Carmen - 1962

Carmen was four months old. Her father and I were shopping at a sears store in Birmingham, Alabama when his arms grew tired and he placed her in a deluxe wind-up baby swing on display in a window facing the sidewalk. He turned the handle, winding the mechanism tightly, and the swing began to move back and forth, back and forth, until Carmen fell asleep.

We continued browsing nearby ... glancing often toward the swing to be sure our baby was safe.

Then we noticed an amazing thing. Outside the window, a crowd was gathering. People, some with their noses pressed against the glass, were trying to decide whether Carmen was a living child or a very realistic baby doll.

Before leaving the store, we gave in to temptation and bought that swing. It turned out to be a bad investment. Carmen liked it way too much. she slept better in the swing than in her crib. Problem was ... the swing had to be rewound. And rewound. And rewound. Each winding lasted only fifteen minutes. Motion stopped. Crying started.

I spent my nights sinking into sleep over and over again, and being yanked out of sleep over and over again.

Electric swings were later invented but, sadly, not in time to save my sanity.

That long-ago Sears display baby is, today, a woman capable of translating ordinary books into Braille. Her work enables blind school children to absorb information through their fingertips.

I'm so proud of her ....