Finally broke down and got new glasses.

I knew the old ones weren’t  cutting it anymore.  I’d often catch myself squinting at street signs and zooming in more and more on the computer screen. Whatever fancy-dancy coating they put on the lenses had gone rogue and made it impossible to clean them.

Of course I had a number of excuses for not addressing the situation sooner.

1. I got those glasses at the optical department at our local Sears store.  I was used to dealing with them and it was an easy drive–two important points for an introverted empath with a crappy sense of direction.
2. Not only was the optical department no longer there, but Sears wasn’t there anymore, either.  Just a boarded-up shell.
3. I would have to find a new eye doctor/eyeglass place.  (Decisions, decisions…)
4. Once the new place was selected, I knew I’d have to do the “puff of air in each eye” thing, which I hate.
5. The odds were pretty good they’d also dilate my eyes, causing me to recoil from any source of light for several hours.

The real reason?

I was being a whiny little bitch.

Once that was established, I found an eyeglass place and made an appointment.

Yes, they did the “puff of air in each eye” thing.

Yes, they dilated my eyes.

And I survived.

My wonderful husband drove me to the appointment just in case they did the dilation, so no worries there.  And I was prepared. I brought my wrap-around super-dark sunglasses–the ones that make me look like a fugitive from the Blues Brothers.  I fell in love with the fourth set of frames I tried on, so no problem there.

My glasses came in a week before they were scheduled, on a day I was already off work.  So I scuttled on down to pick them up and discovered……

Holy guacamole, I REALLY needed those new glasses!

I couldn’t get over the difference.  I could see street signs with no problem.  I could see the clock in the living room all the way from the dining room!  I returned my computer screen to its default setting  and could read absolutely everything.

I also saw cobwebs in the corners of the ceilings I hadn’t noticed before, along with other things that needed to be adjusted/repaired/repainted.  The excited glow from earlier faded, and I began to feel overwhelmed and inadequate.

Just as I was about to lose myself in the Temple of Self-Castigation I caught a flash of red out of the corner of my eye and went to look out the kitchen window.

A cardinal foraged below the backyard bird feeder.  I could see him clearly, right down to his black mask.  I could also see every detail of a teeny-tiny woodpecker hacking away at the suet feeder.  A squirrel glanced up from the tray of sunflower seeds.  I could actually see the beady little eyes he fixed directly on mine!

I  stood at the widow for quite awhile, really seeing the various birdlings who swooped in for a nosh and loving every minute of it.

And the chores I’d noticed?  They’ve got nothing to do with self-worth.  We’ll get to them as we can, one at a time.  We’ll have fun along the way, and feel a sense of accomplishment when they’re done.

Life is good.