When I was at school...

Astra 04 Jul 2011, 04:11

Aubrac,

correct.

In my case the response of prism lenses is not good. blurred image persist as my muscles can't respond .

Aubrac 04 Jul 2011, 03:58

Baker

It is not unusual for people with convergence problems to wear an eye patch although it it more with presbyopia than myopia.

Sometimes when my wife is very tired and needs to read she wears a patch to avoid double vision.

Astra 03 Jul 2011, 17:21

Now, I am 6 year after high school graduation.

Yesterday , I have a thought about that because,

I simply have a walk without glasses on the yard around the building I live in.

Then, I come across an unknown person walking by, possibly a lady,

I can't recognize the face because I was without glasses and myopic, but I think of a possibility of my former classmate that lives nearby, because she lives in that block.

I'm not sure who that person is, actually.

------------------------------

Around 7-8 years ago, when we were 14-15 year old.

I had a goal, to be the best achiever in various school competitions in math , also , I consistently tried to deviate myself, to be aloof towards people with my same age . I had no interest to be trans-sexual, but I had try to be masculine in my appearance, as a female.

I have the haircut short , even if my parents against it slightly. I consider myself homosexual, attracted towards females. Also I was very intorverted, and overly proud of that during that time. I didn't see the need of serious co-operation, team work. I always tried to maximize my capacity alone, possibly with expert trainers.

But one thing, I have always been near-sighted, not only my mind, but in my eyes.

I Can't remember ever having very good vision without glasses before, but I tried to manage without glasses . I never worn glasses to high school.

so gradually I develop some interest about fellow gwg, wanted to exchange glasses with them, but too shy about that because I was too introverted.

At many occasions, the girls were very welcoming to me , but I was too determined to neglect them, as I would like to be a high-achiever, not an average person on earth. I only admired various scientists and mathematicians.

That was detrimental, consider that, I didn't know the value of team work, didn't know the value of co-operation , didn't know the value of responsibility , at age 13-20 , selfish and determined, only know about the competitions, and win in the competitions, anything else were considered useless to me, including friends, my appearance, arts, etc.

(To be continued)

Astra 28 Feb 2011, 02:03

baker,

I suffer from convergence insufficiency.

i.e. I can't fuse the image from two eyes to form one image.

and unfortunately, the result of trial prism lenses is not satisfactory. I have more difficulty to read with the trial prism lenses. Therefore the eye doc says I need eye patches.

That's why I can be reluctant at reading books when I was younger.

baker 26 Feb 2011, 21:23

Astra,

I don't understand. Would you care to explain why do you need eye patches to read?

Astra 25 Feb 2011, 22:26

baker,

My grade school age.

I was normally not attentive.

I do homework in class, so that I able to increase time available for revision etc.

Not attentive habit continue to undergrad, postgrad.

Currently at postgrad, I have to wear eye patches to read.

baker 25 Feb 2011, 17:53

well I'm still in school but anyway....

I always sit in the back of the classroom. I never thought about it but now I'm thinking it's a bit odd. I'm a super good student who is always attentive and participating, so it's not like I'm avoiding the teacher. I'm a bit myopic (-3, -2.5)I did this for the four years I refused to wear glasses in elementary/middle school and still do now that I wear contacts.

In 6th or 7th grade I made a great friend copying notes, but other than that I'd never found any issues. As I said before, I don't look at the board during class nor do I find any reason to (except now for Calculus).

I was having difficulty maintaining eye contact in a play one year so I decided to practice in class by keeping eye contact with my teachers. Teachers kept asking me if I was okay and if I understood what was going on. They were probably confused as to why I was looking up in class!

SimonC 25 Feb 2011, 17:30

I have to agree that I love reading the posts on this thread.

I have one particularly great memory from my school age days although not at school at the time. It was my first sexual experience and with a glasses wearing woman, a customer on my paper round.

Have never told anyone of that before so will have to write it having plucked up the courage to now mention it.

ksnl 25 Feb 2011, 13:22

I think this has become my favourite thread on this site! So many stories, where to start?

When I was a kid I was told about my dad when he was at school: He was never able to see the board and just assumed everyone else saw the way he did (or perhaps it was just an act), he eventually got glasses when he was 16 (if I remember correctly) and was amazed at what he could see. I don't know how he coped without glasses, being raised on a farm.

I always remember his glasses being quite thick, I think he even water-skied in glasses.

When he was in his 30s he got Lasik... ugh. He's now wearing glasses again, for reading, being older.

I think he had/has astigmatism (I have only recently heard about astigmatism)... many eye conditions run in that side of my family, including Keratoconus.

When I was a little kid I think my parents were concerned that I would inherit his poor eyesight. They would ask me if I could see certain things and make me try on my dad's glasses to see if I was able to see with them on... to me it looked like there was a large hollow in the ground that I was about to fall into.

My parents got my eyes tested when I was about 5 (I was praying that I wouldn't have to get glasses) and my eyesight was fine... they were told that I would probably be wearing glasses before the end of primary school which never happened. My mom always told me I would, probably be wearing glasses before her, which never happened. I have a feeling that my mom shares the same fascination with glasses as I do, I have heard her ask quite a few people about their eyesight and Rx.

When I was about 8 my dad started working for my (much older) cousin who is an optometrist. When I was about 9, my dad being a businessman decided to start his own lens crafting business where optometrists send in frames and he (with his machinery) would cut and insert the lenses into the frames. I was highly fascinated with the lens cutting machinery, etc. He had a huge shelf with all the different strength lenses, he would show me the really thick ones... I think it went up to -10 or -15 then they would make special orders for anything stronger than that.

When I was about 10 my dad had now opened an optometrist as well. My parents sent me to get my eyes tested again. Once again I was praying that I would not have to get glasses. The guy tested my eyes with some machine that I looked into and he asked me questions about what I could see, lots of bright lights, etc. Afterwards he asked me if I got headaches and I said no which was a HUGE LIE - I would experience constant headaches - I don't know if I would have landed up with glasses if I had said yes but he decided I didn't need to get glasses... I have a feeling that I have some astigmatism which he had probably picked up (knowing what I know now). I know that there was a difference in rx between my two eyes and this used to really irritate me for several years afterwards. Later on I felt that my eyes had improved because it didn't annoy me as much or maybe I just got used to it.

The last time I got my eyes checked was in 10th grade (once again on one of those machines you look into) and I think I remember my eyesight being RE -0.50 LE -0.75 and I think I remember there being some other numbers on there which I assume were for astigmatism. I kept that piece of paper and can't for the life of me remember where I put it. Since then I finished high school, went to university and am currently working. I have no idea what my rx is now but I find when I'm doing paperwork and working on the computer at my work my eyes get blurry, I feel eye strain and I get headaches. I have read up about astigmatism and I'm guessing that's it.

Sorry about being so long winded and going a bit off the topic... didn't really know where else to put all this.

Laura 25 Feb 2011, 08:18

And.

Sport and stuff was not too much of a problem really. I played in goal at hockey, so my glasses didn't get knocked off and for tennis and cross country I was fine. Swimming is a problem now, cos I can't really make out the edge of the pool without glasses, so I tend to keep them on, but then they usually get splashed. So I can't really win. LOL

Laura 25 Feb 2011, 08:15

And.

Well not at first. My first rx was R-1.75 and L-1.50 so I only wore glasses for the blackboard and stuff like TV at home. Then I went up to R-2.25 and L-2.00 which was better, then by 9 I went to R-2.75 and L-2.50. After that I started keeping my glasses on at school all the time and when I was out shopping with Mum and stuff. By 10 I'd gone up to R -3.50 and L-3.00 so my optician advised Mum I should go full-time. To be honest I was glad, cos I hated not seeing stuff clearly. I'm R-10.00 and L-9.25 now so I'm pretty dependent on glasses or contacts as you can imagine.

And 25 Feb 2011, 05:05

Laura, did you wear full-time at school and did wearing glasses make it difficult for things like p.e. and swimming etc

Laura 25 Feb 2011, 03:58

I remember after I first needed glasses for school at 7, going for my annual check-ups and before the optician came into the room, turning round and looking at the letter chart and trying to remember the smallest lines at the bottom, becuase I felt embarrassed when I couldn't see them. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was making it worse for myself if the optician didn't prescribe me strong enough lenses!I just wonered if any other kids have done this.

Astra 29 Jan 2011, 16:50

Andrew,

Normally yes, but not when the script is too small for certain distance.

It varies for different people.

Andrew 29 Jan 2011, 14:31

The key here is visual acuity, corrected or otherwise. True, without the correct prescription, we myopes have no chance of seeing clearly at any distance, but some of us can be corrected to 20/15 (or better), which should make seeing from the back row possible, if not exactly comfortable.

Melyssa 29 Jan 2011, 10:20

Having graduated from small colleges, the vast majority of classrooms had no more than 6 rows, so I could see all right from the last row if I needed to sit there. Even the only "lecture hall" was 6 rows deep, but very steep. I generally sat in the middle rows, as that was the best view for me.

Throughout my time there I wore drop-temples, cat's-eyes, plus my oversized sky-blue top-temple frames. They obviously made me quite intelligent. :)

Astra 29 Jan 2011, 02:20

Like lenses,

yes me too.

I never like sitting in the far back ...

but in the far back it's easier to fall asleep.

Like lenses 29 Jan 2011, 01:53

Melyssa

I have to sit in the front row even with my -5.00 glasses on. Two or three rows back everything is too small. Back row ,no way!

Astra 29 Jan 2011, 00:35

Melyssa,

Oh yes.

Would be good to humiliate a glasses-wearing ex-magna cum laude,

simply by restricting her into the far back of a lecture hall.

In 1 lecture a week, they still have a practice. They call it Seminars.

the front rows are RESERVED and there's a paper showing that on each row. Those seats are reserved for invited speakers.

And all the Postgraduate students must sit at the back.

There must be mostly ex-magna cum laude among those postgraduate students.

Melyssa 28 Jan 2011, 13:53

Anic,

That pair you showed the link to earlier, I have that style with a white vertical stripe, a black diagonal one, and what's called "black crystal" for the rest of the frame. It's a Kenmark frame called Judy.

Melyssa 28 Jan 2011, 12:32

I can't sit in the back of the room with a dunce cap on, for 3 reasons:

A. I'm a two-time, two-time Magna Cum Laude collitch gradient.

Second. No hat would fit my size-13 head (according to my husband's theoretical measurement).

3. I might not be able to see the blackboard from back there, no matter which pretty pair of glasses I'd be wearing.

anic 28 Jan 2011, 10:12

Sorry Julian, we got carried away with ourselves and forgot to obey the strict rules!

The three of us - Melyssa, Soundman and I - will sit at the back of the classroom, have you got the dunce's hats?

Soundmanpt 28 Jan 2011, 09:58

Sorry! We did kinda wonder off topic pretty far.

Laura 28 Jan 2011, 09:38

Julian,

Yeah me too. My when I was at school post is lower down. I wore contacts most of the time from 15 until I left.

Julian 28 Jan 2011, 05:00

Can't help wondering what these recent posts have to do with the general subject of this topic...

anic 28 Jan 2011, 03:49

Hey Melyssa, found some rather large frames on eBay that made me think of you! Big, vintage frames, with drop temple arms, stunning, just need a prescription filling. They've only got a £2.00 starting price as well! I had contemplated them for a few seconds, just as home wear as I definitely couldn't get away with wearing these out and about, but knowing your love of large frames thought you might like to view them!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-SILHOUETTE-DROP-ARM-GLASSES-70s-LENS-2-5-X-2-2-/360339486998?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_VisionGlasses_Lenses_SM&hash=item53e5e83916

Soundman - thanks for the post, I am shocked by you visiting the XXX section - you naughty boy, you must be disciplined!!

The first pair of glasses you posted from Zenni are an interesting proposition, I've seen a few ladies sporting these rather bold, what I would call "back to school" frames, but they're not really ones I would wear. The other Zenni ones don't do anything for me either. I've never really been into Ray Bans, I know they've had a revival, but they remind me of much older people (even though trendy young things wear them now). Thanks for thinking of me though.

Soundmanpt 27 Jan 2011, 14:14

Melyssa and anic

I hate to admit that I do go into the XXX thread but I do. Sorry! Anyway the post by "Jan" of a porn star, Jamie Janes if you open the gallery you can see her wearing a very nice pair of glasses from zenni. That is a very popular style for many today. It comes in Black, Brown, Blk and Red and all Red.

I must say she does make a good model for the glasses. if you like them it is #339121 (blk) Total price $15.00.

Soundmanpt 27 Jan 2011, 13:09

Melyssa and anic

All that and I forgot to tell you which glasses it was (old age) it is #820415 in zennioptical.com.

Soundmanpt 27 Jan 2011, 12:33

Melyssa and anic

Take a look at this pair from zenni I have ordered these for several young ladies in the last year. They come in brown or black and you can not tell the difference from the Ray-Ban Wayfarer except it doesn't say Ray-Ban on the temples and these are $15.00 including the AR coating. a friend works at a Pearle Vision and she sells Ray-Ban and she was the one that compared them. She quickly said if she liked that style she would get them from zenni. Of course they would make great sunglasses as well for the same amount of money. So far the ones I have got has been just weak single vision regular glasses.

anic 27 Jan 2011, 07:30

Hi Melyssa, your frames sounds gorgeous - what taste you have!

When you say you had clear prescription lenses put in, do you mean plano lenses, or ones with your prescription? I'd love to see a photo of your drop temples with your prescription lenses in situ - I've been rather a fan of 80s eyewear for quite a few years now.

Melyssa 12 Jan 2011, 08:28

Anic,

If you really want to get a lot of big, non-designer frames, try bleudame.com (pronounced "blue dame" to rhyme with "new game"). There are a few decent frames under "Clear Glasses," and even some drop-temples under Sunglasses. I currently use a red cat's-eye frame with 6 dots in a triangle in each upper corner, plus a huge black drop-temple pair that were sunglasses. I had clear prescription lenses put in each.

Overall, I have 4 designer frames, 3 of which are over 20 years old and holding up quite well. (Knock wood. Ouch! LOL)

Melyssa 12 Jan 2011, 08:25

New GWG,

The more feminine the frame, the better I like it, which is why drop-temples are my favorites and cat's-eyes are next. Sorry, I have no intention of wanting to get rid of them unless they break. And the only feeling I had when I woke up this morning was that I was not going to work with all that snow on the driveway. :)

Laura 12 Jan 2011, 04:39

newGWG. Wow you did amazingly wearing contacts all that time. I only stuck it for getting on for three years. Till I left school. I got lots of hassle when i was 15 and 16 cos of mu thick lenses. I stick my cls in now quite a lot though, when i feel like it. but like you say it kind of transforms your appearance when you wear glasses and you phsycy as well. don't if i've spelt that right LOL

anic 12 Jan 2011, 04:31

Hey Melyssa,

Thanks for your post, I have err, (let's think!!), one Vogue pair, two Dior, one Tura, one Osiris (Specsavers own brand I think), one Gucci, and a couple of larger metal frames with no names on them (think one is Marcolin but the writing is so small it's hard to work out, even with my plus add in!!). I've recently bought a pair of Prada plastic frames with wide arms that I'm just about to get reglazed and was thinking about getting another Dior pair that's quite oversized and has been in my bedside table for a while reglazed but although I love it my finances have a limit and after Xmas and New Year I'm rather broke so they'll have to wait for another time. I also think I may get quite a few comments on them that may draw attention and have earmarked them for probably only use at home - certainly not at work! I can certainly do without drunk punters giving me sarcastic comments!

In total therefore, with my current prescription I have about 8 frames, but another one will be on the way within a week or two when the Prada's are done. I have quite a few other pairs in my drawers that are with old prescriptions though, you'll note I have mostly designer frames, these do cost more, but I think they're worth it.

Soundmanpt 11 Jan 2011, 18:36

Clare

My theory is that women are reluctant to wear glasses in many cases because it is like telling the world that they have a flaw, they can't see perfect and must wear glasses to see. But by wearing contact lenses they are once again whole and perfect again. Also even if they find others attractive wearing glasses they find it hard to accept a new look with glasses. Luckily many have found that after getting numerous complements about how good they look in glasses, they soon embrace the new look. I do think it is an advantage to have several pairs to wear at different times with different looks and outfits.

NewGWG 11 Jan 2011, 17:52

Melyssa -cat's-eyes are tres chic and so feminine! If you ever get up in the morning with a strong feeling that you really want to get rid of them.... ;)

Clare - you're the same as me like 6 moths ago. I used to wear contacts only but after 6 years was cathegorically told to switch to glasses for a while.

It was hard at first, especially for my mates and family as I was giving out constantly. Motto of the day : "I look *** in these!!!! ". I'm so vain I had to do something about it, and discovered that using glasses as any other fashion accessory helps. I set off hunting for flattering frames, ended up with few pairs of them and started playing with different looks. Would go mad if I had to wear one pair all the time, so boring.

Carrie 11 Jan 2011, 16:17

Slightly off topic, but to clear up any confusion "Veto" means the same in the UK as it does in the USA. Click the link for the definition from the Oxford English Dictionary (can't really argue with the people that produce the most famous English dictionary) http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0926280#m_en_gb0926280

Clare  11 Jan 2011, 15:45

NewGQG - tell me, how did you overcome the self consciousness thing? I'm notorious for being self conscious! Happily I wear contacts 99% of the time but it'd be good to be a more self-confident GWG just in case.

Melyssa 11 Jan 2011, 15:30

New GWG,

I make sure to set up the day's glasses the evening before. And while those original frames certainly don't fit me anymore, I do have several pairs of 1960s-style cat's-eyes in my current collection.

NewGWG 11 Jan 2011, 15:01

Laura - I've been wearing contacts for like 6 years until I got glasses. You're right, it's simply addictive. Funny that one's attiude towards glasses can change so quickly :) Of course I've always had a "thing" for other people wearing nice frames, it was only that I felt really self concious wearing them myself.

Melyssa - brown cat's-eyes sound nice, much nicer anyway than roundish, golden wire ones my dad got me as my first pair.

With the driving license, my mom is just the same now - "driving in the dark is like floating in black water don't you think?", she says, adn I simply die in the back seat.

34 pairs? That's quite a bunch, must be nice to have such a collection to pick from in the morning!

NewGWG 11 Jan 2011, 15:00

Laura - I've been wearing contacts for like 6 years until I got glasses. You're right, it's simply addictive. Funny that one's attiude towards glasses can change so quickly :) Of course I've always had a "thing" for other people wearing nice frames, it was only that I felt really self concious wearing them myself.

Melyssa - brown cat's-eyes sound nice, much nicer anyway than roundish, golden wire ones my dad got me as my first pair.

With the driving license, my mom is just the same now - "driving in the dark is like floating in black water don't you think?", she says, adn I simply die in the back seat.

34 pairs? That's quite a bunch, must be nice to have such a collection to pick from in the morning!

Melyssa 11 Jan 2011, 14:50

One other thing -- in 11th grade, my last year before wearing glasses all the time, I put them on at the beginning of the first period and took them off at the end of the last class, except taking them off entirely for advisory (a/k/a home room), and the back-to-back periods of physical education and lunch. I wore brown hexagon frames then, part of the "geometric look" that we girls had in the early 1970s, from plastic to metal frames.

Melyssa 11 Jan 2011, 14:48

Laura, I still have my first pair of glasses, somewhere in the basement, hoping to find them before the 50th anniversary. Back in those days, lenses were made of glass -- not plastic -- and much heavier. I'm thankful I don't have to wear glass lenses now, otherwise I would have my glasses strapped on at all times.

Anic, how many pairs do you have now in your current RX?

Jennifer, you were lucky to be able to wear contacts, as my astigmatism prevented that. At least for the most part I was able to recognize the "important" people in school.

JR 11 Jan 2011, 14:09

I think it was a quote from George Bernard Shaw and quoted often by Sir Winston Churchill, and others.

Cactus Jack 11 Jan 2011, 12:57

anic,

I can't recall who said it, perhaps Churchill. "The US and the UK are two peoples separated by a common language".

