It’s sometimes hard for someone who doesn’t require glasses to understand what we see or rather not see without them. I would like to tell you a bit of a different love story…..
I was six years old when I had to admit that my world started to get blurry. Short sighted - what does that even mean? Over 20 years ago, unfortunately glasses were not seen as a fashion item- which made it quite hard at times for a little girl to wear them with confidence.
Growing up in a family where only the females seemed haunted by this curse didn’t make it any better. At the age of 15 I finally persuaded my mum that I needed contact lenses to help me keep up my active lifestyle.
Being honest it was more of a threat to mum, which enabled me to get my own way, as I hardly wore my glasses and would rather put up with my impaired vision.
Fast forward to my 22nd birthday when I had to deal with conjunctivitis caused by my extensive contact lens wear. I admit that wearing them for up to 16 hours a day and sometimes falling asleep with them probably didn’t help!
Contact lens technology was a far cry from the options we have today! It was at that point when I actually walked into an Optometrists and honestly chose my first pair of glasses with everyday use in my mind.
I was told that I should stay away from contact lens wear for 6 month to give my eyes the best chance of healing. Something changed my way of thinking about glasses. I didn’t need to be afraid of wearing them in-front of others. I was grateful that there is a product that helps me correct my vision to 100%.
In recent times I have become a big advocate glasses and I wear my eyewear as much as I can. With me now actually preferring them to contact lenses, which I now mainly wear for my sporting activities.
For years, I was considering eye laser surgery, but I would honestly miss my eyewear. I now consider myself as a bit of a glasses collector – I would give Elton John and Johnny Depp a run for their money! Depending on my daily mood or outfit, I always have a suitable partner in crime to accompany my daily adventures. They are the first thing I attend to in the morning and the last thing to take off before a good night sleep.
Nowadays, glasses are definitely part of my personal style. Who would have thought that one day people would buy glasses without a prescription, simply because it’s fashionable to wear them? Do I wonder how different and sometimes easier it would make my daily routines without them? Hell yes. But there are more important things in life, such as choosing a new pair to add to my collection.