By Jim Hunt for the News & Journal
When I began the Amazing Cities & Towns Podcast more than five years ago, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to interview some of the remarkable guests who have appeared on the show. This past week’s recording was no exception.
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Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author and noted public speaker with an incredible story of perseverance and survival. I first met Michael last year at the Pennsylvania Municipal League Conference in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he served as the keynote speaker. I had the privilege of having lunch with him and receiving a signed copy of his book.
On September 11, 2001, Michael was in his office on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center when he felt the building shudder as a hijacked passenger jet slammed into the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. After clearing his office, Michael and his guide dog, Rozelle, began the long and arduous descent down 78 floors. Throughout the evacuation, he remained calm, reassuring others and encouraging them to exit quickly without panic.
Yes, Michael is blind, and his experience on 9/11 is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. While his survival that day is remarkable, his entire life has been a story of overcoming obstacles and succeeding in a world where the odds often seemed stacked against him.
Blind since birth, Michael’s parents were encouraged to send him away to a school for the blind, as it was widely believed in the 1950s that children with blindness could not live a “normal” life.
His parents rejected that advice and instead raised Michael to excel despite his blindness. He recalls a childhood of breaking barriers—sometimes in unexpected ways—such as riding a bicycle on his suburban street, prompting panicked calls from neighbors worried that he would hurt himself.
Michael attended Palmdale High School, where he graduated with a 3.54 grade point average, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow. He later achieved the Order’s highest honor, the Vigil. After graduating with honors from the University of California, Irvine, and earning a master’s degree in physics, Michael went on to enjoy a successful 41-year sales career in the high-tech industry.
The sun was shining in Michael’s Southern California office as we recorded the podcast, and I hated to see our time come to an end. Both of us were born in 1950, and we shared stories while discussing a wide range of topics: technology, artificial intelligence, disabilities, inclusion, and how blind people are perceived in society—perceptions that contribute to an unacceptably high unemployment rate among the blind.
We also talked about public speaking and travel, which we both do frequently, and I shared how impactful his remarks had been to the hundreds of attendees at the Pennsylvania Municipal League Conference.
Michael also shared a popular story from his speeches that humorously illustrates the concept of disability. He describes Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb as a “reasonable accommodation” for light-dependent people to function. I paused for a moment, then chuckled at his clever way of turning the tables on his audience.
You can hear more from Michael Hingson on the Amazing Cities & Towns Podcast when the episode is released on February 9th. Visit www.amazingcities.org.