C.

anic 11 Jan 2011, 11:22

Hi Cactus Jack - in England this word generally means that you agree, or go ahead with the subject matter. Sorry if I got you confused. My English is still not 100% and I'm still learning every day. Anoushka

Jennifer 11 Jan 2011, 10:56

It seems that many of us have similiar stories. I was the same. Only wore my glasses when I had to see the board in school and then quickly took them off when the class was over. My glasses spent more time in their pretty case than on my face. I went to contacts as soon as I couldn't make out peoples' faces as they approached me in the hallways at school. It was terrible to not recognize my friends across from me. I was 15 when I went full time to contacts. I wasn't ready to wear glasses in public. I didn't wear my glasses in public until I was in college. Strange how I always wanted to wear glasses, but when I got them I was embarrassed to wear them in public.

Cactus Jack 11 Jan 2011, 10:24

anic,

I believe you may not understand the meaning of the word "veto". In the US, It usually means to reject or disagree with something. Most often, again in the US, the Houses of Congress can pass a law, but if the President Vetoes the law, that means he officially rejects it and if there are not enough votes in Congress to override his veto, it does not become law. If there are enough votes (a large majority) Congress can override the Veto and it becomes law.

I noticed in a recent post of mine and now in your reply to Laura, you in effect said that you REJECT or DISAGREE with what was said, but from the context of what you wrote, I believe you actually agree.

There may be other meanings of the word Veto in English, but I am not aware of them

C.

anic 11 Jan 2011, 08:43

Laura - I can totally veto what you're saying, I'm also a high myope - various posts over the last week on "Induced Myopia" explain my story, and the clarity I get when I put on my spex after a while of not having them is a feeling I can almost not compare to anything else in the world!

Melyssa - I haven't quite as many frames as you yet, but they're on the up!

Laura 11 Jan 2011, 08:04

Melyssa,

I started a year before you at 7 with some little metal framed glasses (still got them!) -1.50 and -1.25. I hated them and used to sit at the front and whip them off as soon as class was finished. Then just wear them at home for TV. In the end I had to give in to full-time wear at 11. I was up at -3.75 and -3.50 by then and missing seeing all sorts of stuff. By 16 I was up at -6.50 and -6.00 and my lenses were standard plastic so very geekish. After six months I persuaded Mum to let me have cls cos I'd gone up by another -0.50 all round. What a relief! It wasn't til I left and treat myself to some decent frames with hi-index lenses that I started liking myself in glasses a lot. Now I'm happy as a GWG

Melyssa 11 Jan 2011, 07:00

New GWG,

I was quite like you way back when, getting my first pair of glasses about age 8. The RX was -1.75/-1.50, and the frame was sort of cat's-eyes, brown at the top and clear at the bottom (not much to choose from then). I tried to avoid wearing them, except having no choice for watching TV or movies, or seeing the blackboard in school.

By age 16 I had to wear glasses all the time, in order to learn how to drive. "What was that bump I felt?" LOL My first full-time frame was a gold aviator pair.

Fortunately at age 28, I got my first drop-temple frame, and that made me a glasses lover, now to the tune of 34 pairs of pretty plastic frames.

Laura 11 Jan 2011, 03:42

New GWG.

Yeah its kind of addictive once you get used seeing yourself in glasses permanently. I was hooked on contacts for well over 2 years at school until I left and got myself a decent pair of glasses with high index lenses. I'm -10.00 aand -9.25 now, so I know what you mean about clarity of vision and stuff between contacts and glasses. But like you say, when you are so short-sighted as we are, its really turns you on when you stick your glasses on and can see stuff.

NewGWG 10 Jan 2011, 19:28

Hi all,

I got my first glasses when I was about 9, and definitely hated them from the start. As long as I was able to avoid wearing them, I would not wear them at all, never mind parents yelling at me or teachers making comments about my squinting at the board and pulling the corners of my eyes to make things clearer (btw, did any of you guys do that too?). Not being able to see stuff on the board really sucked, but over the years I mastered the art of pretending my eyesight was perfect.

I remember my first prescription was like - 0,5 and - 1,0. This changed very fast, as I never wore glasses and liked to read a lot (plus both my parents are myopic, especially my father ).

After about a year, the numbers changed to - 3,0. Still I was too vain to even consider wearing glasses, so I kept struggling. When I was 17, my parents understood it was pointless and got me contacts ( my prescription increased to -4,25 by then).

I'm -6,0 now and had to switch from contacts to glasses in June this year because of an eye infection.

At first it was so hard for me to get used to wearing glasses as the vision was far worse, but over the months I've unexpectedly turned into a glasses lover :). I guess I won't be going back to contacts any time now. I've got myself four pairs of different glasses : rimless, semi-rimless, cat eye and heavy plastic, and I use them as fashion accesories.

Being rather dependant on them surprisingly turns me on ;)

Laura 07 Jan 2011, 04:44

Likelens.

Yes totally flat now, with all the curve on the inside of the lenses. I love the effect when they reflect in the mirror. They make my eyes look all glassy.

Like lenses 30 Dec 2010, 17:01

Melyssa & Laura

Minus 9.00 is my favorite Rx,but most are totally flat front at that point

I wonder if the larger lense is the reason yours are not flat Melyssa.

Laura are yours flat?

ehpc 30 Dec 2010, 15:38

should be (of course:)'.......really THICK lenses' Pete

Melyssa 30 Dec 2010, 13:05

Laura,

Yes, I'm pretty close to your RX, being at -9.00. My CR39 lenses are not quite flat, but I do have lots of power rings, especially with my larger frames. (That means lenses at least 2 inches, or 50.8 mm, in diameter.) I sure wish that those fabulous 1980s frames that would hold such lenses would come back to the U.S.

ehpc 30 Dec 2010, 12:25

Love your posts, Laura :) Maybe you should get some really big glasses and REALLY think lenses? :) Pete

Laura 30 Dec 2010, 09:07

Melyssa.

Yes we chatted in Lenschat once, remember? Aren't you around my rx? I'm really into glasses agin in a big way now, and don't care what guys think. I love the bigger frames that are starting to appear as well. More power rings??

Melyssa 30 Dec 2010, 09:01

Laura, Astra,

When I was in school I had no choice but to wear glasses, as with my astigmatism I could not wear contacts (still can't). From age 8 to 16 I could get by wearing glasses part-time, but by the end of 11th grade I was wearing glasses at all times in school except during phys-ed and lunch (fortunately in back-to-back periods). Our frames back then were either cat's-eyes or geometric shapes, mostly in brown or black.

Laura 30 Dec 2010, 08:49

Astra.

Yes,i was just going to say that. In my mid teens I hated my thick lenses, then when I left school I got some stronger glasses made up with High Index Lenses and I was surprised how much nicer they looked. In the end I virtually ditched my contacts and went went black to wearing glasses neally all the time. Now I only wear my contacts to surprise people who are used to seeing me in glasses. Like, Oh My God, how is Laura seeing without glasses! and stuff like that. Its such fun I find.

Astra 30 Dec 2010, 08:40

Laura,

I also noticed many girls start to get contact lenses at age 12-15.

Perhaps it's the similar reason. Glasses simply are not preferred.

Laura 30 Dec 2010, 08:34

Astra,

I love some of your posts! I'm 20 now and first started wearing glasses when I was 7. By 9 I was definitely wearing full-time and by 11 I suddenly realised how dependent I was on glasses. By 15 my lenses had got so thick and ugly I pestered my parents for contacts and wore them religiouly at school all day longg

Astra 25 Dec 2010, 17:46

When I was age 11, I once asking a girl to demonstrate how she see without glasses.

And she did it to me without hesitation, looking around like a bit lost for a few minutes. also with some squints.

After some months, I saw her getting stronger rx and much thicker lenses.

Before she got the new glasses, she actually have the plastic part of the arms of glasses apart. She used a straw to fake the plastic earpiece. Sometimes even the straws are apart and she wore only the metallic part on ears.

Astra 25 Dec 2010, 17:33

I think it's interesting to see some being able to see okay at age 8, would become totally fuzzy without glasses at age 12.

And how they become hopeless dependent on glasses and squint to see and look lost without their glasses.

Also some people making strange comment.

There was a girl who regularly wearing contact lenses at age 14, but a boy asking why she can wear glasses on some day and sometimes not wearing glasses.

The boy didn't know contact lenses.

Astra 25 Dec 2010, 17:30

I remember at school age, some people are having their first pair of glasses. Most of those people i have not expected, which is fun, to see their eyesight deteriorate.

jason 10 Oct 2010, 01:57

Hi Robert!

I tried the email address you gave but it bounced back. What I was going to say is that I am not sure that I want to relive my youth with horrid, confidence-sapping NHS glasses.

Robert 02 Oct 2010, 07:48

Jason

Look forward to having a chat. When you have some free time please drop me an email at robert.195759@yahoo.co.uk.

jason 02 Oct 2010, 03:22

Obsessed:

I suppose I came in the second category; that is, I was affected by glasses. I don't think I knew my prescription but it must have been more thab -2.00.

Robert:

I would be happy to chat.

Andrew 30 Sep 2010, 15:05

I've just been to pick up my new glasses, and while there, saw a young girl come out of her sight test in tears, her "old" glasses in hand. I guess she had just been told she would have to get stronger glasses for full-time wear. The frames may have improved, but I guess there's still some stigma there.

Obsessed 29 Sep 2010, 21:42

@Jason:

You are so right! I think that glasses and personality have some very interesting connecting threads! I think that in every kid's mind glasses start a fight once they are first prescribed. And then one of the competitors has to win: the glasses or the mind.

When I was in grade 6 or 7, several kids were prescribed glasses pretty much at once (during the fall semester).

One of them had always been a cool kid. Another one (a close friend of mine) was a regular kid - not too cool and not too quiet.

The regular kid (my friend) started with a rather strong initial prescription (I think he was over -2), so after a week or two he became totally dependent on his specs. He voluntarily kept them on all the time even though his parents had told him to basically use them when he felt like needing them. Well, he soon realized he needed them all the time.

His attitude didn't change at all. I remember being curious and trying to see changes. He didn't let anyone laugh at him about his glasses. Like, the other kids saw that the glasses didn't make him feel self-conscious, so they were totally discouraged. Even though the kid wasn't too cool, his confidence about his glasses being a completely OK thing was unquestionable.

At the same, the real cool kid (who had a much weaker prescription) got somewhat affected by his new state. I guess he cared too much about his looks or whatever. He got very self-conscious and it did show a lot, especially compared to the way the regular boy was acting.

Besides ensuring his own "well-being" at school, my friend - the regular kid - caused what in me what my nickname says so clearly. More than anything, I wanted his glasses. I even wanted to be him. I think I was natually prone to getting obsessed with specs, but his confidence and his constant telling me how clearly he could see through his increasingly strong lenses got me out of my mind.

I did get caught when I simulated nearsightedness, and then I was too afraid to repeat my attempt. I got my first RX when I was 20. So many years spent waiting... And no chance to go up significantly strength-wise.

My friend is over -4 now. Not too high, but he's pretty blind without his glasses. He still loves them. Doesn't wanna do lasik.

Robert 29 Sep 2010, 16:36

Nice one Jason, would love to chat more about them !!

jason 29 Sep 2010, 06:26

Robert:

Do not worry. At leasr, even unwittingly, I must have made some other lads happy. It was a bonus that I did not appreciate at the time.

Robert 28 Sep 2010, 14:28

Sorry Jason. I can understand how difficult it must have been to have had to wear them in those days.

jason 27 Sep 2010, 06:38

Robert:

It wasn't so much fun being one of those NHS glasses wearing lads, I can assure you! Particularly if you have twelve years of it.

Robert 26 Sep 2010, 18:06

Always liked to see the lads at school wearing their standards NHS glasses...

jason 25 Sep 2010, 23:17

I think you are lucky to get through school without having to wear glasses. That was not my good fortune. I changed schools when I was six and my teacher noticed that I was having difficulty reading the black board. So she made me change places with a boy in the front row. Not good for morale in the first few days of a new school. Then a week or so later I was given a note from her to deliver to my mother. I never read the note but obviously it contained the teacher's recommendation that I should have my eyes tested. Sure enough when they were tested I was told that I was short sighted and needed glasses. Then the inevitable day came when they were fitted. I had no choice in the matter of style. They were standard issue NHS glasses in mottled brown plastic with wire earpieces. They were transforming. In an instant I was changed from an ordinary looking lad to a complete nerd. I was also told that under no cirmstances was I to take them off except with permission of my parents or teachers or when I went to bed.

The first day at school was a nightmare. Before I got there I had all the support and encouragement from my elder brother who was convulsed with laughter every time he saw me. My friends on the way to school didn't know what to make of my new state and so said nothing sensing my embarrassment. Then the low point. In class I had to hand in a note to my teacher from my mum. It was read out in class announcing my newly bespectacled state and the strict injunction that I was not to take them off. That was not so difficult as my eyesight was poor and I adapted to the corrective lenses quickly so that I couldn't manage without them.

I think though glasses change the way you are viewed and that subtly changes the way you relate to others. Somehow it encouraged the nerd and geek in me. So I became the quiet, scholarly boy who avoided sport and social engagements.

I was told that if I followed instructions my glasses would eventually improve my sight so that glasses would be a temporary expedient. This, of course, was nonsense but I think the idea was advanced to lift my spirits. As the years went by my prescription became progressively stronger but it was only after school that I had any choice in the matter of frames, which were selected on the basis that they were hard wearing and qualified for NHS assistance, no compromise was made as to appearance or what they would do to my almost non-existent self-confidence and self-esteem.

I did get my own back on my brother two years later when he was prescribed his first pair of glasses. Odd really as neither of our parents are short sighted but we are to a marked degree. His glasses were the same as mine, naturally. And they looked as dreadful.

Clare 12 Aug 2010, 13:12

Phil - funnily enough I don't much wear glasses in company ;) But if I did, I'm sure I would!

Phil 12 Aug 2010, 02:05

Clare, OK I'll see you at the shrink's. I bet the first bit of therapy would be an instruction to wear glasses to the sessions!

Do you find that, even when you wear glasses, you end up taking them off when you can? I had lunch with a friend yesterday and, as soon as we sat down, I took my glasses off. She has about the same rx as me but, being better adjusted, kept them on throughout the meal.

If only I had another dioptre of minus I'd just have to keep them on. But it won't happen. I went down from -4 to -3.25 at the last test and at a recent medical the doctor said my corrected vision was better than normal. Who knows, I may even end up needing readers!

Sandy 11 Aug 2010, 13:57

Going back to the sport theme. A problem that I had was seeing the lines in the swimming pool. I just couldn't see them, and had to give up joining the rest of the class for swimming. I was about nine at the time, and this was an important moment in my isolation from the rest of the kids. If you can't mangage at all without glasses, a lot of sport becomes a real problem. Fortunately, after a while, I was joined by a girl who was also very myopic, and we played chess instead.

Clare 11 Aug 2010, 11:35

Phil - for a couple of reasons, I think you're right. People who get glasses early usually end up with prescriptions that are non-negotiable for FT wear, and they probably get over them at a younger age. Perhaps vanity increases with age, I don't know ;)

And therapy could be a good solution, I don't think we'd be the only ones there!

Phil 11 Aug 2010, 07:14

Clare, I suspect that, if you'd been forced to wear them at school, they would hold no capacity to embarrass you now. And you'd be out there, looking gorgeous, as a perfectly comfortable gwg! Both of us got our first glasses rather late. That may hold a clue to our sensitivity about being seen in them. I am getting bolder but am not entirely a fulltimer. Yet when I am away from places where I might be seen by those who know me, like on holiday, I never take them off. Do you think we need therapy?

Soundmanpt 10 Aug 2010, 12:06

Clare

I laughed when I read Phil's comment. I was pretty sure you were just the opposite. I bet you are glad you made it through school before you got glasses. I'm sure to you that would have been even worse than getting them later in life?

Clare 10 Aug 2010, 11:57

Phil - yes I can remember, I felt embarrassed for her! Absolutely no question of envying her. Perhaps that was also a conditioning influence for me in my early years?

Phil 10 Aug 2010, 07:23

Can you remember how you felt Clare? Whenever someone got glasses in my class I was consumed with envy. But I would have been mortified if I'd had to appear in specs myself. It is this crazy ambivalence that has bedevilled me ever since!

Clare 31 Jul 2010, 11:32

I didn't have any personal memories because I didn't wear glasses till after I left school, but one thing I remember is a girl in our class when we were about 12 - the teacher announced she had to wear glasses (tipped off by parents I now suspect) and that she must always wear them. She was a shy girl and I felt sorry for her then, and emphathise more now! Of course, she wore them 100% of the time from that day on and I have no clue what her prescription would have been. I remember they were minus, square-ish, semi-rimless.

Andrew 30 Jul 2010, 13:16

You have reminded me of an occasion at school when we had to try out new sports to us to see how eyesight affected performance. There were a couple of athletics-type events where it made little difference that I was not allowed to wear glasses (probably about -4.25, based on the fact that, by the age of 17/18, I was in -4.50s). The fencing was harder as I could not really see my opponent very clearly, but when we tried out the shooting I had to give up and put my glasses back on as I could not see which target(s) were mine!

Melyssa 30 Jul 2010, 12:52

Marc,

You brought to mind my time in gym class in school. Through 11th grade I did not wear glasses fulltime (although by that year, I was wearing them in school for everything except gym and lunch). In 12th grade, the combination of health class, chem lab, and driver's education (Yes, Eyesceners, I did wear glasses for that -- LOL) cut gym down to 2 days a week, and 11 weeks' worth of teachers' strikes also sliced even more time off phys. ed. At least I was able to see the volleyball used for most games, plus the equipment inside. I was even able to find the horse to jump on/over. :) My RX at the time was around -3.00.

 30 Jul 2010, 11:45

marc,what is your prescription

Marc 30 Jul 2010, 10:00

I remember as a boy cursing my bad eyesight when it put me at a disadvantage in sports lessons (we weren't allowed to wear glasses) or when things got rougher when for a while opponents used to got straight for my glasses taking them away or they got knocked off, leaving me not only with the blurry picture, but also withe the humiliation of havong to search for my glasses squinting my head off. I even used to wear heavy black frames at the time in order to find them better.

How did you go through the rough and tumble years? I just hated it and soon learned to keep out of the action :-(

Marc

Yasmin 26 Jul 2010, 14:41

Today my prescription is R-7 L-6. But this was two years ago. I plan to get my eyes tested soon. I expect a little change.

Yes -2.5/-2 sounds really strong to me, too. Maby it was rather -1.75. I dont know it exactly. But what I remember is that a girl in my class got her weak plus lenses in a thin metal frame. Her lenses fitted nicely into the frame. My metal frame was slightly thicker and even there at least the right lese sticked out, what mady me upset.

Well, my first glasses did not solve but defered my ever worsening vision problem. After that I chose a seat in the front row and developed a powerful squintig technique. I also asked the classmate next to me to take notes from his notebook.

I was the one who always asked the teacher to switch on the light above the board because that helped me. OMG - how embarrassing. One teacher noticed my squintig, but I dont remember what I answerded. I gues I had a good excuse cause she never asked me again.

My mother more and more realised that my eye got worse. On vacation we went for whale watching - what a funny activity for an uncorrectd myope *lol*. Unfortunately the whales were quite far away. From our holiday-video you can tell that I asked several times things like "oh, did he came out?".

Like lenses 26 Jul 2010, 00:02

Yasmin

Wow -2.00 to 2.50 for a first pair. What is your prescription now?

Astra 25 Jul 2010, 20:22

Yasmin,

It was the same for me too. Glasses-phobia turning to Glasses-fetish.

Yasmin 25 Jul 2010, 17:19

I think have a glasses-phobia, which somehow turned into a fetisch - for whatever reason.

Perhaps I can find the reason when I think about how it started. (sorry for english mistakes, I no native speaker)

I think I first noticed problems to see the board or especially the overhead projector in fourth year at school. I was not to happy at thinking that I might need glasses. So I did not tell anybody and I was able to manage school with just minor problems.

Then, still in fourth year, we had our school eye-examination. I thought about how to cheat in the test, mayby I just try to remember all letters just when I get into the room before I sit down for testing.

