Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Glasses


I knew I was in trouble last week when I was driving and realized that I could see the road better without my prescription sunglasses.  

By the time you read this, I'm sure I'll have been to the eye doctor, as I'm waaaay overdue.  I've been nearsighted for about twenty years, but only needing glasses to drive.  I didn't realize how bad my eyes were until the last time I went for my driver's license test.  The woman finished with the man in front of me, then she told me to look into the little machine and read the three columns.  

I looked up and told her she'd made a mistake--there were only two columns visible. Did she forget to advance a slide or something? 

She smiled knowingly and told me to try reading it with my glasses on.  So I put on my glasses and--surprise!  There were three columns, after all.  Sigh. 

So for the last several years I've carried a purse full of glasses cases.  I have reading glasses for reading.  I have prescription sunglasses for driving.  I have prescription glasses for distance when I'm not in the sun.  

Lately I'm beginning to think that I need glasses for eating--have you ever noticed blurry food

And now I suspect that my eyes have either vastly improved, or deteriorated to the point where my near-sightedness is now far-sightedness and I just don't realize it.  Does that make sense?  

So off to the doctor I go, ready to be told that my eyes--which I value more than any other sense--are going the way of all flesh.  Aging.  

(Update: back from the eye doctor and yes, I'm not getting older, I'm getting better.  In one area, at least.  :-)  )  

How many pairs of glasses are in your bag? 

~~Angie 

15 comments:

SmilingSally said...

I'm going to make you hate me. I'm 67, and I do not wear glasses. I can read the phone book and of course, all of your wonderful books. No glasses.

Kathy Cassel said...

I have to take my glasses off to eat or read! And my reading vision is changing. It was perfect and now I'm holding the book farther and farther out. Ugh.

sara said...

i recently was told I needed tri focals!!! People were coming up to me at church and I would have to take a step back to see them. Not so great when you are the pastor's wife, people think they have bad breath or something!

I got bifocals at the ripe ole age of 36!!! not doing so great in the aging eye category!

Leslie said...

I knew a lady who was farsighted (or near sighted) and was looking forward to getting older since as we get older we get more nearsighted (or farsighted - can you tell I can't remember which is which) so she figured for at least a year in her life she'd have 20/20 vision. I laughed, but that's what sounds like you have....

I have one pair of glasses - wear them every waking minute - they are for reading, computers, driving, everything. I should get a pair of sunglasses, but I never really seem to need them but once in a blue moon.

Mocha with Linda said...

I was horribly nearsighted and have worn glasses and then contacts since the third grade. Then 5 years ago for our 15th anniversary my husband gave me LASIK. What a thrill to be able to see the clock by the bed!

Although it doesn't prevent the age advancement and I'm starting to see that print is getting tinier, so I'm thinking reading glasses are in my not-so-distant future. I'm holding off as long as I can!

Anonymous said...

I had an eye doctor appointment yesterday. Started using glasses for driving and movies at 18. Fifty years later I wear glasses or lenses at all times for seeing! Funny thing is that for reading I need no glasses at all. For singing, I prefer readers over the lenses. For computer, I prefer prescription readers only. There's more to remember as we age and start losing brain cells. Life is complicated, isn't it??? =) Clyde

Kay Day said...

I have none. And although I feel like my vision is getting worse, it is still 20/15 which is better than 20/20. I have a pair of reading glasses that I wear sometimes when my eyes feel tired, but they are the lowest magnification they sell and I can see without them. But it's just a matter of time.

Jill Eileen Smith said...

One pair of glasses - though not in my bag, perched on my nose. :) I discovered I needed glasses as a child when we were at a Tiger baseball game and I could not see the pigeons they had let loose on the field. (I have no idea why they did that.) But when I borrowed my mom's glasses, I could see them. Been wearing them ever since. But hey, at least I don't have to switch them or lose them. They are always attached. :)

~Jill

Lisa said...

Thanks to lasik, none!!

Alice said...

I wear one occasionally on my nose (haha!) but most of the time I go without it. :)

Anonymous said...

i am far-sighted in one eye and near-sighted in the other. talk about lopsided! i wear my glasses all waking hours. (love the picture!)
jan

Caitriona said...

About three years ago at the very young age of 40, I put my friend's reading glasses on for fun because she asked me to get them for her. Well, we were reading a book together and I looked down at the page and said, "Wow that is so much better." and I have been using reading glasses ever since. I have two one by the bed side and one for using everywhere else.

Anonymous said...

angie, just had cataract surgery. went from 20/400 to 20/25!! i'm a happy camper. Now after 30 years of glasses, i only need them for up close. woohoo!! Having surgery on the other eye a week from monday, which happens to also be my birthday! New eyes - what a great birthday present!!

Anonymous said...

I got glasses in 3rd grade for nearsitedness...got bifocals when I was 30...as my eyes got worse, I got new bifocal prescriptions but took off the glasses to read. So silly. I was reading a story at a Sunday School meeting one evening and of course took my lineless bifocals off and put them on my head to read it as always. Afterward a SS friend said she is the manager of a glasses place and I needed to come in to see their doc.Then she offerred me a RECEPTIONIST job there. I took the job...got my new exam and new bifocals...and Angie, for first time in 24 years I keep the glasses on all day...even to read! Yeah...I love that doc! Dazer Deb

Unknown said...

On a good day...I have one pair of glasses in my purse. BRAVO for me that one of my 4 pair of reading glasses is actually IN MY PURSE.

I remember that I used to laugh at my parents friends, who were the age I am now...um hmmm...when they had reading glasses in every room, and then still couldn't find a pair when they needed them.

I've actually had to leave work to run to the drugstore and buy another pair because the rest were back at the house.

I'm near-sighted and wear glasses at home. I take them off to read.

I wear contacts when I go out, and cheap sunglasses because I seem to always be losing a pair. And I reading glasses to read with my contacts.

I wonder if lasik is really working and what the long-term results are? No one really knows because it's still fairly new...right?

So...for now, it's on, off, look, remember, where's that pair I just had?

I refuse to put my reading glasses on a leash around my neck...not yet, not yet!