I’ve had glasses or contacts for pretty much as long as I can remember. My eyes and those of my family could generously be described as “dog crap” and not so generously described as “damn near blind.” I once told a girl what strength my prescription was for my contacts (6.5 in the right eye, now 7.5 in the left) and she told me that “wasn’t a thing.” Then I told her my sister’s eyes were even WORSE and she almost fell out of her chair.
I don’t recall struggling in school because I couldn’t see, nor do I remember that eye-opening moment of being able to see clearly for the first time. I do however remember selecting my first set of frames. My recollection is that I wanted to look like Arthur. Yes, the cartoon aardvark. So I picked out a set of round, bronze colored frames that became my de facto face for quite some time.
I was never bullied because of them in the way so many movies and people from older generations describe, but it did shape my experience. Continue reading “My Life Through Four Eyes”