But there was no chance. I was caught. I remember that one of the examinating persons said to the other one something like: OMG - that girl can't see anything. It sounded like I was the kid with the worsed uncurrected vision. Ok, I knew that my vision was not the best one, but I didn't expected it to be like that bad.

Some days later my mother and me went to an eyedoctor and I think my first prescription was like R -2.5 L -2 or so. We chose a pink frame and a few days later I got it.

My memory on this is not that good - getting the first glasses was definitely not the reason for my phobia. Of course I was afraid to go to school with them on the first day. But in the end it was not so bad. I remember the question "oh? since when you need glasses?" and the answer was "since today" - of course.

I don't remember who noticed it, but from wearing the glasses my eyes got red. My mother was very worried about it and we decided that I will stop to wear them, what I did, because still I did not liked the idea to have glasses.

My hope was that my vision will soon get better again, and then I dont need glasses anyway. The reason for this hope was my father. In his teen to twen years he wore glasses but when he was 27 y.o. his vision was perfect and the glasses-note was even erased from his drivers licence. I am not sure about his vision problem - I think it was astigmatism and how the change was possible. My father was the only one (exept grandparents and a distant aunt) in our family who wore glasses. So I would have been the only one, what I hated.

Later struggeling more and more to read the board (the overhead projector was already completeley blurred), I realised that all my hopes were hopeless.

Obsessed 07 Jul 2010, 16:30

I mean, I can't wait to read what's next!!

Obsessed 07 Jul 2010, 16:29

OMG! So intrigued! ~swoon~

Life in a Blur 07 Jul 2010, 12:08

Even though I got glasses, I couldn't bring myself to wear them. The blackboard was a blur, but hiding in my locker was the cure for my sickness. Part of me felt like admitting I needed glasses would put a stigma on me that I must have been playing with myself a lot since that was something people used to say. I did not want to admit it because that was true. Not only that, but I was wearing strong glasses in private that were probably blowing away my eyesight.

The only place I wore my glasses was in Driver Education class because I felt too dizzy and unfocused behind the wheel without them. I was so shocked at how clear everything was during that class, but immediately I took off my glasses as soon as the bell rang.

It was in English class that I was discovered. They asked me to read something in the blur that was on the board and I simply could not see it. One of the students who was also in my Driver Education class called out that I can't see it because I only wear glasses in Driver's Ed. My heartbeat went crazy and I was told to go to my locker and come back with my glasses and read the board. That was like a death walk to me. I thought about going anywhere but back to class, but I did it. When I walked in from the back of the classroom, the teacher told me to stop there, take off my glasses and read the board. I told him I couldn't see it, so then he said to put on my glasses and try again. The board went from a blurry mess to a clear sharp image I could even read from the back of the room! After I read the board, my teacher told me to sit down and he expected to see me wearing my glasses in every class.

So all year there were only two classes where I wore my glasses. Driver's Education because I needed to see, and English class because I was forced to do so. I would still wander the halls in a blur, not recognizing people but the transition from blur to clear to blur to clear to blur each day was making me have headaches and eyestrain so much, and the blur seemed to be getting much worse.

I had to make a decision.

Jim 30 Jun 2010, 04:25

Faine. Are still at school and wearing glasses? Or are you living in a life of blur and trying to manage without out of either shyness or vanity? Glasses can be very attractive on girls who choose th appropriate frames.

Flaine 30 Jun 2010, 02:48

All4eyes

nope so ur marie too? I was refering to wantweargl..

All4Eyes 29 Jun 2010, 17:30

Life In A Blur: You sound a lot like me (I didn't give in to glasses till I was -4), so I'd love to read more of your story. What was that first moment of clear corrected vision after all that time in a blur like?

Flaine: Do you mean me or another Marie? If you mean me, things are going OK, still hoping for new glasses soon. I must pop into Lenschat more often.

Flaine 29 Jun 2010, 09:43

Life in a blur...

Yes pls carry on its nice!!!

Marie:

hows ur glasses going? Havent seen u in lenschat for a while

4iiii 29 Jun 2010, 04:22

LIFE IN A BLUR. would love to hear more, when you can, please!

wantweargl 28 Jun 2010, 16:39

interesting life in a blur, i`d like to read more stories about you, are you a boy? what`s your age and your current rx now? thx...

Soundmanpt 28 Jun 2010, 08:23

Life in a Blur

Please continue. I do have a couple of questions, when you were 12 whose glasses did you get hold of that you wore in private? Were you able to force your eyes to see much with those glasses at the time?

Life in a Blur 28 Jun 2010, 05:37

I spent alot of my junior high school years in a blur. My eyes started getting bad around 12 or so, and because I had been wearing strong glasses as a fetish in private, I didn't want to admit what I thought was ruining my eyesight. Year after year, things got blurrier. When I discovered I couldn't read the overhead projector, I was suprised. It literally looked like just a blank white screen but people were taking notes from it. I used to look at a couple of pretty girls across the room and I remember at the beginning of one school year I could see them but they were blurry. By the end of that school year, the whole side of the room was blurry.

I kept hiding my "blurry secret" from others and went to the extent of intercepting mail from the school nurse when I couldn't read anything on the charts. The clock across the cafeteria had melted into a complete blur by the time I finished junior high so I started wearing watches alot.

But my jig was up when I had Driver Education class. I knew I couldn't pass the eye test and was very scared. I rode my bicycle to the DMV on the day I was going to get my permit, and could not see anything clearly in the machine. They asked me to read an eye chart across the room after that and had to keep pointing where it was because it was just a blur to me.

I ended up giving in to glasses at that point, and my first prescription was around -3.75. So you can imagine how fuzzy and unclear my world had become. School dances were so unbelievably blurry to me the people, the band. It was like no matter how hard I tried to see, it didn't help much.

The glasses changed all that. If anyone is interested, I'll write more about that.

antonio 26 Jun 2010, 09:23

Interesting, Astra,

did you wear glasses yourself that time already ?

Did you need some already that time and if so, how strong ?

thanks and best regards, antonio

Jim 26 Jun 2010, 06:53

Astra. I take it you like wearing glasses and enjoyed being gwg at school. I first met my eventual wife when I was at school, as she was the sister of one of my friends. She was three years below us and very shy and wore some plain red and white plastic framed glasses with an rx of about -5.00. I sometimes went to my friends house for tea and his sister would be hanging around us but I didn't pay much attention to her as she was only 13 at the time. I met up with her again six years later when she was 19 and and I was totally bowled over by how she had grown and developed. But her glasses were something to die for! They had large brown platic frames and lenses that reflected the light and were edged with lots of power rings. She smiled at me and said "Do you recognize me?" I found out later that by then her rx had crept up to -9.00. We started dating and then she decided to get contact lenses! I have to admit she looked very pretty when she was wearing them and her eyes were sharp and alert compared with when she wore her glasses. Luckily she never wore them much at home and now after many years of marriage she has gone back to glasses fulltime. The bonus is giving up wearing contacts has helped to push her rx up to -12.00!! Now our younger son is taking out a girl who wears glasses of around -5.00 and also wears contacts, so I love her to bits!!

ehpc 30 May 2010, 12:43

Interesting :) Pete

Astra 30 May 2010, 12:37

I just have been dreamt about my sixth form days.

Back then the classmates are very close each other. We went to each other's home at some holidays. That was true in reality.

I just dreamt about being in a female classmate's home with other classmates present. the female classmate (host girl) is a gwg (indeed she is in reality). At first I had some chat with some males. Then the males start teasing me not study well on the material of exam.

Then I came next to the host girl. In reality, I rarely get close to the host girl. So in my dream I was hesitated to take that seat. She just took her glasses off (about -4.00 I guess...), being a bit tired, rubbed her eyes then looked around and saw me.

But it turned out the host girl was very nice to me. Telling me I should really sit next to her. I felt surprised and happy. Her eyes without glasses is drawing my attention... (In reality she was a fulltime wearer, rarely saw her without glasses... maybe I saw her college photos that she used to wear contact lenses so I could think of her look without glasses)

Charles 06 Mar 2010, 10:07

I, also, had glasses before starting school. I think I got them at about 4 and, to this day, I remember being surprised and delighted at how well I could see. No concessions were ever made by any of the schools I went to about fact that I was very myopic and would be lost wothout my glasses. I was never prevented from doing anything the the other boys did and I am very glad of that. I cannot remember any of the many prescriptions I had during my school career except that in my early teens my prescription, in one eye, matched my age. Nobody made unkind remarks to my face except one boy who used to say my lenses reminded him of double glazing.

Like Lenses 05 Mar 2010, 19:17

Sandy

What age are you now, and what is your present prescription?

Sandy 05 Mar 2010, 10:54

I'm one of those who got glasses before going to school. Did that happen to any others of you? Actually I was found to be very myopic at three. This was before I could talk properly, and I didn't have the usual eye test. My first definite memory was getting glasses, and I recall this as something happy. I liked seeing clearly of course, but also both my parents and my older sister wore glasses, so I was no longer the odd one out. I don't know my first prescription, but it must have been pretty high. I still have the glasses I got when I was four, by when I knew the alphabet, and they are about -5. I can't remember being given a hard time by kids at my nursery school or at my infant school. In my infant class there were about 25 children, and four of us wore glasses - me and three girls (one of whom was long-sighted). My teachers were very protective, too protective perhaps. They stopped me from doing anything a bit rough, even from running around and playing in the sand; and jumping in the paddling pool was out. In practice, I tended to play with the girls, and my best friend was one of the girls with glasses. Unlike my early school years, Junior school was unpleasant.

Dan 01 Mar 2010, 06:23

James2,

That is quite a strong/rapid increase for someone who got -1.00 glasses at 20 years of age. I have roughly the same prescription at 20 so we'll see if I end up getting up to -7.5!

All three people I've dated in college have worn glasses but unfortunately they all liked contacts better.

James2 01 Mar 2010, 04:55

I know the feeling about people you've gone out with whose eyesight changes - after you split up.

When I was at university I went out for more than a year with a lovely woman, Amanda, until we qualified and went our separate ways. She was 20 or 21 at the time and in the final six months or so we were together she was prescribed some glasses for myopia, probably no more than -1.00 or -1.5, which she wore all the time right from the off, claiming she was blind without them.

About three years later, we bumped into each other at a rock concer and she was still wearing glasses, this time -3.5s. She told me her eyesight had got much worse.

Three or four years after that we met again, this time at a work-related conference. This time they were -7.5s, which amazed me as her eyesight seemed to have become much worse in a fairly short space of time. Amanda was quite willing to talk about her eye problems, maybe because I'd been there seven or eight years earlier when she first got glasses. She thought her eyesight was likely to get even worse as the glasses she was wearing were a year old and she cleady felt they weren't as pin-sharp as before.

She looked gorgeous and I told her so. Unfortunately, we were both in other relationshps and I didn't dare ask to see her again. Shortly after that I moved away from the town where we both lived and I've not been back or seen Amanda again in more than 12 years. She'd be about 40 now. I wonder what became of her - and her glasses.

Mister Roberts 24 Feb 2010, 21:25

My first girlfriend in high school, 1971 Was very myopic, guessing about -10. Her glasses did not look as strong as they were, kind of smallish plastic octo frames. In 1975 a year or so after we broke up, I made an arrangement to see her at her house. I found she was wearing new glasses as she greeted me at the door. My heart sank when upon the opening of the front door I saw the blaze of light flashing off the plano fronts of her large glasses. I thought that these were the perfect glasses, large and very thick on MY girlfriend. Except for the fact she was no longer MY girlfriend and hadn't been for over a year. That has really stuck in my mind over the years. The sting of what could have been, what should have been and what might have been still haunt me.

Obsessed 24 Feb 2010, 09:31

When I was a schoolboy, I wanted glasses badly but my eyes were always perfect. I used to envy kids who were prescribed glasses. That was the beginning of this crazy fascination.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnBuB6ykwPw ---> this was my fave episode ever :D

mick 22 Feb 2010, 10:08

I got the glasses but I hated them and I hardly ever wore them. I think it was because I didn't want to become dependant upon them. My Dad was very short sighted, -15 I think, I was terrified that if I wore the glasses my eyes would start getting worse and worse and I'd eventually get as short sighted as he was so I never wore them. A bit later after I left school and started to drive I realised that I needed them, I got an eye test, now they were -2 both eyes. I got some glasses that I had to wear for driving and for my test but again I hardly ever wore them as I still was worried about becoming dependant and getting more short sighted. I figured that by not wearing correction I'd delay the progression.

mick 22 Feb 2010, 09:46

I remeber when I first realised that I was becoming short sighted, I was about 10 years old. I remember my Dad giving me a list of places and road numbers for the planned route when we were going on our holidays. I used to watch for the road signs, road numbers and mileages and tell him how far we had to go to each place on the route. I realised that I couldn't see the signs very well until we were on top of them! Somehow I got away with it, my parents never twigged, I pretended I'd lost interest in doing the navigation! At school I knew I couldn't see the blackboard without squinting but somehow I managed to fudge my way through the eyetest with squinting. It wasn't until I was about 15 that the school eyetest caught me out and I had to go and get my eyes tested at an opticians. The optician confirmed that I was short sighted and had to wear glasses. I think the prescription was about -1.5 in both eyes at that time.

Melyssa 10 Feb 2010, 11:59

And,

Back then my prescription was around -3.00 or so. I was able to function all right sans glasses, especially without any blackboards to read, whether I was playing volleyball, field hockey, or futzing around on the various items in the gym (horse, mats, rings, parallel bars, etc.).

And 10 Feb 2010, 08:56

Melyssa, how difficult was that ?

Melyssa 10 Feb 2010, 07:32

Guest,

That reminds me of when I was in high school a few years before you. Those of us who wore glasses (mostly metal frames then) either took chances wearing them in gym class (volleyballs can be hard), or like I did, kept them in our lockers.

guest 10 Feb 2010, 02:41

When I was at school in the late seventies, contacts were hardly worn and the glasses used to be really huge. Many of us used to complain of the weight or the slipping, especially those with stronger prescriptions (most lenses were made from glass back then).

I remember the worst being sports lessons, when the glasses wearers had to deposit their glasses in a box for safety reasons, having to go through the lessons in squinting agony. I wonder if that would be accepted nowadays.

SimonC 16 Nov 2009, 08:07

When I was in my school years (13-17) I did a newspaper round in my village. It was quite a spread out and long round and from about 15 years of age I kept a record of my customers who wore glasses, what sort + or - and a strength guide (I didnt know about diops etc so I think it was weak, medium, strong, mega etc) and how often and age guess. I only had about 80 houses on the round but there were parents/children etc and as I collected money for their papers I got to see a lot of them.

It occupied some boring time and helped me get through the round, especially in the cold winter months.

I am going to see if I still have this book I kept next time I visit my parents house, a bit of a hoarder I am so its probably been kept.

Dieter 11 Nov 2009, 14:15

My most memorable experience was at age sixteen when I drove to an out of town event with my best friend on a Friday night. On the way home he slept in the passenger seat while I entertained myself with late night radio (most likely I was listening to “Wolfman Jack”). After delivering him home, I continued the several-mile trip to my house. When gathering things from the glove box, I discovered my friend’s glasses and suddenly remembered he had placed them there before napping. Neither of us thought of that when we had been in front of his house. I took the black horn rimmed glasses inside and wore them behind locked doors in my bedroom and the bathroom studying my look in a mirror. They had a moderate minus RX and I really liked what I saw. Since I had never allowed myself to be included in “glasses exchanges”, I’d never seen how I looked in glasses for a guy. The next morning, we connected by phone and my friend said he would get them when we planned to meet up on Sunday.

So on Saturday evening; using his glasses, I drove for hours after dark on the opposite side of town where there was little chance of meeting acquaintances. That was the first time I wore glasses in public and it felt marvelous. However, I would not have had the courage to be seen if I had been in places where I was known. In a short time, I became acclimated to being a wearer to where vision and using them seemed natural as I drove. At one point, I stopped at a fast food restaurant and walked inside to order and eat. I had no problem wearing glasses in front of strangers. It felt as though I had discovered myself and I didn’t want that magical night to end.

SimonC 10 Sep 2009, 01:38

Hi Clare.

When I got my 'first' glasses I had to get them from a nearby town. I remember when I first put them on in the opticians and looked around across the street. I am not very good with find the right words but it was an amazing experience to see clearly. I got very excited having them. I wore them out of the opticians but took them off pretty quickly. I think I was worried or conscious of someone seeing me who knew me.

At the bus stop I remember they were in were in my jacket pocket and I kept sneeking a look at them. Cant recall if I took the day off school or had free day but it was term time again and the bus was pretty empty and I went upstairs where I was the only passenger for a good 20 minutes of the journey. I put them on on the bus, looked around at things, in the far distance, realised just how bad my eyesight was. I took the glasses off as soon as someone got on the bus upstairs. They were worn at home by me in secret and I remember being fascinated by them, what the lenses were like, how they looked on me, cut in etc etc.

I got my contacts about 2 or 3 days after the glasses.

Clare 09 Sep 2009, 12:49

SimonC - of course I mean the pair you got at 17 rather than at 8!

Clare 09 Sep 2009, 12:48

SimonC - thanks for sharing your story. How much did you wear your first pair of glasses?

SimonC 09 Sep 2009, 04:43

I have, as a lot of you do, memories from school which I will try to share with you.

As background I was prescribed glasses when I was 8 to help with the blackboard, TV etc. I absolutely hated the idea of having them and apart from a few times at home I never wore them. A few weeks after getting them my Mum and Dad split up and I stayed with my Dad and brother. My Dad was great but worked a lot and didnt really check on me wearing them.

I remember throwing the glasses away a few months later and I hated them and anything to do with glasses.

When I was 10 I had a school eyetest where it was discovered, and I knew, that I needed glasses. I tore the note up that was sent home for my Dad and that was that really.

When I went to secondary school I had started to struggle more with distance objects but I got by, a bit of copying here and there and so on. In all the time I was there I always failed the school eyetests and always tore up the notes and my Mum thought my Dad had me booked for annual eyetests and vice versa. With my Dad being so busy I always avoided any problems on this front.

Things did change at 'Big' school and friends started to get glasses or had them, and Girls of course. I started to become interested in them, and ultimately wanting them although only in secret. I had occassions of trying on peoples glasses, borrowing some and once stealing a pair of glasses (or I prefer long term loan).

At 17 I wanted to learn to drive and eventually got an eyetest and a pair of glasses (that nobody ever saw me in) and contacts - that I only ever wore. The prescription at that time was -3.25 both eyes.

I am now 35 and wear glasses 90% of the time, love wearing them and wish I had never been afraid or frightened to in the past. I am glad I can write up some of my memories.

Rachel 11 Jul 2009, 22:16

Astra. What is your rx now then? Has it increased since you left hih school or not?

Astra 11 Jul 2009, 11:15

Recently I am very much involved in my study, so not much time around here. Now it is very late at midnight. (2:30 am), and I am going to sleep.

I may tell other sightings amongst some of my mates later. (too tired at the moment, sorry)

Astra 11 Jul 2009, 11:12

I haven't been around eyescene for 3 weeks.

Re Rachel.

I left high school in 2008.

Rachel 09 Jul 2009, 08:45

Puffin. Yes it does. Both sisters had more or less the same rx. It's quite unusual that. My best friend's rx is now RE +6.00 and LE +6.50 and her elder sister who is nearly 19 is only RE +4.00 and LE +4.25. Oftern the younger one has a higher rx than the older one I've been told. It's lucky I haven't a brother or sister or they may be even higher than me.

Puffin 08 Jul 2009, 14:22

Her sister's RX wasn't very high (minus 4 or 5) when she left the school I was in (she was 17 or 18 I think). Never saw her after that.

No idea what I did for her to be horrid to me but I did take note of her again until left school, no more than minus 5 I think, again never saw her again afterwards (thankfully). But it does prove that not everyone's myopia goes ballistic in the teen years.

Rachel 08 Jul 2009, 09:32

Puffin. Well why was she horrid? Its funny her rx didn't increase from being 9. Are you sure about that? I bet her teacher's were probably a higher rx anyway and she obviously enjoyed seeing with them. What rx did her sister get to Puffin?

