I have been wearing glasses since the 3rd grade, and my prescription has changed a lot over the years. When I reached my 40s, the optometrist said one benefit of getting older was that my vision was changing again…but now I needed bifocals!
Recently, it was time to upgrade again. Usually I take the cheapest frames, but this time, I splurged on Transition lenses for the first time ever. It took two weeks for them to come in and you know what? I can’t really see any better than I could before. I noticed it immediately at the store but was told, “Oh, it will clear up in a day or two. You just have to get used to them.” Really? Since when? I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 9 and I never had to wait for my eyes to adjust.
But I’ve been learning from my glasses. And, no, they are not rose-colored. Here are a few things I’ve gleaned already:
• I waited to see if people noticed any changes about me, like a five-year-old. Even if we don’t say, “Look at me!”, it’s human nature to want people to compliment us. It’s a good feeling and boosts our self-esteem. Keep that in mind when someone else has something new. They might want to hear how nice they look in that blouse/suit or with that hair cut/color.
• I found myself glancing in the mirror more often. I’m not really a vain person, but I do check to make sure my hair looks decent and I don’t have food in my teeth from time to time during the day. Today, though, I was conscious of every time I looked in the mirror. I felt selfish, egotistical, self-important. I did not like seeing that side of me.
• I felt disappointment and gained hope. The whole reason I got the Transition lenses was the massive amounts of sunshine. I know I can wear sunglasses over my “real” glasses, but that is bulky. You know what I did get? Rain all weekend! Yet, I know that the sun will shine again, no matter what the weather is like today.
Glasses are worn to improve vision. Vision could be a goal set for yourself, far in the future or just around the corner. Down the road of life, things can be fuzzy and it helps to have some clarity to reach our destination. We may not be able to see everything that lies ahead, but as long as we can see just the steps in front of us, we can keep moving forward. That is how to reach our goals, one step at a time.