow. The things you find out about your friends on this site. It's amazing. I think it's cool that you joke about it, though. I would definitely get tired of people's questions/comments. I am curious too about how many women are colorblind. I know it's usually a trait found in men. My husband sometimes gets blue and black confused but only if the blue is really dark, like a navy blue. I guess describing the difference to you may not make much sense, though. Lol. So, what job did you finally have to settle on?
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
21 Nov 08
True, not many women are colorblind, like I said, I have met a lot of colorblind guys, but only one girl... unfortunately, she was kind of the snobbish type in college so even though we were in biology lab together, I never got to talk to her about it.
1 person likes this
@roselynm1023 (950)
• Philippines
18 Nov 08
hi Parated2k,
i am not color blind thank God! i know one who is color blind. he is my officemate. we just discovered it when one of our faculty is holding a red pen. he asked why your red pen is pink. from then on we ask here what is the color of red. he always tells us that it is pink. same with blue and green he has difficulty distinguishing which is blue and gree.
have you consulted an optha about that?
i think its is hereditary and in the genes.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
18 Nov 08
I've never gone to an opthamologist about it. The Army tested me every way to Sunday and showed me the results. The upshot is I have a pretty rare form of colorblindness that isn't correctible.
Not that I care to correct it anyway, while it has brought me a few disappointments, and I do have to compensate for it, it really isn't what I would consider a disability or even a real problem.
1 person likes this