Puffin 08 Jul 2009, 09:08

I remember a geography lesson where a certain girl with RX about 5 or so managed to break her frames (I think the screw came out). She went up to the teacher and he started trying to fix them, whilst he did this, he lent her his glasses and she exclaimed that they were okay for her (apart from being a bit big!) and happily went back to her seat and got on with whatever we were doing.

strange things about this girl: her rx never seemed to go above 5 or so, having started when she was about 9, she was absolutely horrid to me, and her big sister was really nice! (and wore glasses too)

Rachel 24 Jun 2009, 01:14

Seeker. Wow that just seems so weird. The problem for me would have been that no one else would have had glasses that were strong enough for me if had broken mine.

Seeker 23 Jun 2009, 22:34

Back in the days where if you broke your glasses it took several days to replace them and few people had spare pairs, I recall there was some borrowing old pairs from other glasses wearers with similar RX. At least one boy with a fairly stong RX borrowing from a girl as others offered were not strong enough. On one occasion two girls shared the same pair of glasses in a few classes.

Rachel 22 Jun 2009, 07:10

One of the younger girls at my school has fascinated me for for quite a while now. She is a couple of years younger than me and I first noticed her wearing glasses in assembly just over two years ago. Then I didn't see her wear them again until she got some new ones obviously with slightly stronger lenses. She didn't wear these many times and went back to not wearing glasses in assemble at all. Obviously she must have been wearing them in class, but I did not see her there. For about a year I have noticed her squinting like mad during break times and lunch times and getting really close to the food counter when she is choosing her meals. However only three weeks ago she came into assembly wearing some newer glasses still obviously with even stronger lenses and since them I haven't seen her without them on. It looks like she's finally given in to fulltime wear at last!

Rachel 21 Jun 2009, 06:56

Astra, When did you leave school then?

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 14:16

I remember I must have posted sightings about her on eyescene, about the progression of myopia, like that. (Kat is not her real name, nor does Kate, Katie, Kath???.... I just give her a name here)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 14:13

(Continued)

When I was in college I spot another mate... let's call her Kat. I can't remember I have posted my sightings about her. She was strange, in that she did not wear glasses until she was -3.5 and can't even see the edges of the tiles on the floors clearly.

(I'm sleepy, to be continued)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 14:07

(Continued)

I have said earlier there were classmates who wear glasses with the same frame, but with different rx. So Eu turned out bare-eyed for one day. (so this makes me curious about what the use of that red plastic frame... whose glasses was that?) I can't remember too much about her that day, although she appeared to manage alright, I imagine her eyesight deteriorated a bit, so even more blurry than myself without glasses.

But it turned out wrong. The next day she returned with an awkward rx. I did not ask her, so I estimated, L: -2.5 to -3 , R: -2 to -2.5 ? It is evident her left eye must have deteriorated later, as I have saw an image of her in late 2004 with slight cut-in for both lenses, 2006... well an image of her didn't seem to provide much evidence for her increased rx in left eye. But by 2007, when we are in different class, I saw an image of her showing her left lens much thicker than the right one. The left one may be -4ish and the right one still appears to be -2ish. This could possibly resulted from her awkward tendency to write closely, but inclined towards the left, so her left eye had faster increase in rx. I wonder how blurry her eyesight is, but one thing, she don't seem to have a beautiful face by 2006 or 2007... so I no longer got any intense feeling of her anymore. Moreover, I myself got older, and become less sensitive to these "stimuli".

(To be continued)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 13:48

(Continued)

The next day Eu wore her glasses almost full time. Then I can't remember... nothing particularly interesting about her for a while, but I still remember the later days when she was still with that rx, during which I remember a day when Eu was painting with Masha and me around. I thought I liked the curve of her lenses a lot, but I did not tell Eu or Masha about that. So what was peculiar about Eu painting? well, she constantly look down, so she looked a little bit apppealing, just like she was not using the lenses (just my thought at that time, I wonder I would still feel the same way now). I still remember when Eu looked up, I deliberately divert my focus on her eyes, pretending I was not looking at her eyes and lenses (I think(my personal thought) she would thought: eyes? glasses? or whatever strange?).

I don't know why, but I still think those was her most beautiful days when she was usually wearing that pair of lenses, especially when she removed them to clean her glasses.

The next year though, I wore glasses to see the board, a black square metal frame with an old rx. (about -2.00), because I couldn't tolerate the blur without anymore. But I always remove the glasses when I am reading or at home, otherwise I would feel dizzy.

I still remember seeing the nose pads of Eu's glasses turned yellow after used for around 2 years. I thought it was amazing to wear those flimsy frames for 2 years. One day, Eu wore a red plastic frame. I surely don't think she liked the frame, but by then I was no longer very friendly with her. And I had no idea about the rx in that red plastic frame, and I never saw her wearing that frame after that day.

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 13:19

(Continued)

Later on that day, Eu went to my home to discuss about our homework projects, (phew, why did we are that serious about those silly projects, can't understand with my brain now). Eu suddenly wore her glasses, and looked around, then she seemed to feel a bit uncomfortable and took them off within a minute or so. After we finished the day's other homework and talked about the projects, Eu chatted with me and Masha (another classmate, never seen her wearing her own glasses anytime because she seems to have normal eyesight, even last month I didn't see her with any glasses or contact). Eu told me she got a glasses, but the eye didn't adjust well with them. Masha tried Eu's glasses, and told me she was blind with them. I tried Eu's glasses, and I told them I was comfortable with her glasses, "interesting." (Actually I knew why...), I tried the glasses for a while, played them around, took some images of me in her glasses which has all been deleted now.

(To be continued)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 13:02

(Continued)

Right after the day which she had the aforementioned eye check, I didn't realise Eu had already got an rx. But I noticed an interesting thing. Eu asked me (ha, she didn't know I was myopic) about what was written on the board. I could barely figure out the words and told her. Thus I suspect, her myopia could be a bit worse than mine.

The next day, she still didn't get her glasses, but I just figured out some squinting. I got a guess of her supposed rx secretly, around -2.25 both eyes? (Just a wild guess)

The next week she got her glasses, but did not wear them at first. But I spotted her glasses case. So when she went to toilet, I opened the case and saw a pair of rimless glasses, beautiful, I thought, seemed we have similar rx? But I notice the lenses were very thin in the middle, possibly a hi-index? I never confirmed that but I always suspected the possibility. At the same time, I realised her glasses was much lighter (and more comfortable) than mine (that I stored in my home).

(Continued in the next post)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 12:47

Depends on my position, particularly so because of my short height, often reading the board is still possible with my myopia back then.

There were some funny incidence. I had a classmate, let's call her Eu. Back then, I always thought those who write very closely would eventually need glasses to read the board within a year. So Eu was that kind of girl when I first know her. Later on that month we got rather friendly each other, but she appeared to got about right back then. It was perhaps Feb 2004 (6 months later), and we were attending lessons on a school laboratory. I started to saw Eu squinted a little to see the board. Interestingly though, when I later that day asked whether she found difficult to read the board, she told me she could figure out the words normally. I couldn't believe that at all, and I believed her myopia progressed really fast, as the next day she was supposed to have her annual eye check. Interesting, how come she got normal eyesight (20/20) each year?

(Continued on next post)

Astra 20 Jun 2009, 12:30

(Continued from a post on thread "New Glasses")

The reason why I got curious about gwg was originated from my experience of being myopic (about -2) without glasses at school for more than 10 years. I remember I got very curious about other girl's glasses. Noticing the thickness of other girl's minus lenses, and the cut. Sort of, trying to compare myself to others, also observing the variations of rx, or even progression of rx when they had new glasses, or just new lenses with much stronger rx but with the same frame.

Now my nose is so stimulated to think about those experience again... and results in sneezing.

Back in those days I had the same problem. I remember I just pretend I had nose problems when I was actually got the nose excited because of noticing others' lenses.

Nova man 15 Jun 2009, 21:07

Another one of my girlfriends who I was dating around 97' had just gotten a new pair from walmart (VERY slight +) and the name on the lenses was "boulevard" they were gold with black on the fronts of the frame and big black ear pieces. They had HUGE nose pads and they werent adjusted well at all. The ear pieces were about an inch behind her ear and they slipped down constantly, I loved it. Afet about a month the nose pads turned a bright yellow color another perk!!She later lost them. by this time we had moved in together. She went back to walmart and got a pair of large wire rim oval black frames, shortly thereafter she got another pair of small oval wire rim "vogue". They had orange ear pieces and were tight she would get irate if I pulled them down saying it hurt her ears......more to come

Rachel J 12 Jun 2009, 23:23

Melyssa, Nova man. Well I never take the case to school. I just go in my glasses.

Melyssa 12 Jun 2009, 12:43

Nova Man,

I know what you mean by that "new glasses smell." Every time I get a new case (and usually a new pair of glasses to go with it), I can distinguish that aroma. It helps clear my sinuses for about a week, even. LOL

Nova man  12 Jun 2009, 09:55

It sounds to me like you ARE a winner ( no sarcasm) You wear glasses and enjoy it , and enjoy discussing them!!! what could be better

Rachel J 12 Jun 2009, 06:15

Nova man. Wow, pretty cool by the sounds of it. If you have your glasses tight to your face like, it's much better for seeing I find. Maybe that's why she was so insistent about it. It depends on the shape of your nos though I reckon, cos Niccy who I knwo has a little flat nose and her specs are always slipping down a lot. She's plus as well. My nose is kind of pretty thin, so my glasses slipt down a bit unless the ear pieces are really bent over tight. Then it tends to hurt my ears, so I can't really win.

Nova man 12 Jun 2009, 04:32

I started is so I guess I will tell it. My previous mentions girlfrined and I had "technically" split but still were "seeing" each other and I had started seeing one of her friends who was a about a -4.5 she wore these huge metal rim sort of but not perfectly square frames. I remember like yesterday. She was a full time wearer the rims were silver the nose pads has turned that greyish-white from the oilk in her skin and the plastic on the ear pieces was bright grey. The thing I remember the most about her was she was obsessed with here specs to but not in a fetish way. The had to sit perfectly on her face and not slip down at all. I can still remember how tight the arms and ear pieces were they camee straight down behind her ears and actually you could see them by her earing. She asked me to try them on once and there ws no way they were just too tight. Later she got some smaller ones , gold half wire frames, with orange ear piecs and they were the same way they didnt move an inch in any "condition".

Nova man 12 Jun 2009, 04:14

She wasnt a 100% full time wearer as she was a very slight plus. We went to 2 different schools but she used to tell me how she had to wear them cause she got headaches. But when I would go over to her house or we went out somwhere she always wore them. We split up around late 96....she had other friends that wore glasses too and I guess she didnt like me spending time with them. But thats for another thread!

Rachel J 11 Jun 2009, 22:56

Novo man. Did she wear them all the time for you then? I bet not many girls wore glasses for school in those days like they do now, so you were lucky.

Nova man 11 Jun 2009, 15:20

One of my h.s girlfriends got glasses when we were seniors, I had convinced her to wear glasses during "intimate" time before that albiet her mothers or what ever we could find.She didnt reall car so long as we could sneak out and get wild. Anyhow I remember the day she got her own It was in 95 and they were Identical to Andreas on 90210. Gold ,tortise shell on the fronts pretty high temples with gold arms and brown ear pieces. WOW I remember when she took them out the case and put them on they had a smell..... its hard to explain unless you have smelled that "new" glasses smell.....good times back then.

Rachel 04 Jun 2009, 22:30

I think another Rachel posts sometimes.

Rachel 28 May 2009, 22:53

Rick. No I don't think so. Not me. I've never had any need or wnated them. Not yet anyway! lol.

Rick 28 May 2009, 06:57

Rachel, do I remember you writing about your need for bifocal lenses several years ago? Was wondering why you have not joined the rest of us?

Rachel 28 May 2009, 01:38

Like Lenses. Possibly. I'm not really sure. The 20/30 was pretty tiny when I had my last test but I was just able to make it out. The thing I enjoy most about having extra minus is seeing eveything so clearly when I'm out. Like the tiny leaves on the trees looking really clear and the petals of flowers looking clearly defined down on the ground. It's seems so amazing when normally they just appear as a blob or something. I think it's worth it just for that. Also I'm not botherd about my eyes getting worse providing they can be corrected OK. When it comes to learning to drive, I'll have to think again maybe. But until then I really want as much minus as I can cope with!!

Like Lenses 27 May 2009, 22:39

Rachel

I am thinking perhaps bifocals, or a weaker Rx for close work.

Like Lenses 27 May 2009, 20:52

Rachel,

I was surprised to read that your corrected vision is only 20/30.

Do you think that it is a result of the overcorrection that you enjoy wearing, or is that the best you can possibly do?

You probably need to talk to your optician, and see if there is anything you can do to stop that from becoming worse. Most countries have a limit of 20/40 best corrected to drive, and you are only one line away from that now.

Rachel 27 May 2009, 06:21

Aubrac. To be honest I've never really wanted to wear contacts although my mother would dearly love me to wear them with my rx. I really like seeing myself in glasses and the feel of them on my face. I suppose I've worn them so long since I first started at school at 7 that it feels odd when they aren't there. Also I like feeling the curve in my lenses and the sharp edges when I clean my glasses. I get a sort of rush whenever I do it. Stupid I know, but who cares. I know I'll alwyas have to wear glasses, so why not make the most of it.

Aubrac 27 May 2009, 04:16

Rachel

Thank you - you have made an old heart beat a little faster!

I don't see my sister all that often but whenever I do she is wearing contacts and so I think she wears these most of the time.

Yes, I think GWGs look lovely, especially as there are so many great frames available now, with something to suit everyone. They are more seen as a fashion accessory and quite rightly so, rather than something a person has to wear.

Rachel 26 May 2009, 10:09

Aubrac. Well I must say, I do prefer guys not wearing glasses, if that's any consolation! If you feel happy with contacts stick to them. Does your sister wear hers most of the time still or has she reverted to her glasses. I think girls look cool in glasses if they choose the right frames to suit there appearance. It's like cosmetic and I find lots of guys like gwgs.

Aubrac 26 May 2009, 09:13

Rachel

No offence taken. My sister used to do a lot of stage work as a dancer and so got into the habit of wearing contacts which she still does most of the time.

Another reason why I don't wear glasses is that although I have had many pairs over the years, after about two hours wear, I find them incredibly uncomfortable with a hot burning sensation over my left ear. I have tried numerous adjustments, and the lightweight, rimless pair I have now are the best ever meaning I can wear them for four/five hours, but that is the limit.

Maybe I have incorrectible lop-sided ears - makes me sound like a myopic rabbit!!

Rachel 22 May 2009, 08:52

Aubrac. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel wounded! It's nice to read your thinking on glasses. I suppose I've always worn pretty cool ones since I started at the age of 7. By then NHS specs had more or less disappeared from the racks of frames. And anyway none of the other kids at school ever teased me about wearing glasses. In fact most of my friends liked trying them on themselves. Now I just feel totally weird when I'm not wearing glasses and I'm always fascinated when I get thicker lenses. As a matter of interest does your sister still wear her glasses all the time and does she still prefer them to contacts?

Aubrac 22 May 2009, 02:22

Ouch, Rachel! You know how to hurt a guy!.

Must admit that being despite being a GWG lover, and fan of all things optical, I do wear contacts most of the time. Hiss, hiss, I hear you all say. This does stem from being a keen golfer in my early twenties, and finding it so difficult with rain spattered glasses, to see in rainy conditions – choosing one ball to hit from a choice of four should make things easier but doesn’t!

My prescription at -5.00 both eyes (makes it easy to swop lenses around) has been the same for over 15 years but the add has increased slightly to +2.00. I got a great pair of glasses from Hong Kong on the net about six years ago, and while these still give sharp distance vision, reading is also not a problem with these, except for very small print when I take them off to read. With the bi-focal contacts, again I can read most things, but for tiny print I have some +1.50 readers or use my wife’s glasses.

As Andrew said, style at that time, was certainly not at the forefront of NHS specs (or any others for that matter). With far fewer adults and children wearing glasses, it really made glasses wearers stand out as different from anyone else.

By the way my sister’s prescription is about -7.00 now.

Andrew 21 May 2009, 12:27

The NHS specs of the 60s, 70s and 80s were enough to get anyobody to try to avoid getting glasses. Look back at some of the older posts here (mine included), and you will start to spot a theme. Imagine a school uniform which dictated the style of your glasses and you will start to empathize.

Rachel 21 May 2009, 05:58

Aubrac. Forgive me for saying it, but seeing as your sister accepted her need for glasses manfully, it just shows what wimps you guys are!! I'm only joking of course, but just couldn't resist it.

Rick 21 May 2009, 04:44

Aubrac, when did you first start wearing bifocals?

Aubrac 21 May 2009, 00:42

Aubrac

I was in denial at school. My sister who is a few years older had been presribed what I would think was a first scrip of about -2.00. This caused great consternation in the family as there not a single relative who was myopic. She got a second scrip that I tried on and found everything too distorted, however her first pair, typical NHS pink plastic coated oval wire frames, with flexy wire ear loops, really did make everything clearer.

I remember at age 14 being in the art classroom, and there was a pair of glasses on the teachers desk that a boy had left behind. I tried them on and was quite astonished how bright everything was, and how I could see individual bricks of the building opposite. However, did not get my first glasses until about 16.

Rachel 20 May 2009, 01:23

Its really interesting to read some of these posts. I had to get glasses for school at 7 and my mother thought I only wanted them because another girl in my class had got some. In fact I really needed them and I hated taking them off once I got them. It was my mother who kept telling me to, saying I'd end up as near-sighted as my aunt if I kept them on such a lot. Whether or not she was correct in her assumptions I'm not sure, but I'm rapidly heading that way at the moment.

marsh 01 Mar 2009, 07:02

Today it is no problem and accepted, maybe envied, long time ago - no-

SALLY, how are you doing

Al 08 Jan 2009, 08:28

I think I was in denial during part of high school and all of college, and it wasn't until I took a required photojournalism class in college and most of my photos were out of focus did I discover that I was nearsighted. I just couldn't get the proper focus, especially looking through one eye -- that was in the days of single lens reflex cameras -- no autofocus, no digital. Actually I still didn't realize I was nearsighted -- just thought I was a bad photographer. When I got my first job in journalism and I was proofreading a lot, that did it. I ended up with -1.75 or so. Now, 30 years later, I am -3.25 -.50 with +2.25 add.

Alison 08 Jan 2009, 07:53

Phil . At the moment i have +2.75 but my optician said my reading add would be for a lady of at least 50 but i have it early, did not know where to hit her or laugh. I know i cannot even see bigger parts of the paper without them, and i have now bought a bigger watch so i can at least tell the time.

Phil 08 Jan 2009, 05:04

Alison, how much near add have you got? Does it help with reading newspapers etc?

It is very unusual to see straight-lined bifocals nowadays. I have a pair but rarely use them even though I find them good for reading. They gave me trouble when descending steps!

Alison 07 Jan 2009, 23:59

Phil. I use them on a full time basis. Used to just for work then change and put my distance on before leaving, but now find its easy with the bifocals, i dont have to keep changing my glasses to see things in the shops etc. Yes my optician said i have early presbyopia, and i am at stage now where i want some more power in my reading glasses, will make an appointment for when my daughter has to have her exam. I wear the executive bifocals phil, find the larger reading area suits my needs.

Thanks for the interest

Phil 07 Jan 2009, 04:56

Wow Alison, gwgs of your age with lined bifocals are a very rare treat! What frames do you wear them in? Do you use them only for work or on a fulltime basis?

Is the need for extra reading strength just down to a slightly earlier-than-usual onset of presbyopia?

Alison 07 Jan 2009, 04:36

Phil.I ended up with R+8.0 L+8.25 my eyes had a big jump for the first change then a few smaller jumps and they have been this now since i was 18. A year ago when i was 37, reading got difficult, so i got reading glasses , i needed them at work, i work in a bank doing accounts. They were fine for about a year then needed more power to see close so tried varifocals. After 3 months i ditched them and went for line bifocals and have had not problems since but again i may need bit more power in the reading add, small print getting hard again or my arms are getting shorter.

My daughter has taken to hers after a lot of fuss that she will not wear them, i think now she finds her eyes feel far more relaxed, she is due to have them tested again soon where i hope she will be given her full rx.

