I have spent a good portion of my life wearing glasses. They are my lifeline. As a kid, I would wear them during the school day when I needed them and take them off as soon as I got on the bus because I would not need them afterward. Over the years, it has been much harder to just take them off as soon as I don’t need them anymore. I need them more than ever, and the only time when it is not necessary is in the shower and when I sleep.
I heard about contacts from other people, and every time, it made me think about the makeover scene in The Princess Diaries. Part of me resisted switching into contacts because of these weird transformation scenes in teen movies where the so-called “nerdy girl” becomes pretty just by taking off her glasses. For me, they made glasses undesirable. However, from wearing them most of my life, it really became who I am. I felt great in them. It was comfortable hiding behind them in a sense. Whenever I did not have my glasses on, I felt weird looking at myself in the mirror. Well, until I stopped really being able to see myself in the mirror without glasses…
During the pandemic, wearing glasses became somewhat of an issue. Now, I’ve had this issue before. I’ve had my glasses fog up a few times when it was humid out. I’ve had them fog up when I was eating something hot. Those moments passed by quickly. The pandemic is still happening, and more times than not, I prefer wearing my mask still even if I might be in a place where it is okay to take it off.
Every single day, I had to deal with my glasses fogging up either from the weather or because I was speedwalking across campus in order to get somewhere. It was frustrating. I just wanted to see. One time, I was outside doing volunteer work where we were cleaning the campus, but for a good portion of that time, I struggled while walking around with foggy glasses.
It is nice when I do not have to wear glasses. I feel a little liberated. It is hard to lay down in bed with glasses without worrying that I will break them. Also, I enjoyed walking basically blindly outside and not being able to see anyone. (It’s kind of an introvert thing).
But eventually, I caved into wearing contacts. I avoided them for a while because of the fear of poking my eyes. Part of it is because of the new machines in the eye doctor’s office. It is the one where it shoots air into your eyeballs. Yeah, I have trust issues with that machine. But if you are someone who struggles to even put in eyedrops, I feel your pain.
However, the process is not bad. You have to get your contacts fitted beforehand, so you are not left stranded with a bunch of instructions that you might not understand. I got in a little bit of practice with putting a contact in my eyes and taking it out. It is not hard at all. And a good contact lens should feel comfortable in your eyes. I got lucky that my first one worked out for me, but for some people, it might mean another visit until you find the one that works best for you.
I thought it was nice having contacts. It took a weight off my face. My only concern was napping because you should avoid wearing contacts while napping and sleeping. However, it made me confront my actual face more. Trust me, I did not realize I actually looked the way I looked until I wore contacts. Your image of yourself kind of gets distorted when you cannot see yourself without aid.
Overall, it has been an interesting experience. I do not hate it. It does take a lot of practice. I keep setting personal records for myself every day. Your eyes will eventually get used to you putting in contacts. There are different techniques for putting them in and taking them out. However, it is alright if it takes a lot longer at first. You will get the hang of it, and before you know it, you might be able to even do it without looking in the mirror.