Some of you reading this may shake your head and say something like, "How can you compare what you've gone through with Michael Eisner's quadruple heart bypass operation? The heart is an important organ and if it fails, then you die." That's true. But consider what the quality of your life would be like if you lose one or both eyes. If you lose one eye, then you lose the ability to see things in three dimensions. (The effect is just like watching a flat two-dimensional movie on a movie screen.) If you lose both eyes, then you would have a harder time finding your way if you were to go from one room to another. You could hear the television, but you wouldn't know what your favorite sitcom characters look like. And if you're watching a show loaded with physical slapstick humor or sight gags (i.e., I Love Lucy or any cartoon show), then you won't be able to understand why other people are laughing. Going to the movies would pose the same dilemma as turning on the television set. Also, you would have to learn how to read Braille with your fingertips since that is the only way that you can read anything when you're blind. It's one thing to learn to read Braille when you're a kid, but try learning a new way to read when you're in your twenties or thirties or forties.

The eyes are important because they are responsible for one of the five senses (sight). Humans tend to rely on their eyes to guide them. In the case of other animals, different senses dominate. (For example, dogs are completely color-blind so they rely mostly on smelling and hearing through their noses and ears.) There is a reason why a long time ago someone came up with the saying, "Eyes are the windows to the soul."