Phil 07 Jan 2009, 01:59

What rx did you end up with Alison? Do you wear bi- or vari- focals now?

Alison 06 Jan 2009, 23:02

To answer your question AND.

i was told to wear them full time, this was not my full rx and my eyes had to get used to these before they could give me the strength that i would need. They were good for close things but distance was blurry but soon improved within a matter of weeks. but with the improvement i noticed that before i used to take them off at school for periods of time, but was getting unable to focus very well when i tried that now. After about 5 months i think it was, i was giving a new pair of glasses with a much higher rx, and once my eyes had adjusted to these, it was impossible to go without wearing them, i really needed them by then. Hope this answers your question. And as a matter of interest, my daughter appears to be going down the same road, her first pair she just has, is +2.75 / +3.00 and like me will not be her full rx.

And 05 Jan 2009, 15:19

Alison, did you need to wear full-time or did you avoid wearing them as much as possible ?

alison 03 Jan 2009, 04:26

Its interesting to read all the stories on here about the embarrassment of turning up at school the first time in glasses. I know it was awful, i felt such a freak being made to keep my glasses on as i walked into the classroom. It really was one of those times you want the floor to open up and swallow you. What made it worse for me was i was at an age where boys were becoming interesting, i was 14. Who would look at me with two magnifying lenses stuck on my eyes. Many years later i can laugh, but felt sad my daughter who is 12 has just been told she needs to wear glasses. I hope she does not suffer the taunts from other children that i did

Tom 27 Aug 2008, 08:02

I remember that during university, I spent some months in another city, living in a college with other students. I remember a girl (not so nice, but. interesting!) that I was used to study with every evening in the library. One time I was sit at a table close to the entrance door and I saw her coming in and looking around the large room. Then she approached me and asked if one of our mates was in the room. I was surprised by this question and she probably noticed it since she explained: “I don’t have my contacts and don’t see a thing without them”. This is how I discovered she was nearsighted, and knew later she was -4. She hated glasses at a point that some time later I invited her to cycle to university together and she refused saying she couldn’t safely cycle without her contacts on and that she could not use them because she run out of solution. I suggested her to use glasses (which would have made her much more interesting, but probably she didn’t know this) and she said: you’ll never see me in glasses! Then I asked her if her plan was not to leave the college anymore in the future (!) and she answered that she had intention to ask her roommate to assist her to reach the closest optician to buy some new solution for the contacts. Luckily, some months later she realised that it was not possible to use contacts for so many hours/day, neither to spend each evening in the blur, and she started using glasses to study after dinner, offering me so many beautiful sightings. I’ve never met her again after that year.

JJwGlaSSeS 12 Aug 2008, 10:11

i never wear glasses when i was at school, that`s a trouble cause i was squinting to see the blackboard all the time, but i was too shy to let people see me with glasses, that`s over now cause i love to to wear my glasses i can`t go without them and i don`t think about lasik surgery

Tod 11 Aug 2008, 20:48

nice story, Sally.

Sally 11 Aug 2008, 00:38

should read knew not new, thats hurrying a post

Sally 11 Aug 2008, 00:37

I was told i had to wear them full time from when i got them, and my mother made sure i did. I did try not wearing them in school apart from when i had to see the blackboard, but the teachers new i should have them on, and reminded me about it. Anyway after a few weeks, i come to know, things were far clearer with them on, and had no great problems about wearing them.

As for going bare eyed, i done it once when i was about 16, a guy i really liked, asked me out to the pictures, he had seen me in glasses but i said that i dont really need them, only for school blackboards. We sat watching the film, and i saw very little of it, just mostly a blur. In the interval i needed the toilet so went and when i came back, could not find where we were sitting, it was just a blur in the poor light. After about 3 wrong seats i ended up back where i should be. The boy turned round and said i dont mind if you wear glasses, i think you are worse than you admit. With a sigh of relief, i got them out of my handbag and put them on, sheer bliss.

That was the one and only time i have tried to be clever and go bare eyed, never attempted it since.

And 10 Aug 2008, 12:48

Sally, when did you go 'fulltime'. Have you any tales for the 'going without glasses' thread ?

sally 10 Aug 2008, 12:25

you need to wonder no more, my current presciption is R-11.25 L-12.00, quite a lot higher then my brother ended up

Just Wondering 10 Aug 2008, 09:32

To Sally -- what is your prescription now?

Sally 10 Aug 2008, 09:07

Yes, by the time i was 15, my glasses were quite strong, in the -6 region so i had no choice but to like them, because i could not see without.

Cut-in UK 10 Aug 2008, 07:48

Sally, getting your first glasses at school can often be an embarrassment, but have you been comfortable with them through your 20's ?

Sally 10 Aug 2008, 02:58

When my brother who is a year older than me had to have glasses, i thought it was a hoot, and made fun of him, as did my friends at school, to us it was a laugh. You can imagine how i felt about a year or so later when i had difficulty seeing the blackboard,I was beginning to know how my brother had felt.By this time my brother had a stronger pair of glasses from his first pair, so i went into his room and found the old ones, and put them on to see what i could see. Wow, i really could not believe the clarity of looking across the room with them on. I struggled for a short while then told my mother i was having trouble seeing things at distance. She took me for an eye test and lo and behold, i was told i needed glasses, and to rub salt in the wound, they were stronger then my brothers first pair, he never let me forget how i had teased him and had great fun telling all my friends i was going to be a four eyes. Its funny looking back now, i am nearly 30 and still wearing my glasses as is my brother. And mine are stronger than his.

4eyes 08 Aug 2008, 16:49

Hi you guys...

I'm not sure where to put this... as I don't know what to call it... anyway.

I am not sure I told you about my new prescription with just “a little bit increase RX” as doctors put it, AND that I could see amazingly well. I really mean it. In fact, as far as I can recall, they gave me the sharpest vision I remember but, after few days using those “trying” new glasses I was starting to feel real sick in my stomach. It was like nausea, a feeling like sickness, like I was lost… as if I couldn’t walk straight. I know I can not ride a bike because I am too clumsy; I have no sense of equilibrium… if, I do make sense at all. That was the way I was feeling with those new glasses.

Those are the numbers on the file I find of interest:

OD (Right eye) Esf. + 32:00, Cil. -1,75, Eix. 180º Pris. 47º DP Base Ext (BO)

OE (Left eye) Esf . +32:75, Cil. -2,00, Eix. 17º 47º DP Base Externa (BO) Dip 59 m/m

And for close working... (means read)

OD (Right eye) Esf. + 40:50, Cil. -1,75, Eix. 180º Pris. 47º DP Base Ext (BO)

OE (Left eye) Esf . +40:75, Cil. -2,00, Eix. 17º 47º DP Base Externa (BO).

As I could not use them at all, I asked Doctors at UCLA Children Hospital I would like to have back my old glasses. Now, my school started this week and I’ve already been asked to have my daddy at school yesterday, to talk to Principal because of a fight I’ve been into the day before and now I am grounded. No Xbox nor computer games. No soccer playing, thou I am playing real bad. I am depressed because I am playing shit and I am not having fun. My temper is screwed and I’m not in mood for talking about anything with anybody… I always say school stinks and all. All I hope to get my new glasses soon or I am I don’t know… I am grounded for awhile and I am mad. And I will not tell my daddy I’m having some difficult because of my old glasses, as I don’t think they are the real reason. I am too frustrated even to go on with this… got to go.

See you guys.

guest 16 Jun 2008, 03:48

When I was at school, in the eighties, people wore huge frames, resulting in thick plusses and minusses with huge edges. Apparently they would slide more often than nowadays with lenses becoming lighter. I remember a secretary who held her glasses with her hand when she got fed up with them sliding down the moment she pushed them up. Then there was a shoolmate with rather thick minusses who was forever pushing u his glasses (and losing them ever so often) touching the middle of the lenses with his fingers. I wonder how he could see through all the smudge.

Anyone else having observed that?

Tod 31 May 2008, 14:32

Anne, don't worry about the spelling. My first name is Thomas and I only use Tod so as not to be confused with another Tom on this site.

As for you having trouble with eyemake-up and you having two very different Rx's in your glasses one a (+) and one a (-) lens. Have you considered having your lenses with a gradient tint? I once asked this girl why she always wore tinted gradient lenses. She sometimes wore a blue pair and other times pink ones. She said "I don't always have time and I don't like putting on eye makup. With tinted glasses people can't tell I wear prescription glasses. I have astigmatism and can't wear contact lenses". She looked really hot in her glasses, too.

Tod 31 May 2008, 14:31

Amme, don't worry about the spelling. My first name is Thomas and I only use Tod so as not to be confused with another Tom on this site.

As for you having trouble with eyemake-up and you having two very different Rx's in your glasses one a (+) and one a (-) lens. Have you considered having your lenses with a gradient tint? I once asked this girl why she always wore tinted gradient lenses. She sometimes wore a blue pair and other times pink ones. She said "I don't always have time and I don't like putting on eye makup. With tinted glasses people can't tell I wear prescription glasses. I have astigmatism and can't wear contact lenses". She looked really hot in her glasses, too.

Anne 26 May 2008, 12:01

sorry Tod, its only one d not dd in your name

Anne 26 May 2008, 12:00

Todd. I do have one todd and it helps a lot, my friend who is quite long sighted has a big problem putting her makeup on,even with the magnifying glass

Tod 26 May 2008, 11:54

A girl in my HS who wore minus 3.00 glasses. Her name, Patricia Cook. While walking about she would wear her glassees on the tip of her nose and look over the top of them. I even have a group picture of her like this. When she needed to see the board in class she would push them up her nose to see. But once class ended she pulled them down again. When somebody would call her from a distance she had to tilt her head back to see them through her glasses. When she would go outside she wore them properly in order to see but not in the school hallways. One day she came to school not wearing her glasses. At first I thought she got contacts but then she seemed a bit lost and would squint at the distance. Seem she had broken her glasses. I over heard her outside her typing class saying to her friend "how am I going to see the board" Her friend replied "you can use my glasses". Her glasses were octagonal wire frames. year 1971. I later learned she cound not wear contacts because of astigmatism.

Tod 26 May 2008, 11:37

Anne, you might want to get a pair of make-up glasses to use when you need to put on you eye make-up. They are available on line and not very expensive.

Anne 26 May 2008, 10:31

R Ed. yes you have that right, less makeup on the plus eye because the lens magnifies it and more on the minus eye because the lens makes it smaller. when i first began wearing make up it took a while to figure this out, but i read a very good article in one of the makeup magazines, and after that did not have much problems. it may sound silly but its harder to make up my minus eye, because i need to use the plus eye to see it, and the closer i get to the mirror, the worse it is. Hope that makes sense, if not let me know and i will try and explain better

Anne 26 May 2008, 10:26

Tod. I have get the same remarks from my friends when they try my glasses on for the first time, they all say, i can see things close with the plus eye but the other one is really blurred, so i know what you are saying is correct

Tod 26 May 2008, 09:07

I also remember in HS there was this very pretty Hispanic (Pureto Rican) girl who did not really look Hispanic. She had to attended bi-lingual class. She had long dark hair and large blue eyes. I guess what made her eyes look so big is that she wore strong plus glasses. Her frames were large black plastic sort a avaitior style but not really. She was constantly pushing the frames up her nose as they would slide down as she walked along. Once when she was coming through this door this other girl swung the door open just missing her. The other girl said to her "you better watch it, thats a good way to get your glasses broken. Later in the year she got contacts but she had to wear non Rx sunglasses with them all the time and had to show a doctors Rx to school in order to wear the sunglasses as students were not otherwise allowed to wear them in school. She became very popular around this time with non hispanic boys. (Hispanics were a small population at this time). After about 3 months she stopped wearing sunglasses all the time but only wore them when she went outdoors. I never did find out her name as she later moved away. This was in 1970

Tod 26 May 2008, 08:41

I knew of a girl who has one farsighted eye and one nearsighted eye. Her name, Kim Smith. The glasses she wore did not seem really strong. Maybe -2.5 and +1.5 or so. One day at lunch time she and this other girl (named Linda Edge who wore fairly strong minus glasses and about a year later got contact lenses) decided to exchange glasses. Linda put on Kim's plus and minus glasses. I remember Linda saying "I can see out of this eye but not this eye". This happened back sometime in 1970 or 1971. At the time Kim wore metal avatior style frames and Linda wore round metal (John Lennon) style frames. This story is the God's truth.

R Ed 26 May 2008, 07:36

Anne,

What is your eye make up strategy. Thin lines with eye liner for the plus eye, thick for the minus eye? What makes it difficult to do? What comments do you get? Mainly from women?

anne 24 May 2008, 01:52

Andrew. My minus eye was better for reading with, and the plus one better for distance. Reading or doing close work with the plus eye, used to give me headaches, that is before i got my glasses.

Andrew 23 May 2008, 11:44

Which eye did you use for reading before you actually got glasses?

Anne. 23 May 2008, 02:20

R.Ed there is a difference between my lenses, and yes you can notice it. A few of my friends have bought it up when we were talking about eyesight. The only part i dont like is my plus eye looks a lot bigger than my minus eye,i have to try to balance my eye makeup, not always easy. At least the plus lens seems stable, its just the minus thats still increasing. I dont mind comments about them, it has been a talking point in the pub when someone mentions it, and everyone wants to try them on.

anne 23 May 2008, 02:11

Julian. Yes it was strange for some time when i first got glasses, seeing images in two different sizes. But i guess after a while i did not notice it anymore, and to be honest never even give i a thought nowdays. Its funny when people try my glasses on, and find they can normally see with the plus lens, but have trouble looking out of the minus lens.

R Ed 22 May 2008, 13:08

Anne,

Yes, I find your post interesting. Without correction, vision must be difficult with a 7.5D differential between your eyes; no wonder you close one eye.

Do people notice the difference between your 2 lenses? What kind of comments do you get? Do you welcome comments or find them annoying?

Julian 22 May 2008, 12:13

Thanks for that account Anne. As you'll know if you've read a lot of the posts here, it's fairly typical for a short-sighted eye to get 'worse' and for a long-sighted one to stay put. Do you have any problem with different-sized images through your different lenses? This gives some people trouble, but I hear you can adjust to it.

anne 22 May 2008, 07:38

I was like a lot on here, struggled to see the blackboard at school, so moved up to the front. But unlike some who have spoken in here, i could always see out of my left eye, where the right was was pretty bad. This went on for some time but when i was 12, the teacher noticed i was closing one eye to read and she asked me why, i just said i can see better with that one. As you can imagine, my mother received a letter saying i should have an eye exam. This was arranged and it turned out that my right eye was quite short sighted and my left one longsighted, the optician said this was not common, but not really rare. Anyway i got glasses and after that, was soon wearing them full time. I am 19 now and my rx is R-5.25 L+2.25. My plus eye has been the same for some years now but the minus one keeps getting worse, it needs a change every exam i have. Hope you find this interesting, was not sure if anyone would want to know abot it or not

benn 08 May 2008, 19:31

That's my next quest. I want to do +10 with contacts just to see what's it like.

I pick up my -20 with + contacts tomorrow. Already do -4 and -8 with + contacts.

Puffin 08 May 2008, 17:48

This is something that has bugged me for a bit. If you had a serious plus RX ie over +10, would you see better than 20/20 (corrected) simply because everything got magnified/seemed closer?

Martyn 08 May 2008, 05:17

I wonder if someone with glasses for long sight could please explain if looking into the distance does the magnification distort imagages, I have often seen wearings with high magnification wear their glasses all day, as soon as they drive their car they take them off. Then when they have reached their destination they put them back on, is it fact that high magnification glasses the wearer can see far into the distance withiout them. Look forward in anticipation to an answer. Martyn thanks

still 02 May 2008, 12:33

So did I!

 02 May 2008, 10:47

What? Why was it silly? I enjoyed it.

guest 02 May 2008, 10:29

Astra, what a silly post

Astra myopicblur 02 May 2008, 03:22

(continued from my last post)

Later, she became somewhat used to her glasses, but still had it removed often. This was somehow interesting as she naturally squints when her glasses was removed from her nose. She seemed enjoy going without glasses except when absolutely needed. She pretend her prescription was not very serious that she had to wear them full-time, but I knew she needed. She found it difficult to recognise faces... but with her squinting she was almost 20/20.

On one occasion, I could not see the clock clearly, (I was around -1.75, without glasses, and sitting on the back row), and I asked her if she could see the clock. She squinted without her glasses, and told me the time. I could not believe that, and I walked up front and found out the time she told me was correct. I wondered how could she see that... She later told me that everything got blurry again at distance when she stopped squinting.

Astra myopicblur 02 May 2008, 03:06

When I was 13, a friend of mine got her first pair of prescription glasses. It was around -3.

That was a bit unexpected for me, as I hadn't noticed her squinting or whatever... except that she look up really close when reading books or writing something. I guess this "induced" her spurt of myopia.

I noticed her adjusting her glasses too often... and even remove her glasses a bit too often, within a lesson I had seen several times she removed her glasses. I asked her why and she told me she find it a bit uncomfortable to have her glasses pressing on her nose, but she told me it was great to look through her glasses. And it was the first time I saw her squinted... when she removed her glasses--- and she noticed the stark difference causing some fatigue.

M 22 Apr 2008, 21:23

Oh VFL, you've reminded me of the most dreamy experience I had, flirting with an Adonis is glasses for an entire summer. It wasn't nearly as intimate as what you just described but early in our flirtation, I remember sitting outside on a sunny day in the school courtyard, watching him. He noticed me back, smiled, then disappeared into a building. He returned a few minutes later without his glasses and stood, facing me but talking to a friend. He indicated in my direction a few times, then disappeared into the building again, only to return a few seconds later, pushing his silver-framed glasses up his nose. I distinctly remember feeling my face flush at the thought that he needed those glasses to better flirt with me.

It ended as the summer did, a stolen kiss and those same silver frames cold against my cheek on a sticky night in August. I never saw him again but certainly, the memory is as fresh now as if it were yesterday. I've often wondered if he knew the thing that caught my attention, despite his beautiful body, was his glasses.

VFL 21 Apr 2008, 11:02

Puffin, I think that the thing with taking off your glasses is the feeling that everything seems to "go away" when you do. How much so depends upon the prescription, but, in the myopic men I've loved most of my life the act of doing so disorients them enough that it gives them an instant headache. It probably also makes them feel a bit out of control. Or maybe lots out of control.

One of the very last things I did when breaking up with a beautiful, beautiful man years ago was to slide the glasses off of his nose and to polish them on the hem of my ballgown. I loved him with all of my heart, but didn't see any future for us. That was one of the most intimate acts I ever performed. I will never, ever forget the look in those light blue unfocused eyes as I slid the sparkling myopic lenses encased in gold frames back onto his nose.

What a lovely man. He was so much more than the glasses he needed. The glasses are never enough in themselves. The entire package has to and must be there. But when the glasses are part and parcel it is heavenly.

Puffin 20 Apr 2008, 17:07

I do remember an English teacher who took off his glasses for a moment, he looked completely different. It's so strange how taking off those little bits of crystal and metal can change so much.

VFL 20 Apr 2008, 14:37

All Four Eyes,

I agree with your theory because most of the people I've known who never seem to take their glasses off in public do have fairly high prescriptions. It's not that I'm out to embarass anyone, but just find it curious. Perhaps no one else notices except for me and that's because I'm such an oo.

Some of the fondest memories I have are of the first time the wonderful bespectacled men I have fancied at one time or another have taken them off, or in the case of contact wearers, put them on for the first time. It's like an unmasking, an unveiling. Call it what you may, it's sweet and it's a moment like no other. The best is when I gently slipped their glasses off myself.

All4Eyes 19 Apr 2008, 10:28

VFL: Sorry I called you Katy. I'd just read something Katy had said on another thread, guess I was still thinking of that.

Pauline 18 Apr 2008, 23:28

I am quite long sighted , whoever it was that asked

All4Eyes 18 Apr 2008, 12:07

Katy: Best I can figure it's got something to do with the person feeling 1. That their glasses are fundamently part of their being, taking off their glasses almost feels like taking off their nose to them, like somehow they are less "themselves" without their glasses (notice how often these people are the ones who have worn glasses from early childhood). And/Or 2. They feel somewhat afraid to be seen bare-eyed, because it makes them feel exposed and vulnerable (notice how often people like this have high rxs and therefore quite poor uncorrected sight).

