Adjust + Adapt, Alone Together

Sep 08, 2024

Hi Stagers!

Helen Keller's life? Pure grit. Pure resilience.

At 19 months? She lost her sight and hearing. Darkness. Silence.

But she didn’t stop. She pushed through. Hard.

She'd later say, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it."

At seven years old: Anne Sullivan entered her life. Teacher. Guide. Lifeline. Helen learned to spell "water" through her hand. Communication unlocked. Adjustment made.

Helen didn’t just survive. She thrived. Became the first deaf-blind person to get a college degree. Wrote 14 books. Gave over 475 speeches and essays. Advocated for the disabled.

Her voice? Loud without sound. Strong without sight.

She said, "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

Helen Keller adjusted. She adapted. She found purpose.

Her mission? Fight for others. Speak up for the silent. Pave the way.

She said, "Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much."

Her lesson to us: Obstacles are just opportunities. Adjusting is key. Adapting is survival. Purpose drives it all. Alone together.

LIFE PLAY

In 1954, Helen Keller shared a deep truth. Her greatest disappointment? She couldn’t speak clearly. She tried for years but never mastered it.

She said, "It is not blindness or deafness that bring me my darkest hours. It is the acute disappointment in not being able to speak normally."

Helen used her hands to speak. Her sense of touch was her bridge to the world. Her voice? Unnatural. But her impact? Immense.

She said, "Out of this sorrowful experience, I understand more clearly all human striving, thwarted ambitions, and infinite capacity of hope."

Watch the video and see how Helen Keller turned disappointment into strength. Limitations didn’t stop her. They fueled her.

HELEN KELLER SPEAKS OUT (Click to Watch)

To learn more about her complex and multi-dimensional life, consider watching this Mini Bio or piece by TIME.

LIFE TIME

Childhood & Adolescence

1880 (Age 0): Helen Keller is born on June 27 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Her dad is a former Confederate officer and newspaper editor. Her mom comes from a prominent Southern family.
1882 (Age 1½): At 19 months, loses her sight and hearing due to illness. No cure.
1886 (Age 6): Helen’s sister, Mildred, is born. They grow close as they navigate childhood together, despite Helen’s challenges.
1887 (Age 7): Anne Sullivan, 20 and visually impaired, becomes her teacher. She teaches Helen how to finger-spell "water." A breakthrough. Anne stays by her side for nearly 50 years.
1888–1890 (Age 8–10): Spends winters at the Perkins Institution in Boston. Learns Braille. Sharpens her communication.
1890s: Learns to lip-read. Fingers on lips and throat. Feels the vibrations as words are spelled out.

1890 (Age 10): Starts speech classes at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. Toils 25+ years to make her voice understood.
1893 (Age 13): Attends the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. A pivotal moment in her early life. Meets Alexander Graham Bell and others. Her world expands.

1894–1896 (Ages 14–16): Attends the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in NYC. Struggles with speech. Excels in studies. Anne reads and signs everything into Helen's hand.
1896–1900 (Ages 16–20): Preps for college at The Cambridge School for Young Ladies.

Young & Middle Adulthood

1900 (Age 20): Enters Radcliffe College, extension of Harvard University for women. First deaf-blind person to do so. Battles exhaustion but doesn’t quit.
1903 (Age 23): Publishes her first book The Story of My Life. Shares her struggles, triumphs, and bond with Anne Sullivan.
1904 (Age 24): Graduates cum laude from Radcliffe. First deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts. Moves to Wrentham, Massachusetts.

