Welcome Mats Make Me Happy

My friend Jennifer is typing this for me. Today she saw a beautiful welcome mat and I really really want one. I want my clients to feel welcome and Jennifer says that the people of Maine are the most welcoming people in the world. This welcome mat comes from Maine. I think it will help my clients to feel more welcome. But does anyone really care about a sightless massage artist and her welcome mat?

Everyone needs to calm down

The whole world is getting very upset.

What no one understands

It is hard to explain what is happening. I cannot type and so I have to tell Jennifer what I have to say. I cannot sleep and Jennifer and I are up talking. And Jennifer is not blind. She is not Korean. You are probably not Korean. Why do you want to know what it is like to be a sightless massage artist? Is it because you care about me? Why do we care about each other even if we are so far removed from each other?

There are over 7000 blind massage artists in South Korea, and there are many more sighted men and women who give massages in sports massage places. I like the place where I work. I have regular clients who ask for me and I like to look forward to their visits. Sometimes I will give a bride a massage before her wedding and this is a special time, but most brides now go to sighted people. My last bride told me she was ready for the wedding and relaxed because of my touch. Many tell me I have a special touch. I think being blind is really good for massage.

But now it is so difficult. There is so much uncertainty. People are jumping from bridges. I care so much about these people. This is why I asked Jennifer to help me to create this blog. Because there is so much unfairness and confusion. Perhaps if people in the west read these words they might ask the Korean government to change the plans.

I am so sorry because I thought the person who jumped in the bridge was dead and told you this, but it turns out they are OK. I want to tell you about the truth, but I am so upset that my mind sometimes makes stories that turn out to be not true. Does this happen to you?

Lee visited our parlor yesterday. He is my favorite client. He wears Hermes. He did not have an appointment but came in because he wanted me to know he would not stop coming to see me. He is so kind and soft. He is the nicest man in Korea. He says he understands the concerns we blind massage artists have. He left a very nice tip.

Maybe things will be OK. I think I need to tell you about this so you can understand what it is like and perhaps you will know someone who can help. We all need to help each other, don't we?

I am blind but I can see injustice

My American friend Jennifer is typing this post for me. It is my first post about the trouble that has come into my life.

My life is one long story of my trouble and making people happy. Because Koreans do not like blind people. Unless they want a massage. Then they like me very much. So this was the only job I could get.

Now terrible things are happening. I was diagnosed with glaucoma in 2005, and have lost much of my vision. I see only shapeless colors as I go through the subway and make my way to work. I used to get up at 5:30 a.m., cook breakfast and take the subway to a massage school run by the government. I trained for the one job that South Korea has reserved exclusively for sightless people. Now I am an artist. My hands see other people's pain and take it away.

The only work I can do is massage. Now the government says they will have people who can see doing massage. This is not right and I want people to know.

People are jumping from the Han River bridge and killing themselves. So I want to start this blog and tell people what it is like to be a sightless massage artist.