Life between the rims

Abdullah Sheikh / Silhouette Staff

Living life with a pair of spectacles bridged across your nose. A heavy rain can obscure your vision just as much as it can soak your clothes, and a stiff wind may take both your hat and eyesight away. Still, one can’t really speak out against eyeglasses (with the exception of these in favour of contact lenses) because, well, without them many of us would be unable to see.

My first day with glasses was quite the debacle. Around nine or ten years ago, I found myself unable to read the blackboard in my elementary school class. In that haze of childhood apathy and hakuna matata every child goes through, I chalked it up to nothing important but did resolve to speak to my mother of it.

The day just went downhill after I told her. Within the hour we were driving down to Wallmart (not yet evolved into its super variety) to meet with the optometrist. He checked my eyes, and to my horror actually prescribed eyeglasses! To think, I’d have to wear those dinky little frames, indicative of nerds everywhere, on my face for the rest of my life. Needless to say, I began to count the days until I would turn eighteen and qualify for laser eye surgery.

The doctor knew better, however, and promptly informed me of the nature of laser eye surgery. A big queasy and not just a little turned off from the prospect, I decided that cutting my eyes open to fix them wasn’t the best way to go about avoiding glasses. It was then that they put the glasses on me, kicking and screaming.

Imagine it (for those of you not personally acquainted with the feeling). Seeing the world through a washed up glass, and suddenly having someone yank it away. That first moment of clarity, of being able to see clearly for the first time in who-knows-when. It was a moment I relish to this day. With those wide-eyed Nintendo spectacles on my face (yes, Mario and co. did lend their names to glasses back then), it felt like I was in a whole new world.

I guess that puts me firmly in the camp of eyeglasses. Functional, chic and more than just a little bit liberating.

Regardless of any nerd or geek connotations (and really, what self-respecting adult uses these terms anyway?) I think glasses are great. One shouldn’t be afraid of wearing them because of what others may think.