Picking out glasses

I've had a love-hate relationship with my eyes! As a kid all my siblings and my parents wore glasses. And each year when the school nurse would do an annual eye check I would pass with flying colors. I was relieved that I had somehow been blessed with better vision than all of them!

My kids all have made their way into a corrective lens. I've paid for my share of eye exams, glasses, contacts and all of the goodies that go with seeing the world clearly. Obviously, they didn't get their eyes from their mother!

So when I got my eyes checked the first time as an adult by a professional I was shocked to learn I need glasses. And not only glasses but bifocals. I struggled with those glasses. I tried to wear them but in the end, they spent more time in the case than on my face! A couple years later I had my eyes checked again and funny thing but I didn't need bifocals...imagine that I wouldn't need bifocals for many, many years later. Single view glasses was a refreshing change and I wore those glasses much more than I ever did my first pair.

Flash a few years ahead and contacts made their way into my life. Yay! I could see near and far when I finally really did need bifocals.

So after a recent eye exam, I was again looking at needing new glasses and if you've ever had to pick out frames for glasses you know what I am talking about here. I brought home four different frames for family and friends to give me their opinion on. I had my favorite frames but I wanted the opinion of those I knew looked at me most, after all, they would see the glasses more than I ever would. It's kind of like painting your house, your neighbors see the exterior color more than you ever do. We've all seen those people with glasses where we've thought to our selves "what the heck?" or "who told you that looked good on you?". I didn't want to be one of those sassy little old ladies with bright colored frames, although it is the trend right now! It's all a complicated process. My daughter, who I knew would give me the most honest opinion did just that. She brought a perspective to the whole process that made me eliminate each frame one by one until we had a winner!

The next part of this fun process was going to order these frames. What kind of material did I want my lens made out of or how did I want the transition from one prescription to the other on the lens were all fun questions I had to decide on. The tech had to figure and mark where my eyes would focus on the lens. Did I want the non-glare coating or the blue light coating? They now make a coating just for people who get migraines, but it gives the lens a funky colored look, so no that was not for me. What color did I want the frames in? All this thrown in with less than helpful vision insurance card and 45 minutes later and the glasses were ordered! Alleluia!!

I go pick the new glasses up in two weeks. And honestly, I'm looking forward to getting these glasses. I think they'll look okay. I've always thought most people look smarter in glasses, just my perspective. I know wearing glasses does not make you smarter, but a good looking pair of frames can look pretty sharp!

In this whole process, I've learned a great deal about vision, thanks to the eye doctor during my exam and about lens and frames thanks to the tech who helped me! I may not look smarter in the new glasses but I learned a lot and that makes me smarter!!

Whew, that was a lot of decisions to be made just to see better! Here's to seeing the world clearer in a couple of weeks!