I couldn’t resist quoting George H.W. Bush but this is mostly about aging eye sight and very little about politics. (More)
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I am 65 and need reading glasses to function. As a result I buy them in bulk and scatter them throughout my life. I have pairs by my computer, by my bed, in the kitchen and in my purse and car. I have stepped on them while searching for a pair and broken them. I don’t even bother to put them in cases anymore.
I once wore prescription glasses for distance vision. That coincided with an increasing need for reading glasses. I tried bifocals in my forties. Whether they were seamless or lined, I hated them. I felt like the world was out of kilter and that I was at risk of falling up and down the stairs. I also struck out on wearing one contact for near and one for far. I set a record for headaches which I rarely got before or after this brief experiment. I no longer need a correction for far sightedness.
I’m down to reading glasses which have gone from, “Oh these really help and I think they look kind of cool” to “I cannot function without them.”
I bought some creamy horseradish sauce recently. I didn’t fish my glasses out of my purse but grabbed a familiar brand. I didn’t notice “extra hot” on the label. Yikes! Seriously, I had to wash my slices of roast beef off and start over. The good news was that my sinuses were totally clear. The horseradish went into the garbage. I tried to give it away but couldn’t find any takers.
I have taken a magic marker and put a big “S” on the shampoo and a big “C” on the conditioner. I wrote emails to the makers of said products suggesting that I was but one of many boomers and others with limited sight who would appreciate them redesigning their containers. They did send me coupons and a nice note but they haven’t changed their packaging. Duh!
My computer and my Nook were designed with ways to change the size of the typeface. Kudos to the designers who must have had me in mind. My “not smart” cell phone needs to be replaced soon. One of my must haves is the same ability to enlarge the type. I wonder, are all the techies so young that no one can relate to my eye sight? What gives with the whole notion of pleasing the customer?
Back to political vision. I am “in” and “fired up, ready to go” for Obama’s vision of an America that works for all its citizens and where we all play by the same rules. I take my reading glasses to every phone bank and canvassing. I want to check the right boxes.
October 24, 2012 at 2:22 pm
What is shampoo for?
Regards, Old Baldy
October 24, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Too cute Gardener!
October 24, 2012 at 4:34 pm
I have a somewhat different vision problem: I need to wear glasses to see anything in the distance, but I can’t wear them any longer to read. This results in my frequent “where the (bleep) did I put my glasses?” moments when I realize I have to go somewhere
October 24, 2012 at 4:44 pm
It’s expensive to buy distance prescription glasses in bulk. One spare pair for emergencies may be enough. I can relate to the “bleep.”
October 24, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Your blog post today was most excellent, Norbrook!
October 25, 2012 at 4:39 am
On the glasses thing: I am still, a year after cataract surgery, trying to adjust to the complete reversal in my vision. I used to need glasses for distance, then glasses for the computer as well. Had bifocals from my mid-thirties. Just took my bifocals off in order to read… perfectly.
Well…. Now I don’t need glasses for far, I need them for the computer still, and I need them for reading. This change has resulted in a pair of OTC glasses stapled to my computer keyboard, and two pairs of reading glasses.
Why two? Because I keep one cheap pair in my purse (I can never remember to bring them) and one pair in the tote where I keep my Nook. This works really well until someone says “Look at this!” and I’m fishing around to find the right pair of glasses for the near point. Or in the kitchen where my distance vision is useless if I want to see anything like labels, recipes, etc. So I guess I need a pair of readers for the kitchen. A pair for the bathroom. A pair for… Hmmm.
I tried wearing the readers on a string around my neck, but it drives me nuts and gets in the way of the sunglasses I must wear whenever I go out since cataract surgery. I get tangled in all the cords. Hah!
I keep thinking I’ll get used to it, but 50 years of habit is hard to overcome. And yes, I know myself well enough to realize I am not one of the people who will adapt to the the no-line multifocals. Nor could I wear my sunglasses over them, and I’m danged if I’ll get RX sunglasses. Really!
Hugggs!