ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — Richard Guzman has been hanging Christmas lights on every edge, corner and window sill of his home in on Nottingham Ave. in South Hampton for the last 25 years, but he’s been doing it without any vision.
Guzman is completely blind, yet doesn’t use assistance or any special tools to hang his lights on his home.
“It’s all just feel,” said Guzman, “Believe or not, I don’t get frustrated.”
He knows his home well and knows what he needs to do to accomplish this task without sight. “The roof is the tricky part because the ladder doesn’t quite reach all the way up,” said Guzman. His roof at the highest point is nearly 30 ft. In order to reach that height, Guzman places 2 bricks under each ladder leg.
While Guzman spends hours outside hanging lights, his wife Fran is inside baking cookies to stay distracted from how nervous she is. “Everyone that knows him is nervous saying don’t do it, don’t do it,” said Fran Guzman, “I think he just really enjoys it. [It] makes him feel like he can do something on his own.”
Guzman may not be able to see his final masterpiece, but you do not need sight to see how happy you make others feel.
“I enjoy everybody telling me they look great,” said Guzman, “The kids enjoy them and that’s the main goal.”
Guzman has 9 grandchilden and 2 great grandchilden who has says are his motivation for hanging the lights each year.