1905 (Age 25): Anne marries John Macy, a writer and editor. The three live together. John helps with Helen’s writing. The marriage struggles due to Anne’s commitment to Helen. They separate around 1914 but remain legally married.
1908 (Age 28): Publishes The World I Live In. Gives readers a raw look into how she experiences the world.
1909 (Age 29): Joins the Socialist Party of America. Reads Marx. Becomes an advocate for workers' rights, social justice, and economic equality. Lands on the FBI's radar.
1914 (Age 33): Publishes Out of the Dark. Speaks out on social justice and socialism. Her influence grows. Kicks off a public speaking and activism career. Faces early communication challenges but becomes a powerful voice for disabilities.
1914–1918 (Age 34–38, World War I): Stands for peace. Works with the Red Cross. Raises awareness for blind soldiers. Becomes a fierce advocate for pacifism.
1916 (Age 35): Keller and Peter Fagan fall in love and plan to elope, but do not due to her family’s objection. Sells Wrentham house. Moves to Forest Hills, NY.
1919 (Age 39): Stars in Deliverance. A silent film about her life. She plays herself. From childhood struggles to global advocate.
1920 (Age 40): Supports founding of the ACLU. Early supporter of NAACP. Expands her fight to workers' rights, women's suffrage, and civil liberties.
1924 (Age 44): Becomes the face of the American Foundation for the Blind. She dedicates her life to the blind community.
1925 (Age 45): Challenges the Lions Club to be "Knights of the Blind." They take action on blindness prevention.
1927 (Age 47): Publishes My Religion. She shares her deep spiritual beliefs and the influence of Swedenborgianism on her life and work.
1929 (Age 49): Publishes Midstream: My Later Life. A follow-up to her autobiography, diving into her adult years and activism.
1930s (Late 40s, Early 50s): In her late 40s and early 50s, advocates for jobs for the blind during the Great Depression (1929-1939). Fights for disabled workers and better education.

Late Adulthood & Senior Years

1936 (Age 56): Anne Sullivan dies. Polly Thomson steps in as Helen’s new companion.
1939–1945 (Age 59–65, World War II): Visits wounded vets. Brings hope to those who lost sight or hearing. Her push for disability rights gains serious traction.
1946 (Age 66): Becomes a global ambassador for the American Foundation for Overseas Blind. Travels to 35 countries to advocate for disability rights.
1948 (Age 68): Meets with the United Nations. Advocates for global disability rights. A key moment in her international work.
1950–1953 (Age 70–73, Korean War): Keeps fighting for veterans. Visits hospitals. Pushes for better rehab and care. Helps spark change for disabled soldiers.
1955 (Age 75): Becomes the first woman to receive an honorary degree from Harvard. A huge recognition of her work and advocacy. Publishes Teacher: Anne Sullivan Macy. A heartfelt tribute to her lifelong teacher and companion.
1957 (Age 77): The Miracle Worker airs on TV, sharing her story with millions.
1959 (Age 79): The Miracle Worker hits Broadway. The film version follows in 1962.

1964 (Age 84): Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Lyndon B. Johnson.
1968 (Age 87): Passes away in her sleep on June 1. Leaves behind a legacy of resilience, purpose, and advocacy. A true pioneer for people with disabilities.

Disclaimer: The dates and ages in this timeline are approximations. While making every effort to ensure accuracy, some details may vary slightly due to differing sources and limited time. Helen Keller’s life was vast, complex, and filled with countless encounters, events, and experiences that shaped her remarkable journey. This timeline aims to capture key moments, but it may not fully encompass the depth and nuances of her incredible story.

LIFE PACT

Helen Keller’s life proves that purpose drives everything. Mission is what you do. Purpose is why you do it. Her mission? To advocate for the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. Her purpose? To inspire hope and build a more inclusive world.

Her mission shifted over time, like a river carving its path. Each turn added depth, shaping her into a figure of resilience and complexity. Yet, her purpose—to inspire hope and create a more inclusive world—remained her unwavering guide.

She said, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

She overcame obstacles and adapted to challenges most of us can’t imagine. Her purpose was the current that kept her moving forward. It’s what made her resilient.

She said, "The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart." That deeper sense of meaning guided her life.

Now it’s your turn. Reflect on your own purpose. What drives you? What lights you up? What gives your life meaning? Why are you on this path? How can you transform your challenges into opportunities for growth?

She said, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

Let Helen’s story inspire you to take the next step. Even when you can't see the outcome, move forward in faith. Embrace your purpose. Adjust and adapt. Start today by setting one clear goal that aligns with your deeper "why." Then, take action by stepping forward.