MAKING A SPECTACLE OF MYSELF

 I've been having problems with my eyesight recently and considered going to the opticians to update the prescription.

Last time that I got new specs was about four years ago and these were from Specsavers. I was attracted by the deal admittedly but, after going through the process and with my special requirements (I'm blind as a bat) the savings were a bit of a myth. I took the buy one get the other for half price deal and with the 'other' bought a pair of prescription sunglasses. These work well but the standard, day to day pair have declined in their power somehow. Basically the lenses are crap and fail after a few years.

I did a bit of research on-line and it seems that the discount opticians use cheaper lens providers. You get what you pay for. QED, but hold on, I was still paying close to the standard or top rate. I think I'll use another provider.

I actually made an appointment with Specsavers a couple of months ago but had to cancel due to a medical issue that put me in hospital for a week. I booked with them because I recently bought hearing aids from Specsavers (which have proven to be very good) and did so when I was getting a hearing check-up.

The Specsavers spectacles have basically failed and I found an old pair that I bought about 8 years ago from a very good (and expensive) optometrist in Auckland. I wasn't expecting these to be any good after such a long time but they have proven to give me better sight than the newer Specsavers ones. I gave up using these because they were broken. This happened in The UK a few years ago when I was stranded in the fast lane of a bloody motorway. As I stepped out of the car the slipstream from a truck barrelling along at about 120KM managed to whisk the glasses off and the frame broke on the road. See: HERE. I taped them up and replaced them with a cheap pair from a UK-type Specsavers. I don't know where these are now. Anyway, when I tried these specs on again my vision was so much better. I got out the trusty superglue and liberally applied to the broken frame while squeezing the lens in. Result? Not pretty but it works. 

I think that I'll keep using these.

Over the years I've had many different pairs of spectacles and the types reflect the fashion of the decades - metal framed, transparent plastic framed, ''frameless', dark framed etc. As a myopic person my eyes deteriorated over the years necessitating stronger lens prescriptions and it's only recently, with old age that the process has slowed down a bit.

This is what I wore in the mid 1980s - larger frame tortoiseshell:

No doubt if I tried these on now, if I could find them they would prove to be ineffective.

Some people, probably most people, are lucky that they don't have to wear spectacles and, when they do, often use them only for reading.

The Old Girl, my partner has good vision but always has a pair of reading glasses around.

With

Without

Because she doesn't have to wear them all the time though she's forever losing them and looking about when she needs them. I often threaten to buy her one of those old lady spectacle chains to connect to them so she can have them around her neck.

To date that idea hasn't gone down well.