Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
I never needed eyeglasses until my freshman year in high school. The need to wear eyeglasses seemed to come on suddenly.
My optometrist at the time told me I was near-sighted. For those who don't know, that means I can't see far away. As it is, right now, without eyeglasses, I can't seem to see more than approximately 10 feet away.
But once I started wearing eyeglasses, "I saw the light." I no longer had to sit in the front row in school to see the chalkboard. I could read road signs before I was right in front of them. I could read the bottom row on those charts.
No one wants to have to wear glasses or to have their eyesight go bad. But I'm glad there was a way to help me see better. Otherwise, I couldn't read, drive or do the many things I enjoy doing that require good vision.
There are some problems with having to wear glasses, obviously. They're not cheap. You have to update them every so often.
And I tend to break mine. Frequently.
Usually, they end up broken due to my frolicking with friends. My friends tend to not understand that without eyeglasses, I can't see very well, but if I wear them, I've got to be careful. Obviously, since they always end up destroyed, my friends forget to be careful and I do, too. I can get a little crazy while playing.
I always tell myself I'll be more careful with each new pair I end up having to buy. It doesn't happen because I start having way too much fun and forget.
Then there are times when my glasses break due to circumstances not completely within my control.
Anyhow, I'm often asked why I don't get contacts. For several reasons. My eyes are way too sensitive. I hate sticking stuff in my eyes. I'd likely lose contacts faster than I break eyeglasses.
As for surgery to permanently fix my eyes, that's not likely to happen. Do you know how much it costs to have that surgery done? And even if it wasn't expensive, how long would it last before I'd have to have it again? I'm not sure I'd be a good candidate for the operation anyhow.
I really don't mind glasses, though. I think they add character to whomever wears them. I'm really not saying that just because I've worn them for the past nine years, either. I appreciate how well they improve my vision and they do give me character. Glasses are a small price to pay for better vision.
What amuses me is when immature people resort to calling someone with glasses names.
"Four-eyes" is not an insult. If anything, it's an insult to the name-caller who doesn't realize how immature he is being, especially if "four-eyes" is the worst insult a person can come up with. If I were to resort to that level of immaturity, I'd probably reply with something like, "Four eyes are better than two."
But I just shrug and laugh.
As an adult, I don't encounter too many people who care if someone wears glasses or not. At least, not too often. It's usually children who have to deal with that whole "four-eyes" dilemma. They are made to feel that if they have to wear glasses, they're nerds, outcasts or whatever.
But that will pass. Eventually, hopefully, they will realize that eyewear is beneficial and can add positively to a person's looks. Even famous and great-looking people need them, though they may prefer contacts. They've also been around for many years in one form or another.
Glasses also can be a fashion statement. Fashion designers even give their names to lines of eyewear.
Not wearing them, or at least contacts, for the sake of looks or what others may think is foolish. There's nothing wrong with wearing them.
Get over it.
And when you go to get your eyewear, whether for the first time or because someone caused damage to the pair you had, make your priority in picking a new pair be that they fit well. They should be snug but not cut off the circulation. They shouldn't slip off easily, but it also shouldn't take a crowbar to be taken off.
Then, after you've found a pair that will fit well, make sure they look good on your face. Not only in style and color, but also look good with the dimensions and shape of your face. Your optometrist or optometrist's assistant, as well as a friend or family member, should be able to help you. Remember, the glasses are going to be a part of your face for a few years.
Then, once you've narrowed down your selection to a few, look at prices. For some people, price may come first, but don't let that alter your decision too much. A good-fitting, good-looking pair of glasses is an investment for one to several years, depending on what your optometrist prescribes.
Sooner or later, most people will end up wearing glasses, either on a permanent basis or for reading or driving purposes. It happens.
We are fortunate that science is so advanced that there is eyewear, designer eyewear to say the least, that can help us see the world and all its beauty better.
And remember, there are some people who can't see at all with or without glasses. So if eyewear is necessary, accept it and move on.
And thank your optometrist.
