I thought about wearing my contact lenses the other day. But it all seemed too hard. I told a friend later and she commented that she’d never known me to wear contacts.
That stopped me in my tracks and made me realise how different my life is now… compared to just two years ago.
Obviously the glasses thing isn’t the big change in itself, but it feels representative somehow – of the then…. and now.
I’ve needed glasses for shortsightedness since about 1990 when I finally discovered trees weren’t just green blurry things. I still remember my surprise at seeing actual leaves and branches – only then realising I hadn’t done so for some time. I was playing a bit of sport at the time and could also suddenly see the other end of a netball or basketball court.
I like to think it was the fact I was playing quite a bit of sport that led to my switch to contact lenses, but in all honesty… I just hated myself in glasses.
“But they suit you,” my close friends (the rare beings who saw me in my glasses) would say.
I tried to keep my specs up-to-date, splurging on a new pair every couple of years. But, from the moment I left the house in the morning until I returned at night, they remained tucked away, hidden from the world. Like Superman. But in reverse! (Oh and without the superpowers!)
The vanity of it all never really made sense though. I don’t wear make up and have been (am) very overweight; I often care little about my physical appearance, but… there was no way you’d see me with glasses.
Once I hit 40 things started to change and I became one of those people whose struggled with their ‘midrange’. IF I have my contacts in / glasses on I have to hold a menu at an arm’s length to read it. Or if my eyes are au natural, I need to hold it up close to read. This became increasingly problematic with the advent of smart phones and devices.
And then I moved. I spent most of my first year post-sea change at home. I put my contact lenses in when going out, but it was a rarity. And then, I needed my eyes checked and got a 2-for-1 deal at a local optometrist. Once caring about brands and labels I happily drifted in to see what I found find in my price range. There was nothing I particularly loved but I managed to find a pair of glasses for home and a pair to be worn as sunglasses.
And I haven’t looked back. I wear the two pairs interchangeably as required and nowadays even wear my glasses out in the evening. It makes me wonder if my previous antipathy was a hangover from my youth – back when all glasses were fairly unattractive and (quite frankly) a bit naff. Back in the ‘boys don’t make passes….’ days. (And the adult me is horrified I was so easily swayed by something so superficial!)
I’m not sure if I’ve lost any self-pride self-consciousness I once had, but I’m kinda used to myself in glasses now. In fact I now seem them as ‘me’ and think I actually look strange without them!
Of course… I wonder though – if I was dating or night-clubbing – whether I’d wear my glasses or worry they make me appear less alluring. #orsomething (Having said that I’m just as attracted to guys with glasses, as those without!)
Are you a wearer of glasses? Or contact lenses? Any concerns or inhibitions about wearing them?
Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.
July 22, 2014
I’ve worn glasses since I was ten and can totally relate to the revelation of being able to see individual leaves on trees. There was a brief period somewhere in my late 20s when I tried contact lenses but they always made my eyes tired and irritated so when they tore I never bothered to replace them. My only issue about being bespectacled is that they will fog up on humid runs. Really, not much of an issue at all.
July 22, 2014
I don’t think I could exercise in mine as I get very hot – my face gets hot and sweaty easily so mine would fog up easily.
July 22, 2014
I have the exact same problem with the ‘midrange’! After having worn contact lenses for almost twenty years my shortsightedness got so bad (am at -4.0 now) that the lenses no longer worked for both long and short distances. I did try bifocal contact lenses but never liked them. So now I also wear glasses all the time and took a deal at the opticians and got some prescription sunglasses. I like my glasses and am getting used to always wearing them but I admit that I still miss my contact lens days, they just made everything so easy and I was able to wear all kinds of different sunglasses which I loved. Now I just hope that my vision doesn’t get much worse than this because I cannot afford to keep changing glasses all the time!
July 22, 2014
I’m really blind as well Kerstin (4.25 and 4.5!). So I can’t actually function without them. I was thinking of having that surgery but if I got my eyes fixed for shortsightedness I wouldn’t be able to read anything up-close!
Deb
July 22, 2014
I held off wearing reading glasses due to vanity for so long the kids were correcting my reading in class! Now I have a variety of cheap, funky pairs, as I lose or break them regularly. I actually like the look of glasses on people and I must say, judging from your blog pic they suit you Deb. 🙂
July 22, 2014
I’m kinda used to myself in them now so don’t mind them so much. Perhaps it’s also cos the style’s evolved a lot in the last 20-25yrs.
