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No, literally. I have new glasses and an intense rain shower just moved furiously through the DelSo. Things look different, both sharpened and softened somehow, and I feel as if I am seeing my surroundings with new eyes.
These two events got me to thinking about my vision over the years, recalling when I first knew I needed glasses. I think I was in third or fourth grade and I was struggling a little when I read the chalkboard. Naturally, my mother said it was because I read too much and that my eyes were fine, an assessment I accepted until 5th grade when the school nurse referred me to an optometrist after I failed an eye exam. I got glasses.
These two events got me to thinking about my vision over the years, recalling when I first knew I needed glasses. I think I was in third or fourth grade and I was struggling a little when I read the chalkboard. Naturally, my mother said it was because I read too much and that my eyes were fine, an assessment I accepted until 5th grade when the school nurse referred me to an optometrist after I failed an eye exam. I got glasses.
In high school I decided I needed contact lenses to be pretty. I saved my money ($100!) and got myself a pair of lenses despite my aversion to touching my eyes. I'll never forget the sensation of looking at the streetlights as the sky grew darker, and truly seeing the preciseness of the light emanating from tall street lamps. It no longer appeared to me as a fuzzy cloud of light, I could see the individual bulb and it was remarkable. Equally unforgettable was my inability to take my contacts out that first day. It might have been the beer which caused me to balk at the thought of pinching something off my eyeball, but there's no doubt I'd still be wearing that pair of lenses if my friend Anthony hadn't matter-of- factly plucked them out for me.
And now, 25+ years later, I'm sporting my first pair of progressive glasses. You know, the line-less lenses that have distinct areas to look through for distance viewing, reading, and normal vision. The first few days were a little rough - there was a bit of nausea and a little frustration as I learned to move my head up and down to utilize the area of the glasses necessary for the task at hand. Two weeks in and I have to say they're working for me.
What have I learned from my history with vision correction? Well, I understand that sometimes children know more than their parents. I know that seeing distant things more clearly doesn't negate our need for friends to sometimes take charge of a situation close at hand. And I'm beginning to grasp that clarity can occasionally be achieved by a mere shift of one's gaze.
As always, I share similar experiences with you except when I first drove with my contacts I backed into our shed and moved it two inches. You always add depth to the ordinary and are a joy to read.
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