Spectacles

I've been wearing eye glasses since I was 8 years old.  Maybe it is genetics because both my late parents wore them. But among the four of us, I am the one with the highest grade. 

When I was in high school here na in the Philippines at a Catholic school in San Juan, I had really thick eye glasses. I guess back in the 1980s the ultra thin lenses technology wasn't invented yet. During my university days at UST, same look. Nerdy with bushy hair and thick eye glasses. I remember feeling really scared during my volleyball P.E. classes that my glasses would break if and when the ball would hit my face. Without glasses, I won't be able to play any physical activities or sports. 

Then in the late 1990s, I discovered contact lenses and I dare say it is the greatest invention for both near sighted and far sighted people. No more thick eyeglasses. You do need to buy eye solution to clean and store your contact lenses. Make sure it was clean before putting it directly in your eyes. I still wore thick eyeglasses but only at home. I believe it was merely for vanity's sake, to literally keep up appearances but it gave me so much confidence and boosted my self esteem.

Then lo and behold, the Covid pandemic hit. We had to wear face masks with face shields. Here in the Philippines, we also had to fill up contact tracing forms with our personal details on really small pieces of paper. My dilemma was with contact lenses I could only see far distances. I had separate reading glasses (with lower grade) which I would put on top of my contact lenses so I could read and write. 

Yet with face shields on, I couldn't use my reading glasses. I needed to adapt and went back to wearing eyeglasses. One for distance and a separate one for reading. But with new technology, thankfully the lenses are now thinner, have UV protection and added features for those with astigmatism, like me.

Other than that, my eyes starting bulging when I had uncontrolled hyperthyroidism. It was difficult to wear contact lenses due to the irritability of having dry eyes. Eyedrops only offered temporary relief! Wearing spectacles was the only solution.

Until now with the pandemic behind us but COVID is still a menacing presence so be careful, people! I still haven't gone back to wearing contact lenses again. I prefer to stick to my eyeglasses. Two, one for distance and now for reading which I also wear when I use my laptop. Yes, this gives you an idea, how 'blind' I am. Without any glasses on, I cannot see clearly the screen on my laptop, even the keyboard keys. 

Sometimes, I feel conscious especially when my eyeglasses would fog up because I still wear masks due to my comorbidities. Yet I've also learned that the older I get, the more I develop a I.don't.care.attitude. At 55 years of age, I have nothing else to prove, anymore. Heh!