I realized I needed glasses when I was in the eighth grade. I was in the “advanced” algebra class that met early and with the other eighth grade middle school team in the other building. I still don’t know why I was in that class, but since it was such a large class, we moved back a seat each day so others would have a chance to be in the front. The further back I got, the more I realized I could not see the board. 

I went to the eye doctor and sure enough, I needed glasses. I picked out some really unfortunate small black ones that I continued to wear for years until I realized larger frames better suit my face. I was only supposed to wear them when I needed them, but of course I didn’t follow directions.

I became lazy and ended up keeping them on all the time and became more dependent on them and my eyesight worsened. I did not get contacts until I was in ninth grade because I thought the reason I kept striking out in softball was because I couldn’t see. It was only part of the reason. 

When I got contacts, it was a whole other issue. The first time I put contacts in, I could not get them out. I remember crying because I was so mad they wouldn’t come out. Putting them in also used to be a struggle. I prefer wearing glasses because it is so much easier for me to just put them on and take them off, especially now that I occasionally wear monster finger nails that are not the easiest to get contacts out with. Even though I prefer them, there are multiple struggles glasses wearers are faced with daily.

Rain drops are the enemy of glasses. Every time it rains, my lenses get drops all over them and then cause streaks. I have to either look down and cover my glasses, or take them off entirely. It is not fun.

I have to strategically plan when I want to wear sunglasses because it requires putting in contacts or just not being able to see far away. Most of the time I just don’t get to wear sunglasses. I do have some silly clip-on sunglass lenses that kind of fit my frames, but I only wear them when I am alone in my car.  

My glasses always get so dirty, and when I do not have glasses wipes or cleaning spray I am out of luck and stuck with smudged lenses for the rest of the day. I really don’t know how my glasses seem to collect so much dust and get so smudgy, but they do. 

Fogged up glasses are also annoying. When I go from an air conditioned building to outside on a hot day, my glasses fog up. Masks were a horrible adjustment until I realized how to tuck them under my glasses to avoid fog. 

I envy people with perfect eyesight, but I have worn glasses for so long I hardly remember what it was like before; however, I could do without the various struggles. 

Standard reporter Bethany Porter can be reached at 473-2191.