All4Eyes 18 Apr 2008, 12:00

It's funny how coming to this site has kind of broadened my horizons in this sort of thing, not only am I beginning to think HAs might be kinda cool under the right circumstances, but my tastes in glasses have broadened as well. I used to be strictly a minus fan, but I've come to appreciate plus lenses now, too. BTW, it seems to me myopic OOs seem to prefer minus lenses on others, while hyperopes tend to gravitate more towards plusses-perhaps there is a certain "birds of a feather" principle in play here? Also, I've often wondered if a "blind" (unknowing) panel would say that people looked best in glasses close to their own true rxs, if you took a bunch of glasses of various rxs and tried each of them on a bunch of people with different rxs? And would my myopic self look worse in plus lenses than I do in my own dear minuses?

And, amazingly, the one thing in lenses that I always found unthinkable, bifocals, I'm actually starting to fancy! I still shudder at the thought of appearing in public wearing bifocals (though I often like them when I see them (as one rarely does) on other young people. For instance, I went to school (Yay! Now I'm back on-topic!) with a girl who wore the first pair of minus lensed bifocals I'd ever seen on a child (an attempt at reducing the progression of her myopia, I guess), approx. -3 in the top part, in a sky-blue plastic frame kinda "splashed" with little bits of coral pink, cute as a button they were and she was in them.) but since I started playing with a pair of bifocals in the -3 range which I now have (fortunate twist of fate, there. They apparently never belonged to myself or either of my parents, but somehow found themselves in my parents' bedroom sometime before I turned 12. Then I found them, tried them on, and received quite a revelation! Just last year I managed to "borrow" them from my mother's dresser, still thinking they were hers. She then found I had them, but aside from a comment that they were not hers and that she never did know where they came from, she didn't quiz me on my possession of them, nor did she take them back, a moment of intense gratitude for me!), I've decided there is something about the sharp, glittery line going across my field of vision and the sudden jump from one rx to another, that I quite like. I think if I were in the position to buy glasses as play-toys (expensive toys they are, though. What's that saying about the difference between men and boys (or I guess in my case, women and girls)?), I would definitely have at least one pair of bifocals in my "toy box"!

I ALWAYS make passes at guys who wear glasses (yes, even you six-eyed ones!), Marie

All4Eyes 18 Apr 2008, 11:59

Puffin: Well, I didn't start wearing glasses (except for a brief (year and a half) stint of part-time wear from ages 7-8) until I was -4, so I was trying to do it at that rx, but -4 is really too myopic to lip-read uncorrected, unless the other person is quite close and you are squinting heavily, which I was always too embarrassed to consciously do in public (though it seems there is something of an instinct for an uncorrected myope to squint (in fact, I believe my handy-dandy dictionary told me that this is actually the origin of the word "myopia": it's literal meaning in Latin (or possibly Greek, at the moment I can't recall) is "to close the eye"), I often found myself (and now that I'm around -1 under where I should be (best guess), am finding myself again, with glasses this time!) doing it without even being aware. We certainly don't learn it, as one person who posted here awhile back suggested, by watching other people-how can we, we can't see clearly enough to tell what another person squinting looks like!). I guess I was probably about 10 or so years old (what rx I was at then I haven't a clue) the last time I could see well enough to lip-read uncorrected with any kind of accuracy, though I was never really brilliant at it, it's still a rather rough coping mechanism for me. I've heard there are classes in lip-reading which one may take, but most of the time I don't have trouble hearing people, except like I said when it's noisy and then I usually just try to avoid conversing or get into a quieter place if we really need to talk (for example, in the mall I do better inside the individual shops where it's quieter than in the great roaring mass of the open areas and the food court).

 18 Apr 2008, 11:24

pauline are you short or longsighted?

Pauline 18 Apr 2008, 08:00

Thank you for your kind words Dieter. I am glad to have helped , and its nice that other people understand the problems some of us have with our eyes.

I am not complaining, after all, the bottom line is i can function in glasses, to be unable to see would be awful, and i appreciated my eyesight even if the eyes are squint, they are still what i look out at the world with.

Dieter 18 Apr 2008, 07:38

Pauline, I have found your stories to be fascinating and informative beyond belief. I have learned an enormous amount about the plights of hyperopic folks from you, Macrae, and another lady that used to post here – I believe her name was Jacky.

As a presbyopic myope, I feel like such a wimp. I’ve never dealt with anything compared to the issues that you have. As an adult, I progressed to the point of being a fulltime wearer of glasses or contacts but even then could chose to go without if I was working around the house, office, garage or yard. I have never even worn bifocals or progressives, having been able to remove glasses to read or wear readers over contacts.

Pauline 18 Apr 2008, 07:02

My optician did mention this once but he was of the opinion that since my glasses straightened out my eyes, it was best left alone. I am quite happy with that, its only when i need to take them of in front of people who have never seen me without them, that i get a bit embarrassed. Like the first time with a new bf or similar situation

Martyn 18 Apr 2008, 05:36

Pauline, How strange that anyone would want someone who wears glasses to take them off in public.Pauline have you ever been advised you can have an op for an inturned eye. I damaged my left eye years ago last week had an inplant put in my eye is now 20/20 vision. At the hospital I meet some patients who were having ops to cure their squint, I meet one patient who had the op he said it had made a huge difference, he said no longer even with glasses on and when he was tired did the eye squint. I wonder if you have considered this op. Happy weekend take care.

Pauline 18 Apr 2008, 03:12

I for one do not like to take my glasses of in front of strangers for the simple reason, that i am crosseyed. When my glasses are off, its very clear to see. With my glasses in place, they appear to look straight.

So thats my reason

VFL 17 Apr 2008, 19:41

Marie, What I've never been able to understand are the people who refuse to take their glasses off in public. Or at least it seems like they don't.

Anyone care to explain?

Puffin 17 Apr 2008, 02:17

All4Eyes, what sort of myopia level did you have when you were lipreading without glasses?

Specs4Me 16 Apr 2008, 21:07

All4Eyes,

As it happens, HA's (the kind that are worn behind the ears, called BTE's, in particular) can be gotten in several different colors. The ear molds that fit in the ears for these HA's are also available in many colors. Some girls/ladies have multiple colors of ear molds to coordinate with their outfits.

I wear two BTE's but stick to the normal colors as I suspect some folks would wonder about an old guy (early 60's) wearing loud colored HA's or ear molds.

By the way, there are several sites for hearing obssesives (HO's???) on the web and they talk about such things as this a fair bit. Some of them like some of us wear HA's that they don't really need to induce hearing loss or just because they get a charge out of doing it.

All4Eyes 16 Apr 2008, 16:44

If I may bring up a side-subject for a minute, I also saw in my nurses' notes that I had a lot of ear infections, actually I remember getting them a lot, too, and still I'll come up with one every now and then. I don't think this has affected my hearing, though, as I've always passed the school hearing screenings. The only time I have trouble hearing is in crowded, noisy places, like at the mall and in the school cafeteria when I was in school (aha, a link to the start of this post!). Places like that I'm reading lips, basically (quite a problem before I wore glasses!). I don't know if this is normal or not, cause I know everyone has more trouble hearing in noisy environments, but other people in these situations always seem to go right on chattering when I would prefer to avoid getting into conversation because it's so tiring to figure out what the other person is saying. But speaking of hearing problems (which I promise I won't do again cause I know this is a glasses site, but some people here have expressed interest in hearing issues as well), I've noticed on the music awards shows when the artists are performing live and have the little earpieces in to feed the music to them, they match them to their stage costumes sometimes, like Tim McGraw I've noticed wears black ones with his black hat and on the CMT awards Monday nite I saw some people had these shiny silver ones that looked way cool. I see how this sort of thing could be done with hearing aids and I do think it's just a matter of time before the same thing starts happening with HAs as did with glasses, that they become fashion items, not just medical appliances. But I think it's harder with HAs, because although we all know lots of young people who aren't "visually impaired" in any really disabling sense, who wear glasses, there's still the feeling that only old people or really deaf people wear HAs. I don't really have any special interest in HAs, though, except that I think it'd be a wonderful sign of liberating social change if they did go the way glasses have, and probably I'd have some kind of breakdown if I ever found out I needed them. I mean, a wheelchair and glasses are enough, vulnerability can be very attractive, but I think adding HAs to all this would be a little TOO much of a good thing!

I ALWAYS make passes at guys who wear glasses (and don't mind one way or another if they wear HAs), Marie

All4Eyes 16 Apr 2008, 16:43

This little trip down memory lane actually goes back to before my school years, but since I'm here... I was looking through an old box of stuff in my closet the other day and came across this little "telescope" I got as a child. Now, I'm not talking like one of those big things set up on a stand that you use to see the stars with, but just a little, maybe 10 inch long, thing that you could either push the 2 pieces in together or pull them out farther to look farther. It brought back a memory for me of when I got it. I was at the mall one day with my Mom, I couldn't have been more than 5 and was probably closer to 4. There was this store in the mall, I want to say it was called "The Discovery Store" or something like that, but I'm not sure, anyway, it sold science-related stuff, microscopes (got one of those when I was 8, but that's another story) and chemistry sets and such. I remember when I saw this little telescope and looked through it I became very excited and absolutely HAD TO HAVE IT! I don't even remember if my Mom was in the store with me and I got her to buy it for me or if I just wandered in there and had some money myself and bought it. But then I remember at this mall they had a skating rink in the mall and I remember my Mom sitting on a bench and holding me while we watched the skaters and I was very happy to be watching them through my little telescope. Wow, that was a blast from the past! But it makes me wonder 1. Did my obsession with all things lensy start earlier than I previously realized? 2. Did my myopia start earlier than I previously realized (I tried looking through the telescope without my glasses and could see much better, though still not perfect, but back when I was 4 or 5 I would definitely have been less myopic than I am now, even if I was already nearsighted, so I might have been able to see perfectly through the telescope for the first time ever, and that may have been what got me so excited)? It is possible, since I found a copy of some nurses' notes from when I was 3 (I was very sick when I was little so we had a nurse come to the house and keep track of my vital signs and all the medicines I was on and what-all symptoms I was having, etc.) and I found where it said "Saw eye dr. today. Vision appears roughly adequate, but child was uncooperative and would not permit thorough testing". I was always doing that, being "uncooperative", or "cranky" or "fussy". Looking back at all that, I'm surprised my parents let me live, I must've been a real pain in the you-know-where!

All4Eyes 16 Apr 2008, 16:42

OK, I'm feeling talkative today, so please bear with me folks! I've been thinking back to "my darling myope Michael" from my middle school (ages 11-13) years and how adorable he looked pushing up his (approx.) -2.50's and squinting at the board from his front-row seat (naturally, I had to sit up front, too, so I could watch him (I actually got to sit right next to him, I was pretty lucky in those days!), even though my own myopia had by then already progressed to the point that I was utterly useless for reading the board, even from the front-row, so it hardly mattered) and then still having to walk right up to the board to really make it out (brave boy)! I never had the courage to do that, except once and I found it so embarrasing I couldn't repeat it. He also seemed unashamed of discussing his poor vision (I still remember his groans of complaint when our teacher put up a manilla (I think that's what you call that sort of yellowish color that file folders tend to be?) colored chart with orange marker writing on it-"ORANGE??? Oh, why does it have to be orange!? I HATE orange marker! It's the hardest to see!" (it is, too, btw, though I've no idea why). This was one of my rare moments of bravery, in that I boldly told him "I know, I hate it too!" He was the only person during that time besides my parents to whom I kinda sorta admitted I didn't always see so good, at least until the 7th grade school vision screening happened and some other people found out. But I did have a friend that year who was about -6 who was one of these "I never let anyone see me without my glasses" types. I was always asking her to take them off "just for a second" so I could see what she looked like and she loved to torture me by refusing. But then she took to saying that if I ever showed up wearing glasses so that she got to see me WITH glasses (which I don't THINK she knew I needed, but maybe she figured it out somehow? I mean, sure I squinted constantly, but there could be lots of other reasons a person would do that besides needing glasses, like...well, I can't think of any now, but there must be some!), then she'd let me see her WITHOUT glasses. Of course, I was much too embarrased to get glasses, so that never happened. Anyway, does anyone know at about what rx a person has to be within around 4 feet of a whiteboard to copy from it? This would be about how much more power Michael would have needed in his -2.50ish glasses. I estimate his vision with his glasses then was ever so slightly better than mine was without glasses (dang, I wish I'd asked to try his on!) and I tested at -4 3 years after this.

I ALWAYS make passes at guys who wear glasses (esp. if they're squinting thru them!), Marie

Martyn 08 Mar 2008, 15:54

HI Pauline, I think glasses when first worn especially at the age you were must have been hard for you to accept, I suppose you imagined your glasses covered the whole of you face and made you in your own eyes feel so self aware that friends and strangers seemed to look at your glasses and not you. Nice life has moved on and glasses are so fashionable today, nice designer frames, high index lenses glasses have come a long way in the last 20 odd years. Just think Pauline your glasses are just part of you without them now you would not be the same Pauline that people know.

Pauline 08 Mar 2008, 00:34

Hooked. I think my first pair were abour +2 or in that region, and now they are +6.25/6.75 biggest jump was between the years 14 - 16, also when i reached 37, i had to have bifocals for close work, which are +2.50 for the reading add. My daughter who is 19 is also longsighted, but she is only +4 in both eyes

hooked 07 Mar 2008, 14:16

@Pauline

And what was your first RX and what RX do you have now?

Robert 07 Mar 2008, 11:59

Tom, would like to chat more about this subject and I can direct you to the website for the frames...email me at robert.1957@btopenworld.com.

Pauline 07 Mar 2008, 06:22

Reading this section bought back many a memory for me, when i got my first glasses. I was 13 and the teacher asked me to stay behind after a lesson. She asked me if i had problems with my eyes, only she said i kept rubbing them and they looked sore. I admitted they were a little bit sore, but assured her that i could see with no problems,which i could. I never gave the matter much more thought, until coming home from school one afternoon, my mother said, dont take your coat off, we are going out. I asked what she meant, and she told me that she had had a letter from the school, suggesting that i was taken for an eye check up. We have an appointment 4,30pm i was told. I was a bit apprehensive, but as far as i was aware, my eyes were ok. I had tried a friends glasses on at school and everything was just a blur, i felt sorry for her. To cut to the chase, after the exam, the optician sat down with my mother and myself, and i heard the dreaded words, "Pauline will have to start wearing glasses" It appears i was longsighted and had been for some time, and worse still, i was told i needed to wear them all the time. I will not go on about them, but those that have gone through this routine, will know the agony of walking into the classroom with for the first time with a pair of specs sat on your nose, its not funny. Anyway that was years ago, i am now 41 and wear bifocals, so guess thats progress or sorts.

Tom 07 Mar 2008, 02:41

Robert - where??!!!

ROBERT 06 Mar 2008, 02:41

Tom - You can still buy the NHS frames (New & very reasonable price) from the internet and from time to time (albeit not very often) with the metal curl sides.

 05 Mar 2008, 09:50

I'll never forget the day I got them - it felt so good winding them behind my ears. I used to wear them regularly when I worked in the British Museum. One day I left them on the train. Now you can't get them any more which is a great shame.

Tom 05 Mar 2008, 09:48

Chris - what you don't realise is how much some of us envied you guys in your pale tortoiseshell specs - especially the ones with curly ear-pieces - I realise they turned me on from about the age of 8 or 9. When I finally got specs I didn't choose these, but continued to like them. Eventually, when I was about 30 and working in the city I finally got a pair. I was a real city type then - suits, braces, short back & sides&c and went in for a test and the ordered a pair. At that time my script was about -5. tbc

Julian 06 Jan 2008, 10:55

Hi Chris. Yes, your experience and mine were pretty different; but then I'm guessing yours was a lot less than fifty years ago, and also (if it makes a difference) outside Scotland. I do remember being mildly surprised the first time I was told I could go straight ahead after the test and choose my frames; whether that was the first time in England I couldn't say. And I think there was a general reduction in the red tape at some point, probably when the NHS charges became more realistic!

When the NHS was launched (1948) everything was literally 'free at the point of delivery' and the service was besieged by patients seeking what they couldn't (or wouldn't) pay for before. Production of dentures and above all specs went into overdrive, and for a while a six-month wait was normal. Mentioning this reminds me of a report, way back then, when the Minister of Health intervened to make a special case of a girl, presumably with progressive myopia, whose glasses weren't ready before another increase was due.

The free NHS was one of the greatest blessings of the 20th century, and I treasure what remains of it; but in practice it needed some restraint.

Chris 06 Jan 2008, 03:49

Julian:

Thanks for the description of getting your first pair of glasses promised long ago.

Your experience could hardly be more different than mine.

To the extent I had thought about it, I didn't want glasses. When my mum learned I was having difficulties with seeing the blackboard and the number of a bus, I was frog marched to the local optician. I can't remember doctor's and other approvals but I suppose mum saw to that. I was half your age being nine. I was ordered to wear my glasses all the time. Actually I became dependent on them very quickly so not wearing them was not a practical option. There was no question of going private and no choice as far as I can remember of what kind of frame I would get. The optician just selected a bog standard NHS frame for NHS lenses. Mine had wire curly ear pieces unlike yours. I suppose that was sensible for a boy. They also came in a vinyl covered metal case, from which the vinyl was soon pulled off. No that it mattered the glasses were never in their case.

The similarity was that they were mid-brown, not tortoise shell, plastic frames like yours.

I don't know about you but they made me look and feel like a real nerd. A dispiriting condition greatly encouraged by my brother's constant joking about my glasses and what a jerk I looked in them. The truth is that it is difficult to cut a cool or tough figure in NHS glasses and it probably has a much bigger effect on how you behave and react to people than you think. You are just regarded as the lad in glasses and pushed about a lot as a result. A least kids today are spared that torment.

Brian-16 05 Jan 2008, 13:39

Eye Tri...Thanks for the explanation.I currently have ft-28 tri's with the ledge you can feel.Got them while in high school.

Eye Tri 04 Jan 2008, 13:56

Brian-16

No, I don't have a picture. They really don't look much different. A 28x7 flat top trifocal in glass looks about the same as a 28x7 flat top trifocal in plastic. As the glass lens has the segment fused into the lens, it's easier to tell the difference by feel rather than sight. In a prescription like mine (about +3.00 with 2.50 add)I don't see a visual difference. I get them because I like the characteristics of Photogray better than Trasitions.

Brian-16 03 Jan 2008, 16:34

Eye Tri - Do you or anyone have a pix of these tri-focals?

Eye Tri 03 Jan 2008, 02:33

Fused glass trifocals are still available, at least they were last March when I had my Photogray lenses

made. They are thinner but heavier than my regular CR 39 lenses.

DWV 02 Jan 2008, 22:51

You can still get fused glass bifocals (and presumably trifocals). I got 35 mm flat-top bifocals about 4 years ago. It took longer, since the lab broke one lens while edging it into the frame, and I ended up with one lens that glowed under black light (I'd like to hear an explanation for that: neither the optician nor the lab had an answer). They looked cool, and the line was virtually invisible, except when the light hit it at the right angle, and then it was extremely visible. One drawback with glass bifocals in a minus lens is that the lens has to be made thicker than normal, since the thinnest part of the lens happens to be just about where the thickest part of the inset high-index segment is. So, you end up with thicker and heavier lenses than you'd get with a single-vision glass lens.

Cactus Jack 02 Jan 2008, 17:49

Back in the old days, when glasses were glass, bi and trifocals were made by fusing glass segments with a different index of refracton into the blank and then grinding the front surface smooth so there was no bump as there is in placic lens blanks, which are molded in vast quantities at low cost.

C.

Highmyope 02 Jan 2008, 16:59

erm...and of course that should be, the bf seg is offset to the right for the *left* eye.

Proofreading is fundamental... :(

Highmyope 02 Jan 2008, 16:57

Sorry, that was supposed to be "(2) with a +2.25 add," of course....

Highmyope 02 Jan 2008, 16:50

Actually, the bifocal is pre-formed onto the front of the lens blank. Bifocal and trifocal blanks come in a range of base curves as well as bifocal strengths.

