Monday, October 20, 2014

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.

glassesFor 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:

pushing up glasses

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.

 

4 comments:

  1. well the plastic thingies can be adjusted to fit your nose better. As for your current glasses, maybe the arms are too loose and thats why they slip down? Maybe they are too heavy??

    I just started wearing glasses myself. I actually started out with reading glasses and now need them for distance. le sigh

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  2. Put a drop of superglue on the screw after you tighten it down. (For some reason, in my world the more expensive the eyeglasses: the easier the screws loosen themselves).
    Nose pads will both stop your current glasses from slipping, and make the style with that nose cushion thingy more comfortable. You can find them in clear on Amazon (may have to cut them to fit). For what it's worth, I can't stand the style with the nose thingys from a pure comfort standpoint.

    LONG time glasses wearer here.

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  3. I'm going to go into the eye doctor to see if they can adjust the arms. Hopefully that will help.

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  4. Wait, I can put nose pads on these glasses?!

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