Success After the Loss of an Eye
Losing an eye isn't the end of the world. There are many people who lost
an eye and then went on to fulfill their dreams despite the loss. Indeed,
in some cases you could argue that the loss focused their attention on what
was important and made them stronger personalities.
LEADERS
Jefferson Davis -- Lost an eye to disease, and went on to be the
President of the Confederacy
Teddy Roosevelt -- Lost an eye while boxing, and went on to be
President of the United States
Moshe Dayan -- Lost an eye in WWII , and went on to be one of Israel's
most revered Generals.
Mo Udall -- Lost an eye as a small child, and went on to be an
influential Congressman
ENTERTAINERS
Sandy Duncan -- Actress who lost an eye, and then went on to star
on Broadway in the 1977 revival of Peter Pan.
Sammy
Davis, Jr. -- Lost his left eye in an car wreck in 1954. Depressed
from the loss, he thought his career was over until his friend Frank Sinatra
told him that that he was at a crossroads, that he could either fade away
or overcome the loss and go on to greatness. Weeks later, at Sammy's first
public appearance since the crash, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others
made a surprise appearance on stage -- all wearing eyepatches. After that,
Sammy went on to be one of the great entertainers of all time, and a member
of the famous "Rat Pack".
Shown
at left soon after the loss of his eye with film star Marilyn Monroe
Shown at right in 1960 -- six years after the loss of his eye -- at his
marriage to Swedish movie actress May Britt. Sammy would continue to be
a popular entertainer until his death in 1990.
Additional Reading: Yes
I Can! -- The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr., by Jane & Burt Boyer
and Sammy Davis, Jr.
John Ford -- Legendary one-eyed movie producer.
Peter Falk -- One-eyed actor of the famous Columbo television series.
Degas -- French impressionist who did some of his best work after
losing his right eye.
James Joyce -- Famous Author who lost an eye and then went on to
compose some of his greatest works. Author of:
HEROS
Wiley Post --Famous Oklahoman who lost his left
eye, and then went on to be the first person to circle the Earth solo in
an airplane.
Horatio Nelson -- When signaled by his superior to halt his attack
during the Battle of Copenhagen, Nelson raised his telescope to his blind
eye and then announced "I do not see the signal", and then pressed
his attack to final victory. It is believed that this is where the phrase "turn
a blind eye" originated.
Ian Douglas Smith -- Prime Minister of the Southern African nation
of Rhodesia from 1964 to 1980. Lost his eye as a Royal Air Force fighter
pilot during the Battle of Britain in WW-II. Went on to lead his country
to independence from Great Britain in 1964, then through a vicious bush war
with communist terrorists. Currently in his eighties, he is still very active
in politics and the nemesis of Robert Mugabe, the notorious dictator of Zimbabwe.
[Submitted by: Tom Allen, Real Estate Appraiser, Pilot, Expeditioner, (Three
over-land expeditions through Mexico and Central America), who lost left
eye in 1980]
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