SWFL man loses sight, finds new purpose through making clocks

Jim Morgan was struck by a car in March 2014, resulting in him losing his vision, but not his passion for woodwork, so he adapted and learned to make clocks with no vision. Now he’s using his clock sales to benefit others struggling with their own disability.

Jim, 68 years old, who previously worked as a school teacher, has been a builder for most of his life. The life of the former custom home builder changed when in March 2014, Jim was walking through a crosswalk and was hit by a vehicle moving around 40 mph.

“So now I’m just totally dark,” Jim said. “There’s no light coming from my eye to the brain.

Jim, the blind clockmaker, is up to his 66th clock. Using his imagination, Jim visualizes how he is going to make the wood product. He knows all the dimensions of the blocks to construct the product without any assistance efficiently.

“If it’s off a 16th or a 32nd of an inch,” Jim said, “then when you put that clock together, that crack shows up.”

Despite his expertise, his supportive wife, Cathy, still worries about Jim when he is making the products.

“But I know it’s what he loves and what he loves doing and it’s such a wonderful thing that we can now do things for others,” Cathy, 61, said. “We can inspire others.”

Clock sales from the products he makes go towards helping others who have been through accidents or have visual problems. For instance, all the money Jim makes at the Cape Coral Arts Festival will go toward people who live with a disability in our region. To learn how you can get involved, visit Morgan’s website “The Blind Clockmaker.”

“I always say, don’t sell yourself short,” Jim said. “You can do more than you think you can.”