Going progressive

My image as a geek was sealed the moment my doctors insisted that I wear eyeglasses. This was back in third year high school. Unlike others I never really wanted to wear eyeglasses, specially since my very first pair made look like a dork. Had I kept that pair, it would have been quite handy today since the design (rectangular with a thick black plastic frame) is now back in fashion. Anyway.

For some strange reason, I can't wear contact lenses. I tried. I more than tried, I suffered for weeks in the vain hope that my eyes would be able to adjust to those blasted contraptions that felt like sandpaper rubbing on my eyes. For weeks, I looked like the classic illustration of someone perennially high on weeds - bloodshot eyes, unsteady walk, etc. So I went back to wearing glasses.

Now that I need reading glasses as well, I have gotten used to carrying two pairs: one for reading and the other for, well, driving and walking. It's been such a hassle having to change glasses every single time. Someone adviced laser surgery. Unfortunately, it looks like I don't trust science all that much after all. I just cant' imagine risking my eyes to a potential disaster. I know that the percentage for errors is quite minimal if not totally zilch, but I am a magnet for all kinds of ailments. If it can happen to anyone, it can happen to me (of course, my doctor friends think I am just extremely paranoid and psychosomatic and they are also quite right). Anyway (again).

I finally decided to get progressive glasses. You know, those glasses with two types of lenses - one for reading (lower half) and the other for everything else (upper half). And the lenses automatically turn into a dark shade of gray when exposed to sunlight. Cool huh. Not!

The thing about progressive glasses is that you need to get used to it. And before then, I have to suffer at least a month's worth of headaches. Sigh. You need to get used to walking with your head up (not necessarily a bad idea if you are snooty) and reading with your eyeballs looking down. You also need to train your eyeballs to do the adjusting - say, if you are reading, rather than moving your whole head and straining your whole face just to be able to read. And that's the easy part.

Well, I'll let you know how this experience is coming along. Meantime, I need to go relax my eyes.

Comments

Anonymous said…
progressive glasses? you mean those things that looks "fashionable" for old people? i mean people in their 50s 60s and 70s...

My grandpa used to wear one...

la lang.
8:27 AM
Bong C. Austero said…
Jt,
aray! Tatanda ka rin!
but no, not the doble-vista kind. it looks like any ordinary pair except that the lower part, is for reading.

bong
12:13 PM
Anonymous said…
oh! thanks for clearing that up. I cant imagine YOU WEARING the doble vista type that I was imagining while i was reading your entry. :)

And yeah, tatanda rin ako...pero matagal pa yun! hehe
3:23 PM
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