The Eyes Have It

I went to the eye doctor last week and was given some news I didn’t really expect nor care to hear. It wasn’t terrible. Just, let’s say, unfriendly.

My eye doctor is great. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a nice man. And he is kind. But he told me that my eyes were not happy. And the reason they were not happy is that my contacts were being unfriendly to them. Which made me unhappy as well. He told me I had to wear my glasses for several days before going back to my contacts. So I left the office, practically blind (thankfully, Husband was driving), and came home to put my glasses on.

I’ve had glasses since the 8th grade. And I probably should’ve had them before then, because when I put them on for the first time, I was all, “I can read the street signs!” and “I can see leaves on the trees!”

And thus I wore glasses until 10th grade, when I finally got contacts. I never had any trouble with contacts. My learning curve was practically zero when it came to putting them in. Apparently poking my finger in my eye was not a problem. Who knew? I’ve never been able to sleep in them, and take them out every night. And can I just say that whoever invented the contact solution that removes gunk without having to scrub them deserves a Nobel Prize. A Peace prize. Because those of you who wear contacts know what having to rub the gunk off of them can do to your sanity. And scads of unstable people who can’t see are likely to cause a ruckus.

I’ve always kept a pair of glasses (Some of them Husband still makes fun of, and rightfully so.) and I actually wore them a lot when I was pregnant and nursing because my eyes were so dry. But I do love my contacts. I feel more like “me” when I wear them. It’s one of the things I decided was a must-do each morning before getting Caedmon out of bed. With my contacts in, I feel as though I can face the world and not have to worry about having my glasses knocked off when the day tries to smack me down. (Think maybe I played sports too much while wearing glasses?)

It’s not that I dislike my glasses. I don’t. The pair I’m wearing now are old, but they’re my favorites. Black plastic rims. Simple. Versatile. I went for something a little more trendy a couple of years ago and I never really settled into those frames. And then my vision changed back to what it was the year before I got pregnant, so my good old black plastic glasses were better for me anyway. And tons more comfy.

But there is something I dislike about wearing my glasses. It makes my eyes feel tired. My vision is actually better in my glasses than in contacts, so I don’t really know why. And when I wear them on a regular basis, my eyes don’t feel tired. Maybe they just have to work differently in glasses. Maybe my eyes are lazy and would just prefer the contacts do all the work for them. I don’t know. But my hiatus from contacts has brought me a new appreciation of them, and my ability to wear them. They’ll be back in the mix soon, and I am ready.

So what about you? Glasses or contacts? And when did you get them?