He may now be blind in one eye, but Governor George Fergusson hasn’t lost sight of the things that really matter as he settles into life in Bermuda.Joking he would have preferred to view his new Island home with two eyes rather than one, he told The Royal Gazette: “But having an eye that works is more than a lot of people have.“We lost a son seven years ago. That was a far more fundamental loss than the sight in one eye.”Ironically the violent attack which claimed his left eye came minutes after he returned to London following a meeting with West Midlands police to discuss initiatives targeting gang-related problems two months ago.Set upon in Margravine Cemetery and Park by a mugger who demanded his cell phone, Mr Fergusson was viciously punched in the face and knocked to the ground before the thug made off with just $50.In the immediate aftermath, British newspaper reports suggested the Fergusson family was still smiling amid the turmoil, with his wife Margaret telling the Daily Telegraph: “He has been extremely resilient and incapable of doing anything but looking at adversity in the eye with good humour.”Asked about his philosophical approach to the incident, 56-year-old Mr Fergusson told this newspaper: “Fundamentally, losing sight of an eye is not a funny thing, but purely from my own point of view, I see no point getting down about it.“I can still see and it hasn’t been particularly painful.”It was the latest in a string of blows to Mr Fergusson’s family: his son Alexander was 20 when he died after being hit by a taxi while pushing his bicycle across a bus lane in London; his mother was killed when winds blew a tree onto her car and his father died from a stroke.While he’s retained an optimistic outlook, Mr Fergusson noted a serious element to the assault, with the suspect currently on bail having faced no charges.“It would be a good idea if someone who could be as violent as that, to carry out an unprovoked attack in broad daylight, was charged and either taken off the streets or find some other way to make him less violent,” he said.The mix of humour and seriousness may be a valuable asset as Mr Fergusson approaches a job one of his predecessors has warned him won’t be easy.On the one hand, he’ll be donning the often-mocked feathered hat and colonial garb at official events, and on the other he’s ultimately responsible for trying to curb an alarming trend of gang violence which has rocked Bermuda to its core.In between all that he’ll be interacting with a ruling party which has a split from Britain as one of its core goals, and hoping to avoid becoming the latest in a line of governors to lock horns with the Progressive Labour Party’s leader of the day.“I’ve already seen Bermuda is a nice place,” said Mr Fergusson, who arrived on the Island two weeks ago.“But one of my predecessors who had some very difficult jobs in territories around the world before coming to Bermuda said this was an even tougher job.”Attorney General Kim Wilson this week suggested the PLP may opt for a referendum if it decides to push for Independence, although with much public opposition the plan remains on the back burner for now.Mr Fergusson said of the PLP’s pro-Independence stance: “I see no reason for it to make it difficult at all.“The UK’s position is extremely clear, that populations in the Overseas Territories determine their own sovereignty.“If it’s clear that the people of Bermuda want Independence, Britain and Bermuda will remain like friends, but they will be independent of each other. That’s not a problem for the UK.”He says he’s gained experience in his constitutional responsibility of national security, following a busy diplomatic career serving Boston, New Zealand, Samoa, Northern Ireland, Ireland, South Korea and the southern Pacific Pitcairn Islands which, with less than 100 inhabitants, is the least populous jurisdiction in the world.“It’s not for me to lecture other people on what they do,” he said.“But regarding gangs, ten years ago in Boston we did a lot of passing back to the UK things that were going on in Boston.“Boston is now one of the leaders in the thinking of ways of dealing with gangs that go beyond the police.“In Auckland, in New Zealand, where they suffered gang problems, there were some very interesting things being done on the theme of cross government: local government and non-government groups pulling together, which really made a difference.“That’s not a revelation to Bermuda. Bermuda has been working on those themes, and has been comparing ideas with the West Midlands and Boston.“Maybe we can get to a point where Bermuda is having its ideas borrowed by some other places.”A Scotsman who grew up in a small village in South Ayrshire, Mr Fergusson said he hopes people will find him approachable and open.“I am keen to put Bermuda to the forefront,” he said. “I’m already finding, I’m pleased to say, I’m saying ‘we’ when I talk about Bermuda.“There are residual interests of the UK for which I am responsible, but I think and hope it will be rare that I’m pulled in two directions.“I want to do my very best for Bermuda even in things that are not my responsibility. If I can help at home or abroad to promote Bermuda, that’s what I will do.”