Mara at I Have Tea recently wrote an entry about bifocals that made me remember when my niece, Sheila, first got glasses.
I've never had to have glasses. I actually have very, very good vision, and surprisingly, at 40 years old, after staring at computer screens for much of my life and reading daily, sometimes late into the night for 34 of those years, I still have better than 20/20 vision --20/15 in one eye and 20/17 in the other. (My husband, with his typical two-track mind {fishing and hunting} remarked when I told him what my vision was that with that kind of eyesight he couldn't wait to get me out there in the woods hunting. And I am a good shot!)
Anyway, getting back to my niece -- she is only three years younger than I am, being the daughter of my oldest sister. When she was about nine years old she had to get glasses for the first time. She lived in town, very close to the school, and walked home every day, and she wanted to walk to the eye doctor's office, also close by, on the day that she was to get her glasses. Her mother had just given birth to Sheila's little brother, and one of them, my nephew or my sister (I can't remember which) was under the weather, so my sister asked me if I would walk with Sheila to the eye doctor after school, then walk her home and then my brother-in-law would take me home.
I did, and I'll never forget it. On the way home from the doctor's office my niece, wearing the brand new glasses, was literally in awe at what she could see! All the way to her house she was saying things like, "Wow! I can see that sign way up there! Look at that bird in that tree! Look at that pretty flower up on that porch!" I was laughing, but it was because it was so sweet. I had no idea how it was to not see well or the amazing difference a pair of glasses could make.
I am the only one in my family who has never had to wear glasses. My father was far-sighted and wore them all his adult life. My mother, my brother, and four of my five sisters are near-sighted and have worn them since their childhood. My other sister had to wear glasses for a few years as a child.
I really appreciate the fact that my eyesight is good. I'm sure someday I will have to wear them, maybe not all the time, but for reading or driving. But so far, whenever I go for a checkup they are still better than 20/20. Hope they stay that way for a long time!
3 comments:
I too have been lucky and I am much older then you. I can still see fine to drive without glasses. Need them for maps and telephone books etc. Like your neice we couldn't imagine how much our youngest daughter couldn't see until she got glasses. We felt really bad that we hadn't realized. I hope you won't need glasses for a long time to come. Paula
i can identify with your niece - have worn glasses since 6th grade (don't want to count up that many years). about six months ago, mine fell from my face and broke. being on a tight budget, i did without for a while. my right eye is great, but the left i can't see squat from that one...anyway, i went six months without glasses. and now, even getting used to the bifocals, i am so thrilled. i definitely won't take my vision with them for granted again. :-)
if you do ever have to get glasses, check out those little square ones that sit at the end of the nose. reading glasses, i guess they're called. they look so distinguished!
The exact same thing happened with my daughter. She was only about 5 years old when she got her first glasses and could finally really see, It was so cute but also made me cry that I hadn't known she needed them sooner.
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