Saturday, August 03, 2013

Four Eyes but Not a Lick of Common Sense

In my early 20s, I discovered that the glasses I wore to see long distances were really handy seeing things close at hand as well.  The realization that I needed glasses did not set well with me.  I did not like the loss of peripheral vision; I would squint painfully in the sun; I did not like their feel on my face.  So I embraced contact lenses when my eye doctor suggested them.  And I've never looked back.

Well, sort of.

These days I still wear my contacts (in fact, I'm quite dependent on them).  But years of contact lens abuse have taken their toll and I am now careful not to overdo it.  When I travel on a plane, I wear glasses so that the dry air doesn't irritate my eyes.

I have a pair with an up-to-date prescription, of course.  But I do not like those glasses. Instead, I wear a pair whose frames I do like, despite the fact that the prescription is a few years out of date.  For short distances, that's no problem.  But in the distance of an airport, I am forced to squint and look closely, like some sort of blinded fool.

Which, come to think of it, is exactly what I am.  Someday I expect to grow up and act like an adult.  That day has not yet arrived.


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