Eye See

When I was in sixth grade my class took a test. A short while later, a strange lady came to the door and called my name and another student's name and asked that we please go with her.

It seems Billy, the other student, and I had failed this test and we were being given letters to take home to give to our parents to inform them of this.

Of course, when we came back to the room, everyone knew we'd failed. I'm sure the others were busily thinking up names to call us as soon as recess came around.

You see, it was an eye test.

I immediately began to rebel inside. I was not, I thought to my self, going to wear stupid glasses.

This was a time when almost no child wore glasses. I think maybe one girl in my class did, but I'm not even sure of that.

I reckon lots of children walked around half-blind back then. Either that or kids have glasses now at the blink of an eye.

I was soon taken to an ophthalmologist who did a very thorough examination and determined that although I was near sighted, it was not severe enough to wear glasses - yet.

It wasn't until eighth grade that I was given reading glasses. I only needed them for blackboard work, or if I had to sit way in the back for something - say, church, or a concert, or a play.

That wasn't too bad. I always tried to make sure I was up front in class so I didn't have to wear them. I ignored the other times.

Then suddenly, when I was about twenty-nine I couldn't see the television clearly even with my eighth grade glasses.

This scared me and I went to the doctor. He examined my eyes and was pretty alarmed himself. He was concerned that my eyes had so suddenly gotten worse, and feared I'd be in bi-focals before I was thirty if this decline continued at the rate I'd reported.

Bi-focals? For a twenty-nine year old? I thought not! (see how much I matured between the ages of eleven and twenty-nine?)

I wore the glasses all the time, except when I ate. For some reason I couldn't tolerate that.

Then I got contacts. Wow! Magic. I could see perfectly. Better than with my specs.

Now? Either my contacts need changing or I'm getting so lazy I don't care and just slap on my glasses.

Maybe both.

I'm due an exam and I guess he'll tell me what I need.

I read without the aid of anything because I'm so  near-sighted the "arms-aren't-long-enough" syndrome never happened. But three feet out, everything is a blur.

I was thinking about all this because my mother had a cataract removed last week, and Holy cow! She has to have a million drops put in every day. A friend is staying with her for two weeks, which I appreciate. That way no one is having to keep the roads hot back and forth to administer said drops.

She can already see much better.

I read (without my glasses) that people with "sky eyes" get cataracts more often. That means those with grey or blue eyes. "Earth eyes" are green (like mine) and brown.

So maybe I'll be saved from failing, yet again, another eye test.

I don't know how much more failure I can take.