For example, if one's right eye Rx called for a -5.00 sph. and a +2.25 bifocal add, the lab tech would pull a (1) 2 base blank (2) with a +2.00 add (3) for the right eye (for right lenses, the bf segment is offset to the left side of the blank, and vice versa for the right eye--this helps ensure the lens will cut out when it's edged to fit the frame). It's the back surface only that gets cut and polished clear.

The rx is a combination of front and back curves (in my example, a -5 sph. in a 2 base lens would require cutting somewhat more than a -7 curve on the back, using regular plastic; the curve would be less with higher index material).

Puffin 02 Jan 2008, 16:48

I have seen lenses that look as if they had one lens glued to another. As might be imagined, they didn't look so good.

lazysiow 02 Jan 2008, 16:26

Thanks mattp, that was it. I thought bifocals were just literally glueing a plus lens to a minus lens, not grinding a minus into a plus or however it's done.

mattp 02 Jan 2008, 13:33

Lazysiow--

With apologies to Cut in-UK and Cactus Jack (whose entries are usually interesting and enlightening), I think in this case they have confused your question. If someone wears minusglasses and needs a plus for reading (or whatever), the usual net effect of adding plus to a minus prescription is to lessen the minus. That results in a weakening of the distance vision.

For example, my own case. My Rx is approx. -4.50 with +2.50. When made into bifocals, the top of my lenses is -4.50; the bottom is -2.00. When I have two pairs of glasses made (for sports or long periods doing close work), the distance pair is -4.50; the close pair is -2.00. Either way, I can't see in the distance for squat looking through the bottom of the bifocals or the close-up glasses; I can't read through the top of the bifocals or the distance glasses.

Rainis 02 Jan 2008, 12:14

Oh I am sorry. She seems to be from Brno.

Cactus Jack 02 Jan 2008, 11:28

lazysiow,

Not really. Bi or trifocals + add or less minus reading glasses are prescribed for lots of reasons, not just for presbyipia. For example: Trying to slow progressive myopia and trying to minimize over convergence problems. Less minus or more plus (same thing) reduces accommodative stress when focusing close. Remember, a distance Rx is intended to correct refractive error to 0.00. After that is done, focusing closer requires plus power from somewhere, either internally from the ciliary muscles and crystaline lenses or externally from glasses or contacts. The laws of optical physics discovered by Isaac Newton around 1700 dictate that and no matter how hard you wish it, they can't be changed.

In general, bifocals or reading glasses won't make presbyopia worse, but they may allow the ciliary muscles to become de-condited a little sooner than they ordinarily would. Which as the same effect as the crystaline lenses becoming stiffer.

C.

lazysiow 02 Jan 2008, 11:06

No I understand that, but what I meant was if you gave someone an add who just needed less distance for reading, wouldn't you make their vision worse?

cut-in UK  01 Jan 2008, 22:53

Lasiow, the 'principle of add' for reading is the same for all prescriptions. If myopic, you reduce your distance minus Rx by, say, 2 dioptres. This will mean for example, your eyes can read at -4.00 when your distance prescription is -6.00. If you are 20/20 distance vision, the add factor will give you +2.00 for reading, and as a hyperope of say distance +3.00, your reading Rx will be +5.00. So, if you imagine your distance Rx smewhere on a scale starting with high plus and running right through to high minus, for your reading Rx, you are simply sliding your Rx towards the higher 'plus' end. The 'reading add' can vary, but is always shown as a plus figure and around +2.00 is fairly typical. If you need an intermediate Rx for say computer screen at 60cm the add might be +1.00, hence trifocals/progressives giving certain people a mid range Rx for this purpose. Some people can accommodate, especially the young, but most over-forties start to need a reading Rx.

lazysiow 01 Jan 2008, 07:14

I'm curious about myopes who wear lower rx to read, if they don't need an add then is the bifocal segment just a lower minus correction? I've never seen a prescription like that before and it might give me a much needed "new high" when I do :)

Andrew 31 Dec 2007, 04:30

Congratulations on half a century of glasses-wearing, Julian!

Of all the threads, I think this one is the most interesting to read, simply because of the memories people have, and I guess that phrases like "handsome countenance" stick in the mind long after other things have been forgotten. I can remember much of what you mention, but even by 1978 things had changed a certain amount.

Julian 31 Dec 2007, 02:10

Julian's first glasses - Part 3

Back to Mr Macpherson, accompanied this time by my mother, who wanted to be assured that I wasn’t ‘swinging the lead’ – my family had noticed my ‘interest’. He did his best to reassure her, and I suppose she was satisfied. On then to looking at frames. In those days there were three possibilities: NHS lenses and frames, which were called free though there was some sort of handling charge; privately supplied frames and lenses, which came really expensive and included anything rimless or semi-rimless or abnormal in size or shape; and private frames which would take NHS standard sized lenses. NHS frames were distinctly dreary; much as I’d have liked something really smart, I was enough of a realist to know that was out of the question, but I was pinning my hopes on a semi-smart private frame, the sort of thing at least one guy in my class was already wearing. No such luck! Mother was paying the bill, and I had to settle for bog standard NHS frames, brown mottled plastic, but not with the cable temples that some other first-time wearers were lumbered with. The order was placed, the bill was paid, and there was another wait.

How long it took I forget, but of course Christmas was upon us. At last the phone call came: my glasses were ready. I got out my bike, rode into town, and presented myself at the shop. I distinctly remember Mr Macpherson saying, “Now Julian, let’s see how these look on your handsome countenance” – wife or no wife, I have sometimes wondered whether he was a bit an old queen.

They made me look a dork of course; but no more so than anyone else in NHS specs. Anyway, they were the best I was getting and I was quite happy with them. I put them in their metal case covered with grey leatherette and left the shop. Out in the street I tried them on again, found things a bit blurry, and put them away. I cycled up to the Library to try them out; all was well. A school friend came in and said, “When did you start wearing glasses?” “Today” was the only possible response.

I’ve worn glasses ever since, on and off but more on than off—and that’s fifty years. I remember the date because it was the last day of the year, and I was in my last year at school; and it’s fifty years today. Fifty years of spexy Jules.

Julian 31 Dec 2007, 02:08

Julian's first glasses - Part 2

The first thing was to see the G.P.; in those days you couldn’t have your first eye test without a chit from a doctor. No problems there. Next day, I suppose, I went into town after school to the practice where my mother got her glasses. There were two small optical shops right next door to each other, one called Macfarlane and the other Macpherson. Ours was Macpherson’s. It was a one-man show and Mrs Macpherson acted as receptionist and assisted with dispensing; I have an idea they lived over the shop. I had expected to make an appointment, but I was shown straight in and examined – Mr Macpherson was a grey-haired man with quite smart glasses – trifocals. I don’t know if I’d heard of trifocals before but I could see the lines and knew that was what they were. After the usual tests he told me that glasses would help me as I was a little long-sighted and also had some astigmatism.

Nowadays the next step would be to choose a frame and maybe even collect your specs in an hour; but this was 1957, and the next step was for him to send the prescription of to the local NHS Executive Council for approval. Apparently a practitioner needed official approval before doing what was best for the patient: dentists had to do the same thing except in emergencies. I seem to remember it was ten days or a fortnight before the prescription arrived, stamped ‘Approved’, with a note saying I could take it to be made up.

Julian 31 Dec 2007, 02:06

Julian's first glasses - Part 1

Ages ago I promised, or threatened, to tell the whole story of how I got my first glasses, and the hoops you had to jump through in the UK in those days before getting them.

As I’ve mentioned before, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to wear glasses; I’m sure this was deeply Freudian: my mother wore plus glasses full time, so I guess from infancy they were one of the accoutrements of mother love. Long before I knew I was gay I knew I had a glasses fetish; I just didn’t know the word for it, but even before puberty I was aroused by the thought of wearing them; I’d definitely have spelled SEX with a P! There was a ‘Home Doctor’ book in the house, and at some point I looked into it and under ‘Spectacles’ found simple explanations of myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism. In the pigeon holes of a desk (which I still have) there were various old glasses belonging to my parents, including my mother’s first pair, which were pince-nez. Trying them when my folks were out, I found I could see quite well with the weakest ones, even in the distance.

Time passed…as my years in high school passed, I was studying quite intensively for exams, and was getting headaches, not severe but irritating, and sometimes blurring of the print. I had a good idea from what I’d read that this meant I was long-sighted; but although I was longing to be a glasses-wearer I was shy about saying anything to anyone. With time, though, the headaches got more annoying, and eventually I told my mother I wanted an eye test. She pooh-poohed the idea (goodness knows why, in view of her own experience and that of just about everyone else in the family) but I took matters into my own hands.

Rainis 11 Dec 2007, 22:58

Now she can wear progressive lenses. I work as an optician and offer them to our clients.

R Ed 11 Dec 2007, 13:14

About 45 years ago I had a 20 yo girl friend with 3 pairs of lenses in identical bold stripped frames. Even at this young age she needed a significant add for reading. She was adamantly opposed to lined bifocals (no line bifocals came many years later)

Her distance prescription was ~ - 6, reading Rx - 3 and intermediate Rx -4.5. For driving she wore - 6, for studying - 3. For most other activities she wore -4.5 fuzzy for distance and caused eye strain for reading.

She was totally open explaining her vision problems to me and others but didn't want to be seen as "old" by wearing lined bi focals.

Isn't technology allowing no line bicals wonderful?

Turk82 21 Nov 2007, 07:17

My dad had a pair of glasses that he no longer used. He kept them in a desk in his office but I discovered that I could not see well with them at any distance. I think they had a slight plus prescription with a considerable amount of correction for astigmatism. The lenses distorted and twisted all objects no mater how hard I tried to focus. But they were glasses for a man and I could wear them thinking that this is how glasses should look and feel. Unfortunately, the only way I could look at myself in a mirror was to peer over the tops of the frames which didn’t look particularly suit me.

I later found an old pair of my mom’s glasses. Since I had no siblings, I could wear the glasses when no one was at home as long as I returned them to her dresser. I had never seen her wear the discarded glasses after she had replaced them with new ones anyway. They were light-colored plastic cat eyes but plain without jewels. Her lenses were of a moderate minus strength. What made the glasses special was that I could actually see well while wearing them. I couldn’t necessarily see better but I could see at all distances as if they contained a prescription made for me. It was a rush to be able to see through what seemed like very thick lenses. Those glasses allowed me to get an idea of what it felt like to be a full-time wearer. I could see and feel what it was like to wear glasses while doing activities around the house. I found out how your peripheral vision can be affected. I learned what it was like to catch sunlight in a lens and feel the temporary blindness of glare. I experienced the terrible distortion of seeing through dirty lenses. I felt the incredible focus of looking at lights in the dark. But unfortunately, I still could not see what I looked like wearing glasses because the cat eyes obviously looked silly on my male face. Unisex frames were not in vogue in those days.

The reason I was at odds with my obsession was the fact that I had an extreme fear of being forced to wear glasses. Even though I knew better, there was always the stigma attached, at least in my mind that you were limited in the activities that you could successfully achieve when you “suffered from poor eyesight”. Although I was most often compelled to wear glasses when alone at home, I always worried that doing so could ruin my perfect vision. One of my greatest fears was that one day I would remove the glasses and would no longer be able to see well without them.

 21 Nov 2007, 06:41

Turk82,

how did you get glasses to wear in private?

Turk82 20 Nov 2007, 15:51

Upon entering junior high school, I began to notice that more of my classmates had begun wearing glasses. In fact often, with rather consistent frequency, I would catch a glimpse of someone new who had joined the ranks. There were those who wore their glasses always, there were the ones that you would see only occasionally in the hallways, there were those that wore glasses only to read, and there were the ones that used them only to see the board in class. For me the procession had become exciting to watch and I realized that it had become an obsession. In time I found that there were two very distinct personalities of kids. There were the ones that had no problem wearing their glasses and did so without concern. But there were those that disliked their glasses, wore them with embarrassment, and often would quit wearing their glasses at least until their eyesight would relentlessly force the issue. Contact lenses were not a common option because the only ones available were made from hard materials. They were expensive, difficult to fit and wear, easy to lose, and were not a safe bet for many sporting activities. I knew of no one that wore contacts in junior high. If condemned to needing corrective lenses, most kids received a life sentence of wearing glasses whether they wanted to or not. There was no turning back. Soft contacts and laser eye surgeries would not even be thought of for many years.

I quickly learned to distinguish the differences between nearsighted and farsighted eyes and could easily recognize plus and minus lenses though I wouldn’t know them by those terms until many years later. I likened the lenses to be either magnifying or minifying. Anyway, few of my classmates seemed to understand their prescriptions because doctors were reluctant to dispense them. As I would come to find in the future, some doctors would not even discuss the issues of eyewear with a teenager other than to say sternly, “Wear them at all times.” Also, in those days prior to high-index plastics, everyone’s glasses looked fairly thick. In other words, if you wore glasses, everyone thought they must be pretty strong simply because you needed them to see. I don’t remember anyone ever discussing their prescription at least in the context of strength.

What was confusing to me at the time was the fact that I was completely at odds about my own feelings. I was fascinated by how cool a few guys looked wearing glasses. The best example of this was the quarterback of our football team who wore glasses even during games. Kenny was slightly tall with an average build, had dark hair and wore rectangular shaped dark brown plastic glasses with minus lenses. He was smart, unassuming, popular with the girls, and generally a nice guy. I visualized looking handsome in glasses like Kenny even if I looked nothing like him. And though I had always passed eye tests with 20/20 vision, I often fantasized about what it would be like to wear glasses myself. So much so that I began to secretly find ways to wear glasses in private.

newglasses 23 Oct 2007, 01:49

back in elementary school my neighbour was a girl who was wearing executive bifocals from the beginning. i reckon her rx must have been around +4ish and her add certainly another +1.5ish. I remember that i was fascinated by her glasses, but she never took them off, because without the glasses her eyes turned inwards. when i think back this might explain why in the years to come until now actually i was rather attracted to girls and women wearing plus glasses. i wonder what has become of her and if she's still wearing thoses nice (for her most certainly dreadful) glasses or if she is now wearing cl.

Clare 22 Oct 2007, 12:16

I rememember in my junior school when a rather scrawny girl got glasses that the teacher announced it to the classes that Gillian had got some very nice glasses. Poor kid had no chance after that,and she was the type that blushed very easily ...

She wore them pretty much fulltime so probably didn't need the humiliation of being informed on.

Macrae 08 Oct 2007, 13:08

A story from my school days:

I'm a second-grader, I'm 7, it's Friday afternoon. I'm chasing my friend Dave around the school building. We're both laughing and yelling and we've already been yelled at once by the recess lady for making so much noise so close to other years' classrooms. We round a tight corner and I know a few seconds ahead of time that Dave is about to crash into an open casement window. I'm in the middle of "Look out!" when the lower corner of the window gets him along his left temple. He falls down and there's an impressive amount of blood on his face, shirt, and puddling on the white gravel. Dave doesn't cry, says he's ok, marvels along with me at the blood, but grownups are swarming at us now. "Why did you do that?" I ask? "Didn't see it" Dave says. Then he is hustled inside. On Monday he's not at school. On Tuesday he returns with a bandage across one side of his head with yellow smiley faces printed on it ("six stiches", he brags), AND a new pair of round silver glasses. Seems that window was not the first thing Dave didn't see in time, and somebody finally got the idea to take him to the eye doctor after his head got sewed up. Dave didn't seem to have any hesitations about wearing glasses - in fact he seemed pretty happy with them, which is good because I already felt responsible for the window accident (afterall I was the one doing the chasing) and wouldn't have wanted to be the cause of the forced-bespectacleization of an unwilling friend. Something on that pair of glasses always made a clattering noise when he ran or shook his head. After he got them I always knew when he was going to start laughing hard because the clattering noise came first.

Melyssa 23 Sep 2007, 07:23

Wyth my fyrst name, Y've always had to be a goode spelerr, keybored or noe keybored. :)

Julian 22 Sep 2007, 16:06

Others have keyborard that can't spell (see what I mean?)

Puffin 22 Sep 2007, 10:21

Some of us don't need spell checkers.

 22 Sep 2007, 07:36

decent web browsers provide spell checkers on the input fields

 21 Sep 2007, 23:35

this web site has a limited audience and no spell checker is provided

 21 Sep 2007, 12:08

and I guess you have no idea what a spell checker is!

 21 Sep 2007, 11:42

I guess this web sith has a limited audiance

Plus and Minus 19 Sep 2007, 09:55

Chris,

Were you nearsighted or farsighted or with other problems?

Yes, it was nice for those few years before correction was once more needed. Sorry you weren't so lucky. About late twenties vision became somewhat unsatisfactory and have been working on it ever since.

Chris 19 Sep 2007, 03:23

Plus and minus:

I had the same stern advice; never take your glasses off except for sleeping. I was also told that my glasses would correct my eyesight by sixteen. As it happened between nine and sixteen my eyesight deteriorated substantially and there was no alternative but full time glasses wear with successively stronger lenses. However, it is good that miraculously at least your eyesight improved with glasses. I wish it had been my experience.

Plus and Minus 14 Sep 2007, 18:58

Nothing romantic or exciting here but, some humorous, might as well post. At 6 years of age teacher told parents to take kid to eye doctor. Got thick plus lenses in round gold metal frames. Began to be called "four-eyes". Gained weight. Then called "fatty four-eyes". That one makes me chuckle today. Almost 60 years later I can recall fairly well where I was and when those nick names were first used. Doctor told parents that if he wore them all waking hours one day he wouldn't have to wear glasses. Kid wore them virtually all waking hours. The doctor was correct. About age 16 one eye was plano so doctor said why are you wearing glasses? Kid then loses weight. (Any relation to glasses?)

In those days you rarely saw a kid in elementary school with glasses. A poster to Eye Scene recently said a person wearing plus lenses is assumed to be a dolt. My aptitude scores went up significantly after no longer wearing glasses. (Any relationship to glasses?)

A couple of times through the years I have seen a grade-schooler with plus lenses and they do get one's attention. My parents were probably a bit set back when first I wore them. Not a real handicap at all though; nothing even to begin to compare with what many kids go through who are more seriously different from their peers.

On another Eye Scene thread I have posted current vision state. I wonder if, since one eye was still farsighted, it would have been better for the doctor to have me continue wearing glasses even though one was plano. Will never know.

Thomas 11 Sep 2007, 16:50

I am trying to locate today a woman who I went to HS with. Her name is (at the time) Patricia Cook. Last saw her in July 1972. 1n Newburgh, NY. She just finished 11th grade. I think her dad was in the USAF and they had closed nearby Stewart AFB, New Windsor, NY the year before. So she moved away.

Patty Cook was a living doll. I refered to her as "Patty Cake". Pat was 5'3" about 100 lb. Had blonde hair just below shoulder length, huge green eyes and she wore gold metal frame glasses. My guess between -2 and -3. When going through the halls at NFA (HS) she would wear them pulled down to the tip of her "sky jump" nose as if reading glasses.

One day she came to school (Oct. 1971) not wearing glasses. She and her girlfriend were on their way to typing class when I overheard her say "how am I going to see the screen without my glasses"? Her friend who was not wearing glasses said "you can use my glasses".

Therouteur 11 Sep 2007, 07:13

Remarkable but possibly fortunate.

Julian 10 Sep 2007, 22:43

Puffin: the post you refer to is not from Rachel-1992 but from a MUCH older lady, if you look again. Indeed, it's quite remarkable that her mother is still alive to advise her :;)))

 10 Sep 2007, 19:05

At -7, there is no way she could manage at school. Even sitting in the front row. She would have to be very close to read anything.

Therouteur 10 Sep 2007, 18:50

Oh why doesn't everybody get off poor old Rachel's case. What's wrong with a bit of fantasising. It's an honoured ES tradition. To really be at one with our traditions, all she has to do is add in a couple of extra identities.

I'm on your side Rache!!

Puffin 10 Sep 2007, 18:17

I would be sceptical about the statement in the last post by Rachel-1992. Possibly you might get a bit less myopic (one or two dioptres, maybe) but, correction would still be recommended.

