I think I might have mentioned something about her trying to give me a harder eye test. The clerk relented and simply passed my eye exam, and reminded me to go to an optometrist. I casually looked over the machine, and asked if she were giving me the regular eye test, because there was absolutely nothing wrong with my vision. She calmly replied the test contained the same letters from four years ago, and that I needed glasses.

Glasses...Glasses...I could see everything perfectly. I didn't have any trouble reading or driving, until a few days later. It was then I noticed I could not see the green beltway signs from about 50 yards away. Excuse me, yes, I could see the sign - I could see it was a green sign - but, it was only until I was about 4 car lenghts in front of the sign that I could then legibly read the writing.

"Oh my gosh, I CAN'T see." I thought to myself. I do need glasses. There was nothing wrong with the eye machine at the DMV; there was something wrong with my vision. I quickly mad an appointment with the optometrist. As he determines how blind I am, he asks, "Do you have any trouble seeing the road while driving at night?" Well yes, sort of. "I'm glad I wasn't out there with you", was his reply. I soon learned that I am near sighted. That's why I could see so well up close, and everything was so blurry far away.

After the eye exam, came the hardest part - picking out a pair of glasses. Glasses are an accessory. Glasses are another piece of jewelry for some people. Glasses are a nuisance. There are so many styles, I simply asked the clerk to pick out a pair of glasses for me. It's amazing how differently th world looks when I have my glasses on. The first time I went into the grocery store, the vivid colors of the fruits and vegetables leaped out at me. I no longer had to wait until someone was within an arm's length, to see exactly who it was waving at me. Driving at night was safer, because I did not have to keep slowing down to see the street signs. It's really amazing how much of my world I had memorized as in location and the words on the beltway signs.

So, why don't I have on a pair of glasses now? No, I don't have on contact lenses. I think laser vision is going to be the best thing for me, because I would rather not be bothered with this wire on my face. I do not have my first pair of glasses any more. Neither do I have the next two pair of eye glasses. I lost all three frames. The only pair of glasses I have left are these prescription sunshades. (I put the glasses on.) Oh, yes, now I can see everyone much clearer. There's (so and so) whom I did not recognize, and...let's see...Hi (another person), it truly is so good to see you.

But, do you know how ridiculous I look with these shades on at 9 o'clock in the evening? When I go into the grocery store, the clerks look at me as if I am hiding swollen eyes behind these darken frames. That's why I would rather go around looking a fuzzy faces and blurry words, than to wear these glasses. I am so sick and tired of buying new frames, that I only carry these broken frames in my car for night driving.

I told my 16 year old son, you know you're getting old, because first you can't see, then you can't hear, and pretty soon he'll have to change my diapers. So, I better make that laser appointment as soon as possible.