The Glasses

I got a new pair of glasses last week. I have macular degeneration in my right eye, and my old glasses weren’t strong enough for my right eye anymore. I was really excited about getting new frames because I didn’t like my current black frames. I wanted something gold or silver. I always get wire frames. Probably because I grew up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s! And I wanted to be able to see well. My job entails sitting in front of a computer all day and writing. Vision is vital. So, I had the exam, picked cute pewter-colored frames, paid the big bucks for no-line bifocals and progressive lens that darken in the sun, and left the store, anxious to get my new glasses in several days.

Getting new lenses is always a shock. A huge adjustment. You put on the new glasses and everything is different. The frames are in a different place. The strength of the lens is different. I’m always shocked at how skewed and off kilter the world is. I’m always surprised that the new glasses aren’t perfect, they’re a disaster! What was I thinking? This new pair was no different. The bifocals were so strong I could barely read. I made an appointment with the eye doctor to discuss how awful they were and find out what he was going to do about it. I decided to give myself 2 days to see if I could get used to them.

So I brought both pairs of glasses with me to work and started the struggle to get accustomed to my new glasses a little at a time. I had to admit my distance vision was much improved, my right eye could see the world much better. But the bifocals were awful. My new glasses had bigger frames, so the bifocals were much lower than what I was accustomed to, so I started by moving my computer monitor down as far as I could, so I wouldn’t have to tilt my head so far back that my neck was breaking. That first day I came home with a soreness that started in my neck and went down my back! I was frustrated and disheartened.

Of course, I got used to the glasses and by the next week I wore them all the time and almost forgot how impossible they are. Working in front of a computer with a giant monitor is really tough with bifocals. If you don’t know now, you will.

Change is difficult, even when it’s a change that is ultimately for the best.

Old glasses in first picture, new in second. Maybe some don’t like the new pair, but I do! I like the change.