My Story by Duncan MacWilliam

My Story

Hello, I’m Duncan Macwilliam, they call me Mac, I prefer that.  I’ve been registered blind for around the last four years.

I come once a week to Deafblind Scotland in Lenzie.  One of their Guides picks me up and takes me back home every week on Thursday mornings.  I’m there from 10.30 – 12.00.  At first I tried working on a computer but that’s a problem for me so now I’m recording my life story; my memoir. There’s a lot to tell.

In my lifetime I’ve done many different things and worked all around the world.  Hotel work, where I ended up manager; fully skilled engineer making parts for British Concorde; Master grocer; baker but not a candlestick maker.  Jack of all trades, master of quite a few.  National service was in there too. Some said I wouldn’t pass the medical as I’d had polio but was accepted as a Grade 4, sent to Chester and given a basic training where I started to learn to drive but health problems led to me being discharged after a year.

Its good to get out for some fresh air when I go to Deafblind Scotland.  What I do there is good and I always get a cup of nice coffee. All the staff are very nice and as helpful as they can be.

I would like somebody to take me out maybe one Saturday a month but Deafblind Scotland tell me they don’t have enough money although their Guides can work weekends whereas Visibility Scotland only work 5 days a week.

Hope to tell more next time.

Mac

(Return to Our Member's Stories)