I got to thinking about gratitude the other day and how to take something I’m grateful for down to its core.
I am very thankful that I am able to write. I am thankful that I have some aptitude for it, that I enjoy it, and that the circumstances of my life are such that I can devote my time to it.
Then I took it further. I am grateful that I can see. Physical vision is not absolutely necessary for writing. It’s an asset and makes it way easier I think, but it can be done without seeing.
I am grateful for all my senses and especially vision. I was terribly nearsighted years ago and had astigmatism to boot. I had laser eye surgery in 2000 and it corrected what was then 20/800 sight.
I see fine without glasses. My doctor, who’d had the operation himself, recommended to his patients they get some cheap drugstore readers to ward off eyestrain. I did so, and I later got prescription reading glasses.
Every so often I have trouble focusing up close. It happens when sometimes when I’m chopping veggies and sometimes when I’m eating. I’ve put my reading glasses on when it happens.
I decided recently I needed a pair of dedicated eating glasses. I keep them handy in the kitchen and use them as needed.
And that brings me to my new avatar/profile picture as you can see on the left. I found these magnificent magnifiers in the local Co-op and fell in love with them.
How could I not?
I looked at several pairs of glasses. Some were average to boring, others hideous, some so clear and thin I had to look twice to know they were there.
That’s great if you wish to hide the fact that you need them. I don’t. It’s a function of age and the surgery. It’s normal and normal deserves to be celebrated. Why run when you can have fun?
I looked around, but nothing on the display cases anywhere else matched these spectacular specs. I knew they were meant for me.
I don’t need them very often, but they are there when I do, and I am grateful.
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19 comments:
I've resisted corrective surgery on my eyes, mostly due to expense but also because my eyes won't stabilize. Bizarre.
I wore contact lenses for twenty years and then just...got tired of it. Got less vain.
At my next eye appointment I want to ask what my options would be for special-occasion contacts, since I'm picky about my total "look" when I dress up.
But for day to day, glasses are easier. No worries about dry-eye and grittiness from the heater in the winter, pollen in spring and fall. No bloodshot eyes. No worries about getting an eye infection if I don't clean everything just so.
Glasses are easier, although not as easy as good vision. If only my eyes would quit changing!
20/800, that's right about where I am too. I LOVE my contact lenses. I have extended wear disposables and they are wonderful. Over the weekend I decided to take a "day off" and wore my glasses. The bridge of my nose hurt from holding up the bottle-bottoms all day. My son told me I looked like the "before" in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" YIKES!
The Bag Lady can certainly relate to being near-sighted. But apparently, she is now too old for the corrective surgery. What annoys her the most is that she wears contact lenses (has for years; loves them and never wants to go back to glasses)but now finds it difficult to focus up close when she has her lenses in!
She uses reading glasses occasionally, but now wears what they call mono-vision contact lenses. The lens in her dominant eye corrects her long vision, but the lens in her other eye is weaker, so she can read. She still needs reading glasses for very tiny print, or to thread a needle, but loves the fact that she can now
see to read.
By the way, she loves your eating glasses, so keep an eye on them next time she is around...
Oh, and Bunnygirl, check out the newer soft contact lenses - they are much more comfortable.
Bunnygirl - My eyes weren't keen to stabilize either, but I managed to time things well enough.
I tried contacts out one day. I liked the seeing part, but found them annoying.
Holly - Sorry to hear your glasses hurt you. I know how that is as sometimes the frames would be a bit off and I'd get a mark on my nose from unequal pressure.
dfBagLady - I'm curious as to why you'd be told you're too old. I'd get a second or third opinion if I were you.
I'm glad contacts worked out for you and I'm glad you like my eating glasses.
I'll share them with you should you visit, but there's nothing stopping you from getting a pair just like them. I'd take it as huge compliment.
df Leah,
I am grateful that you are so gorgeous in your eating glasses.
df Bag Lady,
My ex-husband was several years older than you are now when he had lazer surgery. I agree with dfLeah, get a second or third opinion.
Terrie
dfTerrie - Thanks for the lovely compliment.
And thanks for the second opinion backing up my call for the Bag Lady to get a second opinion.
Oh, the Bag Lady failed to mention she's a really big chicken, too... it was actually one of her hubby's relatives who told her she was too old. Perhaps he just wanted to give her yet another dig about her age.... never liked him much, anyway!! :)
dfBag Lady - The inlaw can go hang.
Meanwhile, I too am chicken. It took repeated applications of self-hypnosis to give me the courage to get it done. My problem was I don't like to have anything come at my eyes.
I am too much of a chicken for the surgery as well. I can barely tolerate the puff-of-air glaucoma test. My Dr. told me I was "too old" only because of what you are facing, the need to have reading glasses after the surgery. Since I want NO glasses, he didn't recommend the surgery for me. (Plus he knows what a wuss I am!)
Bag Lady, funny story, I was putting on my makeup with out contacts this past weekend and could hardly manage to get close enough to the mirror to get my makeup on. Now I see why the magnifying mirrors are so popular!
Leah, I love the new glasses!
I miss my contacts but maybe later this year I will be able to afford to try them again.
I hate wearing glasses simply because I can never find a prescription tint that works as well as my sunglasses do.
I am grateful though that they can make them really lightweight these days.
Holly, I am so with you on the glaucoma test. I have to square my jaw and concentrate to get through it.
Thanks, Reb. I get what you mean about tint vs. sunglasses.
Love the "eating glasses."
Like many others here I too am (a) extremely nearsighted and (b) too chicken to have surgery.
Is this a blogging trend?
I'm at the age where I'm in need of readers but in denial about it. I just notice that rooms are too dark these days and the print on labels is much smaller than it used to be. My vision is just FINE, thank you!
Oh, and I love my daily disposable lenses. Got 'em cheap on the internet and they're about 40 cents apiece, so it's less than a dollar a day, plus I don't need cleaning solutions or saline or anything else anymore. I just toss 'em out every night. So I'm really grateful for my disposables, going back to the gratitude theme.
Great topic!
Glad you like 'em, Crabby.
Yes, I am so annoyed that they started using smaller print a few years ago.
I'm happy for you that the disposable lenses work. It sounds convenient.
Right away, I noticed the new pic with fab new specs from your comment at our blog and had to come take a closer look. Is it a groaner to say your new eating glasses are dishy?
Not a groaner at all, Clare2e.
I'm pleased they're such a hit.
I had the opportunity to have corrective surgery paid for by my insurance company but I wimped out. Now they've removed it as a benefit so I don't think it will ever happen
Leah, love the groovy glasses in your photo...
Hello Talia. The surgery is not to everyone's tastes.
I really am tickled my eating glasses are such a hit.
Hy husband had laser surgery last year and it's amazing - he went from nearly blind to 20 20.
My eyes have never been too bad, just need them for night driving and far distances, so I've never felt the need to go for the surgery. I figure why jinx it :)
I agree about the glasses tho - some of my glasses are large and funky and some are plain, but none of them are the "hidden" kind. I figure if I have to wear them, I'll *wear* them :)
Hello Geosomin - The surgery is really something.
If you already need help night driving, then laser surgery is not for you. It's good for distance, though.
Good for you about the glasses. If you must wear glasses, then wear them proudly.
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