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After a long commute, I finally arrived in Baguio city, a town located in the mountains of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. After a quick meal and a drink at a local bar, my weary body was screaming for a relaxing massage. I asked around, and the locals directed me to this massage parlor whose masseurs were all blind. Truth be told, I didn’t know much about blind people, the full extent of their capabilities and the lack thereof. In fact, my only “orientation” on blindness was Al Pacino's Oscar winning role as a blind retired general with an attitude in the movie "Scent of a Woman." That was it. However, this all changed the day I met Alex, a blind masseur. I’m one loquacious guy, and about the only time I keep my mouth zip is when I’m sleeping or getting a massage. But the very first time I got to share a space with a blind masseur, curiosity got the best of me that I broke my cardinal rule of keeping my mouth shut. Yes, I asked the worst question one could possibly ask a blind person, “Alex, do blind people go to strip bars?” Common sense dictates that they wouldn’t, right? To do so would be an exercise in futility as they wouldn’t get any “return on investments.” But the masseur just smiled and noted that not all blind people are totally blind, and that people with partial blindness can still recognize shapes that can be associated, albeit blurred, to some body parts. Ergo, they too can still enjoy a good “Show Time!” As we continued to talk, and I learned a few more interesting things on being blind, like blind people often hang out with just blind people, and that it’s totally normal for one group of blind people to clash with another group of blind people. Sometimes, they too figure in a brawl among themselves, and it’s during this time when their ears and voices become just as important as their fists. You see, they use their ears to target, fists to punch, and voice, often by shouting their names, to avoid getting hit by their friends. Our exchange provided me with invaluable insights like the fact that they’re blind makes them more resilient to temptations. Another realization was that blind people are the ideal lovers. We’ve all fallen in love, and we know that sometimes it is our very eyes that blind from seeing what’s truly important. As my massage session ended, I was really grateful to Alex, for with our conversation, I got a priceless education. Indeed, even in the valley of the sighted, the blind can take you to school.