Wearing Glasses is Cool… Now
Wearing Glasses is Cool… Now
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Once again I find myself reflecting on a subject as a result of reading an article on HuffPost50.
Those who find themselves visually challenged enough to need prescription glasses have a much easier time today than in years past. Yes. I speak from experience.
I began wearing glasses when I was in 4th grade. That was at a time when it was not cool to wear glasses. ‘Four eyes’ became your permanent nickname. It was not used in a kind way. I was torn between actually being able to see and wanting to pretend that my new glasses were not actually needed. Did I mention that my new glasses were those they referred to as ‘cat eyes’? Not at all flattering. There were no designer frames back then. No celebrities putting their labels on frames. To say the selection was limited is an understatement.
As the years went by my vision grew worse. Each new pair of glasses was thicker than the last. They finally became so thick and heavy that I had to move to plastic lenses.
As an adult my vision became more stable. I could actually go a couple of years before needing new glasses. Then one day Mother Nature dealt me another blow. I needed bifocals. At least no line bifocals were available so no one had to know unless I told them. Yeah, right. Have you ever seen anyone with bifocals read? You KNOW they are wearing bifocals, line or no line.
There were many drawbacks to having vision as challenged as mine was. I could not see any further than my hand in front of my face. That meant that when I went swimming I could not see where I was going nor could I see how to get back to the place I started. I cannot tell you how many apologies I had to make as a result of running into people while trying to swim. Seriously…
I became the master of coping mechanisms. If I had to go without my glasses, I had to carefully plan out my path for both getting to and from my destination so that no mishaps would occur.
One day I decided to be brave and check out lasik vision correction. I knew I was limited in my choices due to other physical abnormalities. If I chose to have the surgery, I would be far sighted and I would need to use reading glasses. This would be a huge change and a massive adjustment. I had been near sighted my entire life. Now I would need glasses to see things up close. My surgeon warned me ahead of time that this was going to be life altering.
I decided that I wanted to go swimming without the fear of running into people or losing my way back to my spot by the pool or on the beach. I went for it. I had the lasik surgery done.
The next few months were wrought with adjustments. My surgeon had warned me, but it was worse than I expected. I had to create new coping mechanisms. I did not need the near sighted coping mechanisms. I needed them for being far sighted. Now I never go anywhere without having a 5x magnification mirror. A simple thing like getting something in your eye now requires its assistance. It’s all good.
Let me say now that having lasik vision correction does not stop your eyes from aging. Meaning, lasik does not last forever. It was 5 years before I needed glasses again. I could go get my eyes surgically corrected again, but my goal has already been accomplished. I can see well enough without my glasses to get around without worry.
Today wearing glasses is fashionable and cool and no longer looked down upon and made fun of. Works for me!
Until next time…
Geek Grandma
Filed in: Aging
I started wearing glasses in the 6th grade. Surprising because neither of my parents nor siblings had any vision problems at all. I also had the cat eye variety! That was the only choice! Combined with my stutter, I was quite the unpopular chick:) I declined the Lasik but have no doubt that the cataract crystal implant lenses are in my future…I am now in tri-focals!!! And that , I m told, is because of computer work. Sigh 🙂 But you are right…at least we have more choices in frames:)
They tell me that one day I will be facing cataract surgery, still in the distant future. Maybe by then there will be even more choices to treat it.
My eyesight history is also a long one, but I'm too chicken to take the lasik plunge. Yet, I have an astigmatism in both eyes now with the left eye being the worst. Toric lenses are not as comfortable, but I think I have have to switch back. I just got a new pair of glasses, but much prefer having my contacts in. Have you given contacts a try at any point? I didn't see mention of that in your post.
Yes. I neglected to mention that I wore toric contact lenses for many years. I had to give them up because my eyes were no longer making enough moisture to support wearing them. Even when I did wear them I still needed to use reading glasses. Glasses for most of my life… 🙂
Wow, can I relate to this post. I had to start wearing glassed at 9 months old. And not regular glasses, mind you, but thick Coke bottle bottom glasses. When I got older I was teased something terrible. I hated those glasses. It sure wasn’t cool then.
I knew you could relate my friend. 🙂
It was 9th grade high school when I couldn't read the darn biology assignment on the blackboard that I ended up needing glasses. I don't think I started wearing contacts until about age 30. I don't think I'll be getting lasik because I have dry eyes and those two things are not compatible. About 3 years ago on a trip to Italy I found a fabulously styled pair of glasses and since then, my reliance on contacts has been less and less. We're headed there next year too and it's on my shopping list!
Fun post.
If you can find glasses that are flattering, that's half the battle. 🙂
I have just discovered your blog – I have been looking for a blog by a grandmother that is actually about the grandmother as a woman and not just a grandmother – so when I found this blog it looks like you blog about different aspects of grandmothers such as aging and dyeing hair! Am I right in assuming this? I have a wordpress blog page but I have not yet had the courage to go public with it – have been searching for the right moment and so far it has evaded me!! I am not commenting on wearing glasses for now (another day perhaps).
Welcome! Yes. You will find I write about many different things on this blog. Some will interest you and some will not. Either way I am glad you stopped by. Let me know when you have your blog up and running so I can stop by and say hello.
Hi Cheryl: I had to begin wearing glasses about 25 years ago, as a result of working on computers and working under fluorescent lights. I now wear progressive bifocals and don't mind wearing them, but I sure would like to be able to get along without them. I can't read w/o them, but I could drive just fine. Not fond of seeing myself in pics with the glasses on. Vanity prevails …
Used to have perfect eye sight. They called me Hawk Eye when I was a kid. But since a few years I need reading glasses. Have got used to them and actually find them convenient in the sense that you can use them to hold your hair.