"If you want me to be unhappy, pity me," said author Dave Eby of Ephrata, when describing his visual impairment to members of Senior Connections, a group that meets monthly at Conestoga Mennonite Church. "Pity is a bad thing because pity means (you) are sorry for me. I would say empathy is a much better thing. With empathy comes understanding and compassion."

Eby, who is legally blind, is the author of "A Different Life," his memoir, which describes all that he was able to accomplish despite his visual challenges. These achievements include working on the family farm, playing football in high school and wresting in college. Most recently, Eby taught English to college students in China from 2008 to 2020.

He began his remarks by addressing the most common question that people ask him, which is about how well he can see. "I can see the people in the room, but for the people in the back, I can't see your faces very well," he said. "I could not describe you, but I know you are there."

"I am legally blind, which is good, because I would not want to do it illegally," he added with a smile.

He said that not having the best vision led him to discover coping skills, such as becoming a better listener. "God did not give me good eyesight, but He gives us other things," said Eby. "We need to celebrate Jesus because no matter the situation we are in with Him, He can take us through it and lead us into a life that goes far beyond our expectations."

Eby said that he wanted study English in college with the goal of becoming a teacher, but he decided to study business instead. "(I believed) my eyesight would keep me from being a teacher. How can I manage a classroom if I can't see the students?" he said.

He graduated from college in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. After he worked in construction at CM Weaver and then at a transportation company, a cousin suggested that he get involved with Youth Evangelism Service (YES), a program sponsored by Eastern Mennonite Missions. His first assignment with YES was in Mexico. "Suddenly, I was the same as everybody else because I could travel and go places by myself," Eby noted. "In Ephrata, I always needed to arrange a ride."

After YES, he worked at Paul B. Zimmerman for 13 years. As a member of Indiantown Mennonite Church in Ephrata, which he still attends, he got involved with the youth group and was the church's first youth pastor.

In 2006, he was asked by the church deacon to accompany him to China and was eventually invited to return to become a teacher of English. "God knew the plan He had for me," Eby said. "In His greatness, He knew my business training would benefit me as a teacher."

Eby concluded his talk by reading passages from Scripture and taking part in a question-and-answer session.

To learn more about the book and for purchase information, visit http://www.adifferentlife.signedon.net or http://www.facebook.com/DavidEbyADifferentLife.

Senior Connections meets at the church on the second Thursday of every month at noon for a homemade meal followed by a program. The group is open to people age 55 and over.