There’s a lot of negativity in our world, so I thought that it would be appropriate to share a positive story about a man who overcame more obstacles than most people face in a lifetime.
Meet Elie Bloncourt: the blind spy. He lost both eyes to a bullet in WW1 that went through his skull but didn’t kill him.
A Black man from Guadeloupe, he became a German prisoner of war (and survived although blind). He taught himself Braille, enrolled in La Sorbonne university and became a teacher after WW1.
BLIND??
He then entered politics and became the first Black député (think Congressman) in Metropolitan France. Again–BLIND… During WW2, he led a successful resistance movement against the invading Germans.
I love inspiring stories of ordinary people who do incredible things. Lesson learned: the next time you’re tempted to say something’s too difficult, just remember the blind spy. You CAN do it!
P.S. In case you were wondering, Elie inspired one of the characters I’m creating in my current novel, Behind these Walls of Glass. #jprobinsonbooks
Photo credit to Getty Images.
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About JP Robinson
JP Robinson is a prolific award-winning author. He graduated from SUNY Stony Brook university at 19 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and another in French. He is currently wrapping up his Master’s of Education.
JP is a contributor to Guideposts, Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, and the Salvation Army’s War Cry. His work has been praised by industry leaders such as Publishers Weekly and secured the #1 spot on Amazon’s historical thrillers category.