On Wearing Eyeglasses

Growing up, I was one of the only people in my family that didn't need glasses. My younger sister has worn them for as long as I can remember, and my mom and dad are both blind without them. My maternal grandparents both wore glasses. It was a source of pride for a long while that I didn't need them. And then sometime in my mid-to-late 20s my eyesight started failing me. By my early 30s, I was wearing glasses to read. By my mid-30s, I was wearing glasses to work. And here I am 37 and it seems I NEED TO WEAR GLASSES ALL THE DAMN TIME JUST TO SEE. Seriously, without glasses, the world looks like someone rubbed vaseline all over my eyeballs. I absolutely cannot work at my computer without my glasses on.

(Funny side story: until last year I never had prescription sunglasses, but I have really sensitive eyes and have to wear sunglasses if I'm outside, even on cloudy days. For so long I've gotten around the world by guessing, especially while traveling. If I know we need to be on Main Street, for example, and I see a sign with two words and I'm pretty sure the first one starts with an M, I will assume that's where we're supposed to be going (this works much better when walking vs driving). Our trip to NYC last year was the first time we'd traveled and I had prescription sunglasses. While it was cold while we were there, it was sunny during the day. We were leaving the shade of a copse of trees in Central Park by the Essex House hotel and wanted to find the correct subway to get to Greenwich Village. I pulled out my sunglasses, put them on, and it was as the skies opened up and angels sang. I could see the subway signs from where we were. I didn't have to guess. We didn't have to walk halfway in the wrong direction. It was amazing!)

So anyhow, glasses. I'm not one of those people who hates wearing glasses. I actually like them. I think they are a fabulous accessory, and in general, I think I look better in them than without them. But, I'm having a problem with my current glasses, a pair of brown tortoise shell (not real) Guccis.

For one, the damn right arm keeps falling off because the screw won't stay put. It's gotten to the point where I have to tighten it everyday and it's kind of infuriating given how much these things cost. But, the bigger problem for me is that like many white girls, I have a super oily t-zone, and as all eyeglass wearers know, this area includes the bridge of your nose. So, on a daily basis I end up doing a lot of this:



AND IT DRIVES ME ABSOLUTELY BATTY.

I know it's because of the material of the glasses paired with my oily skin and that if I just got a pair of glasses with those little clear plastic nose cushion things all of this could be avoided, but whenever I try on that style of glasses they actually hurt. And clearly I shouldn't hurt so that I can see.

Have any of my fellow four eyes figured out a way to stop this? If so, you MUST share with me. I beg of you.