Wearing Glasses and Contacts

In the 1950s people didn’t wear seat beats when in a car.  So there were times when we were in the car, D and I would lean over the front seat of our green Pontiac.  To pass the time, D and I would read the letters and numbers on the license plates of the cars in front of us.  Eventually I couldn’t read what was on the plates.  My mom took me to the eye doctor, and I needed glasses.  Not long after that D started wearing glasses too.  D and I always had different glasses, even if it was only the color.  That was one way some people could tell us apart.

When I was grown and had my first full-time job, the first thing that I bought were contact lenses.  In 1968 contact lenses were hard.  I had to slowly get used to wearing them.  I started out wearing them a couple hours a day, slowly increasing the time.  I couldn’t sleep in them; they would hurt my eyes.  It was great when soft contacts came along.  And even better when they became disposable!  Sometimes I think maybe I’ll just go back to wearing glasses.  But when I take my contacts out at night and wear glasses, they slipped off my nose and the back of my ears hurt.  Wearing bifocals adds another set of problems.  I’ve also thought about Lasik surgery, but I’m too scared.  I love to read and crochet too much to jeopardize my eyesight like that.  I just thank God for glasses and contacts because I couldn't see very much without them.

 Click on photo to see my first pair of glasses.