The
Jeopardy! Teen Tournament audition was held in the hotel lobby. It was my first audition, so I was nervous, but a girl standing next to me was very calm. We entered, went through the formalities, met the famous people, and then proceed to the written
test. Fifty questions, fifty categories, eight seconds each. The results were given, and 85% of the pool was eliminated. By some weird twist of fate, I remained. And so did she. Then we had our interviews and proceeded to the mock game. The purpose of the mock game was to determine how telegenic we were, and she was one of my competitors. In the game, you can only ring in when lights on the side of the board
illuminate (after Alex has read the question).
She was blind. And she almost killed me with her buzzer. She knew exactly when that light would come on- it’s still very
perplexing. After the audition, her entire family hugged her. She was
loved for being herself.
"We may remark in passing that to be blind and beloved may, in this world where nothing is perfect, be among the most strangely exquisite forms of happiness. The supreme happiness in life is the assurance of being loved; of being loved for oneself, even in spite of oneself; and this assurance the blind man possesses. In his affliction, to be served is to be caressed. Does he lack anything? no. Possessing love he is not deprived of light. A love, moreover, that is wholly pure. There can be no blindness where there is this certainty.” –Victor Hugo