This was 1989. Please tell me I wasn’t the only one wearing these glasses!
It is a lamentable state of being, this ageing thing. There are lumps and bumps. Aches and creaks. Mysterious stabs of pain that are nothing, or could be something, who knows. Your knees go on you, then your back gets dodgy.
Tomorrow I’m back to the optometrist to pick up my MULTIFOCAL glasses. It wasn’t bad enough that whoever is running this joint gave me my father’s longsightedness at 14 but now they have decided that as part of the natural ageing process I’m to be shortsighted as well.
I just wanted a pair of contact lenses to wear at the blogging conference. That’s all.
The optometrist is one of those diligent types. Apparently you shouldn’t leave it over two years between appointments – could these people not just be grateful when I do show up!
He starts with the news I need stronger lenses. Then he throws in the curve ball about multifocals.
Apparently I’ve been using my right eye for distance and my left eye for reading.
“Aren’t I clever.” I state proudly.
He’s not giving any gold stars.
Since the makers of my contact lenses ceased production on my favourite type I’ve struggled with their new versions and have given up wearing contacts altogether (which is part of the problem I reckon, I have a theory, based on absolutely no scientific or medical data whatsoever, that when I wear my contacts full-time my eyes don’t degenerate – someone should do a study on that). So now Mr Diligence decides I should have daily wear contacts (more expensive than the previous models).
He also sends me out the front for selecting of the dreaded multifocals.
I ask the nice customer service guy how much we would be talking about for multifocals.
“A lot” was the reply.
He wasn’t joking.
We start off at the cheaper end of the frame spectrum (and that’s $170 plus). It appears the 80’s are making a comeback in the spectacle world. I’m not kidding. Large, plastic looking frames. My husband threw a party when I got rid of my ginormous pink numbers in the early 90’s (when I get onto something I hold on until it is well and truly out of fashion). This time around black seems to be the colour of choice, alah Daria from that cartoon. I imagine my husband’s reaction if I arrive home with giant, plastic take-up-all-your-face frames again. So we move into the more expensive frame spectrum.
By the end of the experience, I am the proud owner of a pair of glasses with a Dame Edna tinge to them (decorative side panel). They are very similar to what my mother purchased recently, which gave my brother and I no end of amusement. But they ARE IN FASHION. We’ve also worked out a payment plan because the spectacles are nearly as much as what it would cost me to fly to Bali for a five-day holiday.
So having walked in looking for a packet of contact lenses, I leave with a debt, and multifocal glasses that will make my mother and I look like twins when we stand side by side wearing our glasses!
Just another fun day in the ageing process.
I’m going to try to take part in the A to Z Challenge Blog Hop this month. That means each day a post related to a letter of the alphabet. The concept is the brainchild of Arlee Bird who blogs at Tossing It Out – thanks Arlee.
Interesting theory about eyesight changes while wearing contacts. I’ve always thought my eyes became too dependent on my glasses. (Won’t drive without wearing them now though, despite not being restricted to them.) And yes, they’re definitely getting expensive.
I swear when I wear my contacts all the time I can go years without needing any changes to the strength of the lenses! Thanks for stopping by.
Yep I had a pair like that when in high school!!!! And yeah Hubby had to buy multifocals recently. He still will not tell me how much he paid, and I don’t think I want to know!!! Happy Days this ageing process hey 🙂
So glad someone else has admitted to wearing these delightful glasses! Re the cost of the multifocals – no you don’t want to know – I haven’t told my husband how much they are going to be – he thinks the $400 he paid for his own ordinary specs where dear!
I absolutely love my black framed glasses. I always order online because it’s so much cheaper. I bought one pair for my 8 year old at the eye doctor and he lost them so I’ll probably never do that again.
Kids are good like that aren’t they? I tried to comment on your blog post (which I enjoyed even though I’m not familiar with the music) but I can’t comment on blogger blogs unless they have the option of name/url. I don’t know why, my wordpress login never works.
Thanks for pointing that out to me. I had a friend with the same issue. I’ll try to figure out how to fix it. I did get a tweet this post icon added today.
Ah yes, I actually inflicted those frames on my poor son. And contacts, surely you jest, I stopped wearing those about ten years ago (seems I don’t make enough tears now). I spend about $600 for my “multifocals” now.
Popped in from the AtoZ Challenge.
thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
Thank you for stopping by Tami, I did try to comment on your blog but for some reason blogger won’t recognise my wordpress login so I can’t comment on blogs unless they have the name/url option. But I did visit and I loved the angel!
I love that picture of you!!
Really??? Did you SEE the glasses???
Heh heh – very funny Janine. And very sad for you that you can’t be spending that money on a holiday to Bali. I had similar glasses, that were blue, because we wouldn’t want them to be a subtle skin tone, would we?
Oh no, discrete was not the 80’s, they had to stand out.