July 22, 2014
Been wearing glasses since I was 8 years old. I’m now 30. I tried contacts last year for the very first time and tried the daily disposable ones when I went out but it wasn’t great. Earlier this year, I tried monthly contacts but still found them uncomfortable and preferred glasses. So I’m back to glasses now. I love the styles these days compared to when I was a kid…so much more choice, so many options! I took about 90 minutes to choose my current pair a month ago! 😀
Having said that, I have had any passes made at me in bars…so maybe there is something to that saying? 😛 {Really doesn’t bother me!}
July 25, 2014
I used to wear contacts all of the time so found them comfortable (I wore monthly disposables mostly). But… I did have to have ones with a really high water content as my eyes dried out pretty quickly and easily!
July 22, 2014
I wear them now ( for about three years). I really need them for reading anything but also a bit for distance. I like them except they make me look like my mother and old aunties. Time stops for no-one. Hubby wears them and always has and he’s hot to me!
July 25, 2014
Yes I know. I see other people in glasses and think they look great. As I said I’m now more accustomed to seeing myself in them so dislike them (on me!) less!
July 22, 2014
Surely gone are the days when people judge others on wearing glasses? There’s a high chance I’ll need then when I get old and I reckon there’s so many funky styles to choose from it will be great. Not sure I could do the contact thing if I needed them 24/7! UGH
July 23, 2014
One of the recurring dreams I have relates to wearing contacts. Interestingly I haven’t had it for ages (since I stopped wearing them). In my dream I go to put the contacts in for an important event (usually some sporting thing – which I haven’t done in decades) and I get them out of the case and they’re HUGE. I can’t work out how I’m going to fit them in my eyes!
July 22, 2014
I have glasses but anyone could wear them and barely notice the prescription. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been complimented on them when I wear them! People say “I didn’t know you wore glasses! You look….” insert naughty secretary type comments here. HA!! I don’t think I could ever wear contacts simply because I can’t stand anything near my eyes! -Aroha (for #teamIBOT)
July 23, 2014
I’m a bit eye-sensitive like that. I hate going to the optometrist or anyone trying to put makeup on my eyes etc!
July 22, 2014
I don’t love wearing mine out, but I don’t need to either so I get away with it. 🙂
I do have a pair for home and a pair for going out though. (I need to wear them driving at night.) I don’t think they make people less attractive. There was a report not long ago on celebrities with glasses and how much hotter they are wearing them.
July 23, 2014
Oh yes, I think having famous people wear them (and look attractive!) has helped break down any old stereotypes about specs-wearers!
July 22, 2014
As a glasses wearer I just had to read this post. I have only worn glasses in the last five years. I have tried to get contact lenses, but it’s all been a little difficult. When I go out to an event I usually prefer to go blind, although my eyesight is not that bad. I wore a brand new pair of glasses to work today and only three people commented. I was quite disappointed.
July 23, 2014
It’s strange isn’t it? Nowadays (anyway) I don’t think of glasses-wearers as being nerdy or less-attractive, and yet, there’s still some strange antipathy about it all. (Perhaps we were too well indoctrinated as kids and future generations won’t be like that at all!)
July 22, 2014
I have to wear glasses now to read and see things close up. I think if I had to wear glasses in my earlier years I wouldn’t have.
July 23, 2014
Yes.. completely understand!
July 23, 2014
I have worn glasses since I was 9 and contacts since I was 11 or 12. Recently I have been wanting to find nice glasses (I wear contacts every day) and just ordered my first new pair in 9 years. Hoping they look ok and I can at least enjoy them some days and when I travel (i am light sensitive so wear sunglasses outside all the time unless raining)
July 23, 2014
I’m sure you’ll find the perfect pair Deb and they’ll look great!
July 24, 2014
I can completely relate to this! Except I still don’t wear my glasses unless I absolutely have to. I like glasses on othrr people and I don’t even mind them on me but I just don’t think of myself as a glasses person. I didn’t realise I needed them until I could not read the board at uni and was asking a friend to tell me what it said. She got sick of it and told me to get my eyes checked!
July 25, 2014
I think I was at Uni when I first realised I needed glasses, though probably waited quite a while after that before I wore anything (glasses or contacts) regularly!
July 24, 2014
I started wearing glasses about 20 years ago as an accessory and realized I was missing so much, because my eyesight was quite bad! I love wearing glasses, and have never wished I didn’t need them. I used to wear coloured contacts every couple of days for a change a few years ago, bright blue, green and purple, but they were more annoying than not.
I think your suit you Deb.
July 25, 2014
It used to be the hassle of glasses (or contacts) which bothered me… HAVING to grab them before doing anything. I think as I played a bit of sport etc when younger they were a necessary evil – indeed the recurring nightmare I have about contacts is always related to playing sport!