Only old people wear bifocals

I had a somewhat surprise experience recently when I went to the optometrist and walked out an hour later the proud owner of a pair of bifocals.

How very confronting, unexpected yet blessed that has turned out to be.

I think I’ve been pleasantly surprised and shocked in equal measure. Pleased it wasn’t glaucoma but also shocked that I was going to have to wear ‘old woman glasses’ (not for a 30ish year old), all the time, probably for the rest of my life.

Recollections of my childhood angst returned as I recalled my experiences as a pre-pubescent teenager, when I was decked out in large, plastic, ugly specs. The lack of fashion kudos was highlighted by one particularly unfriendly kid at school who used to make owl sounds as I walked past. Not owl as in wise old sage but humiliating that I internalised as ‘you look like/are a complete weirdo/freak’.

But after some time, I’ve got used to my new bifocals. A friend of mine positively congratulated me and welcomed me to the smart person’s club!

And despite having a few adjustments to the fact that when I look down it’s a bit blurry and it’s hard to read in bed properly, I thought to myself the other day ‘I’ve stopped waking up feeling exhausted and stopped thinking about my eyes all the time’. They’ve improved or restored my quality of life.

And they also rate in the fashion stakes (or so I’ve been told). I like to think of them as akin to advertising exec meets existential angst ridden philosopher. And I think I’ve also healed that part of my childhood self who thought glasses were for geeks and uncool people.

So. here's to those unexpected occurences that turn out to be blessings in disguise.