Emile Najm -- My Friend

by Richard E. Gordon

Emile Najm is my friend. He happens to be blind. But with his heart and mind, he sees more clearly than I do -- sees more clearly the purpose of life, the value in facing and overcoming our greatest challenges, including disabilities, handicaps that would leave so many of us without hope.

Met in creative writing class

We met in a creative writing workshop in Palm Harbor, Florida. At the request of our workshop leader Joydine, I agreed to help Emile by creating for him a website to give others the chance to meet his book. I thought I was doing Emile a favor, but as I worked with him, I discovered that I was a recipient of an even greater favor. I got to know Emile's book well, to find inspiration in its pages, and I gained Emile's friendship, and found Emile's personality, his warmth, his optimism enriching my own life.

Blind at 45

Emile was 45 years old when blindness struck. He was an engineer at Chrysler with a great career behind him and an even brighter future ahead. But when he became blind, he lost his job, his career, his marriage, and for several years was gripped by depression and loss of hope. After much soul-searching and with the help of the Michigan Training School for Blind, Emile found how to turn his blindness into a challenge that he could conquer while growing wiser and stronger from the experience.

Turning disability into triumph

Emile's disability, instead of drowning him in despair, uplifted him to become a better person, a more caring, compassionate, loving human being than he had ever been when he could see only with his eyes.

In Emile's book, Pegasus -- How to realize your dreams, he includes his biography, and poems and short essays that inspire us to find hope and courage to face whatever obstacles life places in our path. The obstacles need not be blindness or another physical handicap. Emile's inspirational words will help us to see every kind of obstacle as an opportunity to grow into a better, stronger, wiser person. Whether your obstacle is blindness, depression, a failing marriage, old age, addiction -- or whatever -- you will find hope in Emile's words.

Purchasing Pegasus Lesson

Two excerpts from Emile's book are included in this website. And if you wish to order Emile's book, send an email to Emile at pegasus@emilenajm.com. For your subject, please use Info on buying Emile's book. Emile will respond telling you how to make the purchase. Eventually, this site will make possible PayPal transactions, but for now, please use the email method.

The cost of the book is $15, including handling and mailing charges in the continental United States. Emile's words of hope and inspiration await you. More information on purchasing Emile's book.