History is full of people who went unnoticed, ignored, and forgotten about. People tend to focus on the big names like Alexander Graham Bell, Princess Diana, or Harriet Tubman. (Don’t get me wrong, those people are important) But some people created smaller moments that had great impacts on the world.
The person who has inspired me so much, and I feel is overlooked, despite people knowing of her story, was Anne Sullivan. She was the incredible woman who worked so endlessly with Helen Keller. She did what many doctors, as well as the Keller family, didn’t think was possible. She was able to reach and teach an individual whom many, if not all, had given up on.
I’m sure when she saw Helen for the first time, she questioned herself as well as everything else. Can I really reach this girl? Will she ever truly understand? How long will this take? Will the family be accepting of me and my methods? Will the family ever accept her for the way she is? Can I help her be a productive member of society?
The best part of her legacy is that she didn’t give up, and she moved past all her doubts and anxieties. She stood her ground and believed in her own methods! Because of her hard work, a person went from living in the dark to having a whole new life! I had a teacher once who had us place noise-cancelling headphones and blind folds and asked us to walk around the room. It was terrifying! not knowing where other people were or what she was having us touch (which ended up being the rubber worms you use to fish with, burlap, and pudding. They all felt gross by the way)
I feel like more people should hear Anne Sullivan’s story. Then they could truly understand Helen’s famous quote: Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much. (Also, a great movie that shows their story is a Disney movie called The Miracle Worker.)
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