Rachel -1922 10 Sep 2007, 15:06

My mother's name is Marvelena, and she can be reached at email@ijn.com

She knows I have been wearing my glasses a lot less, and she says just to be careful, but perhaps my eyes will strengthen without them.

Rachel -1992 10 Sep 2007, 15:03

I'm not at all shocked email her on pjb5@aol.com or phone her on 01390822956

R Ed 10 Sep 2007, 13:51

Rachel -1992,

I'm with Skeptic, at least vis-a-vis the recent person posting as Rachel -1992. The prior Rachel -1992 was more credible and interesting. If you still wish for me to ask your mother please send contact info. Or were you shocked that someone accepted that challenge?

Skeptic 10 Sep 2007, 09:47

Rachel -- Why don't you take Lying 101 so you aren't clueless on how to fabricate a story.

Therouteur 10 Sep 2007, 09:24

Aaaaaiyaaaah!

A bespectacled pussy. A moggie OO. A true wonder of the century.

Rachel -1992 10 Sep 2007, 08:04

I found my glasses -- my cat apparently scooted them under a cabinet. I am still trying to go without them as much as possible, but I did wear them again last night to watch a DVD and they did help.

R Ed 09 Sep 2007, 10:22

Rachel -1992,

I accept your invitation to ask your mother, please supply her contact information. BTW the immediate prior R Ed poster was not me.

Rachel -1992 please do continue to entertain us

R Ed 09 Sep 2007, 05:52

Rachael-1992 I believe you, please keep posting. Was it hard at first without your glasses?

Julian 08 Sep 2007, 22:37

7 August: 'when I was about 12 she used to tell me to go out for a walk without my glasses on and "get some fresh air to my eyes"! I don't think she realised I could hardly see where I was walking.'

6 September: 'I've been getting by without the glasses, and I find that I am doing OK that way.'

Consistent?

Rachel -1992 08 Sep 2007, 21:28

If you don't believe me that I lost my glasses, you can ask my mother.

Felippity Doo Dah

Bill 08 Sep 2007, 13:38

She tells lies like one. This is the same person who goes on lens chat as

Gemma/Chris?kirsty and several other names

Alex 08 Sep 2007, 11:35

Rachel-1992 would make a great politician.

Julian 08 Sep 2007, 07:51

Yes, I hate to be a doubter, I really do. But that sounds SO unlikely.

R Ed 08 Sep 2007, 07:32

Rachel -1992,

You have reincarnated in a fascinating way from helpless without your - sevens to getting along without them. Tell me more; how did you manage to accomplish this amazing feat

Rachel -1992 06 Sep 2007, 20:23

The glasses fell between the dresser and the bed and I can't find them, so I've been getting by without the glasses, and I find that I am doing OK that way.

R Ed 05 Sep 2007, 19:57

Rachel -1992

If I recall correctly you needed your Rx bumped up and your mother was pushing CL's; however you strongly preferred to wear glasse full time. Is that correct? Is so, what happened?

Rachel -1992 05 Sep 2007, 18:09

Well, I stopped wearing the glasses, and I'm doing just fine. Thank you everybody for your interest but I guess I will be a very occassional spex wearer.

Rachel

R Ed 05 Sep 2007, 13:39

Rachel - 1992,

I hope you are reading Eye Scene and will start to post again; you fans miss you

focused.eye 11 Aug 2007, 06:48

Hi, as some here may be aware, I opened a new glasses related forum.

The main difference from Eyescene is the ability to carry on discussions in seperate and dedicated threads. So, Rachel, if you'd like to, you can open your own thread there and converse freely with people about your eyesight.

The link is: http://focusedeye.proboards91.com/index.cgi?board=love

My wish is to keep as many discussions as possible alive, as I'm sure some people (me included) find them extremly interesting).

pupil 10 Aug 2007, 17:19

Teacher, discussions on this board are rarely long. If you'd limit every discussion to its "proper" thread, then everything would get very scattered. It would be hard to discuss normally. There's no trouble with excursions since the traffic here is pretty small.

Teacher 10 Aug 2007, 12:34

May one inquire what these recent posts have to do with school?

Rachel 10 Aug 2007, 00:30

That's interesting about Glasses & Contacts with low rxs. I didn't know. Still if laura's contacts are the same as her glasses they might give her slightly sharper vision. She says thinsg are going blurry though even with those so she must need an increase now.

benn 09 Aug 2007, 18:47

Thanks.

Cactus Jack 09 Aug 2007, 15:47

benn,

If she has not been having any trouble, iritation, night vision problems, etc. I think I would consider seeing another OD. If there are any symptoms or medical conditions that damage eyesight such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. that would justify it, I would consider seeing an opthalmologist just to be sure that there is not something more serious wrong.

C.

benn 09 Aug 2007, 15:26

Optometrist...New Mexico

Cactus Jack 09 Aug 2007, 13:58

benn,

It doesn't mke much sense to me. A 66 year old hyperope will be at a serious disadvatage without correction of some sort. It would be very difficult for her to read. Also, it would likely be headache inducing to try to watch TV or do almost anything else.

I think the eye doctor owes you a very detailed explanation to expect her to suffer for 21 days. If you can't get a good answer, I would suggest consulting with another Eye Care Professional. Was this eye doctor an Opthalmologist, Optometrist, or an Optician?

Also, may I ask where you live?

C.

benn 09 Aug 2007, 13:08

It is the 21 days I can't figure, 48 hours should be enough.

She is about a plus 2-2.5 in the right eye with an add of +3

Left eye about the same with +1.50 Asteg axis about 72

Cactus Jack 09 Aug 2007, 12:47

benn,

That is a new one. There are some new very high moisture soft contacts contacts available now, but they are offered in both 'several week' disposable (Acuvue Oasys) and 1 day disposable (Acuvue Moisture)(in the US).

I can't think of any reason to not wear any correction at all unless he wants to be sure that her crystaline lenses are fully relaxed or he suspects some corneal problems and wants to give them a chance to recover from the contacts. That last doesn't explain not wearing glasses.

Do you know her Rx (approximately).

Hopefully an Eye Care professional (which I'm not) can offer a precise answer.

C.

benn 09 Aug 2007, 11:55

Catus Jack, et al

A general question: My wife has just made a visit to an eye doctor who told her that Daily wear contacts are obsolite and have caused her eyes to become "prunes" and to give her an eye exam she must go "without" correction for 21 days. That included her glasses.

She is 66 and have worn some correction for more than 55 years.

I have read everything I can, and cannot find any word like this anywhere.

Cactus Jack 09 Aug 2007, 11:42

Rachael,

Adjustment for glasses vs CL Rx Sphere ONLY is because CLs have a vertex distance of Zero (0) whereas glasses (and Phoropters) have a vertex distance of 11 to 16 mm.

The relationship between the two involves the square of the Refracted Sphere Rx. It generally becomes a factor with glasses Rx -5.00 and above. Adjustment of CL Rx for cylinder is more involved.

With a glasses or contact Rx in the -2.50, -1.50 region, adjustment for vertex distance is so small it is generally ignored.

C.

Clare 09 Aug 2007, 11:34

Rachel - if Cactus Jack were here he'd explain this better than me, it's only what I've read elsewhere. The differential for contacts is called vertex difference and only comes into play over -4. So Laura's contacts are likely the same as her glasses, just as mine are. Until, that is, people get over 40 apparently.

Rachel 09 Aug 2007, 11:23

laura. Your contact prescription should be less than your glasses prescription because of the contacts being directly on your eyes. Your optician will tell you. If things are looking blurry now, even with your contacts, you probably need another -0.50 or something like that. Best to go for another check up laura, honestly its worth it in the long run. let me know

laura m 09 Aug 2007, 06:12

my rx of contacts is R -2.5, L - 1.5 (same as glasses). I never actually had my prescription tested when i got contacts, i just got the measurements needed to get the contacts fitted. Its probably about time my prescription was changed though, as i do notice things are a bit blurry even with contacts.

Derek 09 Aug 2007, 05:42

Sorry, should have mentioned that i was nearly 14 when i first had to start wearing glasses

Derek 09 Aug 2007, 04:23

Like a lot who have posted in here, i had an idea that i needed glasses for a few years before i got them. By sitting in the front of the class and with the help of my friend, i always managed to get by without any hassle.

My Sister had worn glasses since she was 7 yrs old and i thought how awful it would be to wear them all the time like she had to. With no warning, i can remember the whole class lined up in the assembly hall, where we were told that an eyetest was going to be carried out. When it came to my turn, i went into the room and the nurse held a card over one of my eyes and asked me to read the board. I think i only got to about the 3rd line then it was a blur. She then asked me to do the same with my other eye, and again i got about as far again. She finished making a note in her book and called in my teacher. She then asked her to get a letter sent to my Mother saying in her opinion i needed glasses, i was quite short sighted. There was no way i could get out of it, so i told my Mother when i got home from school. She said why had i not told her that i was having trouble seeing. I told her that i did not want glasses. I had tried the old pair of my sisters on, and was quite shocked at how well i could see with them, but that only confirmed what i already knew, my eysight was bad. An appointment was made at the opticians for me and my sister also got an appointment, it was coming up to her check up time. She went in with my mum first while i sat in the waiting room. After about half an hour , they came out and my sister was upset, because she was told her glasses would need to be stronger again. Then it was my turn, The optician done all sorts of tests and put different lenses in front of my eyes ect. After what seemed ages, She turned to my Mother and said, Yes Derek is quite short sighted and without a doubt should be wearing glasses. I asked if i would only need to wear them for reading the board at school but was told, no, i would need to wear them full time. The worst part was walking tino school with them on for the first time, i felt a right nerd, but had to admit, i could see great, everything was so clear. Now i am 23 and my glasses are a lot stronger, and to be honest i am half blind without them, but it still was a trauma getting the first pair and walking out of the shop wearing them.

Rachel 09 Aug 2007, 01:34

laura is probably about R-3.00 and L-2.00 now for glasses, looking back at her old prescription. So she will be able to manage around the house without her glasses on when she has taken her contacts out, but the TV and things like that will look blurred.

guest 08 Aug 2007, 22:32

Laura

What is your contacts prescription now?

laura m 08 Aug 2007, 19:49

Rachel, when i take out my contacts, my eyesight is quite blurry. I dont put on my glasses (because like i said i cant get myself to wear them around my family) but i dont think id be able to go out without them on. i dont think they are affecting the progression of my myopia though.

Rachel -1992 08 Aug 2007, 07:00

laura, are your contacts the relevant prescription to your last glasses prescription or a bit higher? If you have been wearing them for just over a year, what's it like now when you take them out? Do you have to put your glasses on? I just wondered if the contacts are slowing down or speeding up your myopic progression.

laura m  08 Aug 2007, 06:26

Hi, i thought id share my story. Similarly to many of you, i too got my first pair of glasses when i was in primary. To this day i am unsure of what they were for. I was told to read with them on, but i can remember thinking that they didnt change my eyesight at all. (I have come to the realisation now that they may have been prescribed to correct amblyobia(sp?) which i think i had, remembering back to days of wearing eye patches and eye excercises when i was younger.)And similarly to many stories, my mum did the dreaded note to the teacher to remind me to keep them on. I remember being totally embarrased and uncomfortable when the teacher, whom i very much disliked, pulled me out of class to tell me that i had to keep my glasses on and she would watch me. Anyway, somehow i managed to get away with not wearing them very often at all... and although i still had them, i stopped taking them to school when i got a new teacher and pretty much forgot about them until year 9, where i found myself struggling to see the board from the back of the classroom. I told mum, and was prescribed what i think must have been a very low minus prescription. I remember these glasses helped a bit but i must have grown out of them quite fast because after a few months, they werent very helpful, and so once again i forgot about my glasses and just made do without them by sitting closer to the board, copying my friends etc. ... when i turned 17 i went to get my licence... and failed the eyesight test. I had no idea my eyesight was that bad! So, much to my horror, i was forced to get more glasses ( i think around L:-0.75, R:-1.5 (i know one was double the other)). So i found these glasses came in handy back in school, and i did not realise how much i was missing out on, but being very vain, i could not wear them often and would literally wear them when driving and looking at the board, taking them straight off after. I have not been able to wear them at home yet, and none of my family have ever seen me with glasses on. About a year later, i took myself to another eyeexam where my prescription was increased to R:-2.5 L:-1.5. I managed to get around with this prescription never wearing my glasses for nearly a year until i realised just how many signs and faces and just general surroundings i was missing. It took me a very long time to get enough courage to ask my mum (who thinks that my eyesight is perfect and that i dont need glasses due to my resistance to wearing them near her) for contacts. It was one of the hardest things ive had to ask her for, and i was right.. i straight away got the "but you dont even wear your glasses" and " your eyesights not bad". After much persuassion, she finally allowed me to get contacts, which i have been wearing for the past year or so. It is really hard still though, because my family has still never seen me in glasses, and it will be difficult to start to wear them if i ever cant wear my contacts.

Puffin 08 Aug 2007, 04:52

I have no problem with Rachel.

Rachel 08 Aug 2007, 02:29

R Ed. Thanks. I'm pretty hurt by all the criticism but if you want me to continuing posting I'll sign in as Rachel - 1992 like you suggest.

R Ed 07 Aug 2007, 15:30

skeptical spectacle,

All teenagers strive to be "normal" = just like all others. But none can be because all are unique. Maturity is recognizing that fact and many adults don't recognize it. Rachel-1992 sounds like a teenage to me trying to assert her independency from her mother and that is a neccessity to become an adult.

Rachel-1992 - hang in there and stay your course

skeptical spectacle 07 Aug 2007, 11:38

What set my mind thinking that Rachel/Rachel could be a fake is when she mentioned a few days past that she wanted to just be a "normal teenage girl." Normal teenage girls, myopia or no myopia, already feel like normal teenage girls, it was an odd remark coming from one who claims to be 15.

R Ed 07 Aug 2007, 10:09

To the two Rachels.

Rachel is a fabulous name. I wish I'd have known a Rachel personally. If you don't like Phils suggestion then please consider Rachel + your current age - 15 and 32 or since that will change with time Rachel+ your year of birth 1992 and 1975.

Please keep posting

Guest 07 Aug 2007, 09:09

Have you the gumption to know for sure it is two contributors ? I wonder

Phil 07 Aug 2007, 08:37

May I suggest "Girl-Rachel" and "Grown-up Rachel"? I've always liked the name "Rachel". A gwg with that name would be able to turn me to jelly! I think we should all be nice to both of them.

Julian 07 Aug 2007, 06:58

lurker: you are so right. Not everything worth reading is factual e.g. for an accurate account of the experience of a latent hyperope, read 'A learning curve' (I think I have the name right) either on Electra's site or in the 'men in glasses' section of Bobby's site. Pure fiction, but thoroughly instructive.

And, Guest and Varna, bear in mind that part of the problem here is that we have, not one contributor using several names, but two contributors using the same name, and neither of them seems to have the gumption to add some kind of label to distinguish her.

Guest 07 Aug 2007, 06:12

Just about sums up your mentality Lurker. What is the point of reading posts that at not true. And its a safe bet that Rachel is a fake. As was already pointed out, sounds like Gemma who posts in lenschat using lots of different names

Varna 07 Aug 2007, 06:06

I don't know if Rachel is a fake or not. I do know that she seems to think that the name of this site is "Rachel Scene" instead of "Eye Scene."

Rachel 07 Aug 2007, 05:46

Thanks lurker, I'm very grateful to you.

lurker 07 Aug 2007, 02:22

I'm so tired with these clever fellows who have a need to terminate every interesting discussion by proclaiming someone "fake". If you think someone is fake, why don't you just stop following the discussion? Personally I don't care if someone is fake or not, they might still be worth reading.

Rachel 07 Aug 2007, 02:10

R Ed. I think Larissa's Mum sounds rather like mine. I suppose mine was very upset when she was first told I needed glasses. When I was younger she used to tell me to take my glasses of to "rest my eyes"! Then when I was about 12 she used to tell me to go out for a walk without my glasses on and "get some fresh air to my eyes"! I don't think she realised I could hardly see where I was walking. Now she says my eyes are so bad because I wore my glasses too much when I was younger. It's all SO annoying.

Bill 06 Aug 2007, 23:14

Agree, rachel is a complete fake

R Ed 06 Aug 2007, 12:14

Rachel,

Don't waste your time thinking about Truth-seer's comment; ignore the negativity and say what you wish.

Truth-seer 06 Aug 2007, 10:53

Rachel -- what a fake.

R Ed 06 Aug 2007, 10:40

Rachel,

I've copied and pasted part of many posts on the Acuity & prescription II thread from Larissa. She needs to wear glasses all the time, can't wear CLs. Her mother doesn't like her wearing glasses. Her mother and your mother have similar views. You may learn from Larissa experience.

"Larissa 17 Jan 2002, 21:02

......

Mom came over to see me last night. When I answered the door the first thing she said was "I can't get used to seeing you wear those darned things, you have very pretty eyes, don't hide them". That makes me feel 'real' great. After the usual greetings, she told me I should get contacts if I can't see good. I told her that my eyedoc said I can't wear contacts. All mom said was "that's a shame". I told her that the eyedoc said that I need wear them all the time and that I can't see anything real good without them anyway. She then started saying that it's really odd as no-one in our family has bad eyesight. I'm the only one in our family that wears glasses. We then moved over to another topic. I don't mind talking to people about my glasses as it helps me get more used to them, and the fact that I need to wear them, and that they are there.

"

Please let us know if anything in Larissa's case is helpful for you.

Puffin 06 Aug 2007, 08:41

Yes, we'd love to hear the rest of your story.

Julian 06 Aug 2007, 07:48

BlurryBristol: if you are still around would you email me? julianmungo(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

Rachel 05 Aug 2007, 22:59

OK I will R Ed

R Ed 03 Aug 2007, 09:07

Rachel,

As I posted earlier "You seem like a lovely very mature teen girl; stay the course on wearing glasses"

I think you've made a mature decision in your best long term interest. Let us know when you get your new Rx.

Rachel 03 Aug 2007, 00:26

I've been told not to dominate the threads but feel you guys need an answer. The thought of detached retinas caused by high myopia scares me. So, as I've posted on Induced Myopia, I've decided to try going for six monthly eye-tests instead of yearly ones. This way my progression can be properly corrected and the little bit extra I can get will help my clarity. This way I will probably only end up in the mid teens of minus.

sourgrapes 02 Aug 2007, 12:06

ehpc

From what I've read, detached retinas are curable with no long-term effects only if you catch it in time. If you don't treat it , it can lead to blindness.

ehpc 02 Aug 2007, 08:23

Last post is mine Pete

ehpc2 02 Aug 2007, 08:23

Detached retinas are generally 100% curable with no long-term effects at all.Peter

R Ed 02 Aug 2007, 08:05

Rachel,

You seem like a lovely very mature teen girl; stay the course on wearing glasses.

However, if I were you, I'd re think accelerating your myopia. For me to be unable to correct to 20/20 would be scary and a detached retina much worse since it means blindness. It happens, not often but occasionally.Think of risk vs reward. It seems all downside and very little/no upside. You stated earlier you may do it to retaliate against your mother. Think about continuing to "hang tough" as you have been but forgeting retaliation.

Best wishes to you; let us know what you decide.

PS- my boss has twin daughters both very myopic. One had the start of a detached retina, and needed surgery. That resulted in less peripheral vision and something closer to tunnel vision; a penalty for the rest of her life

lazysiow 02 Aug 2007, 02:22

You know even though we're pretty much the most hardcore around, I think a lot of regular guys fancy girls in glasses nowadays i.e. look at the comments in this video posted a few days ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRJIsgGkc7k&mode=related&search=

Rachel 01 Aug 2007, 23:02

R Ed I think you are probably right. In my mothers time at school, glasses for school kids were definitely looked upon as being geekish and non desirable. Now lots of guys at my school, especially the girls, seem perfectly happy wearing specs fulltime. No one has ever ragged me about mine and none of the lads have ever called me names because of my thick lenses. I just love being seen around in them and acting like a normal teenage girl. Mother just doesn't seem to get to picture at all!

R Ed 01 Aug 2007, 08:42

Rachel,

I think I've read most/all of your posts on various threads. Something I found new and interesting was your comment that in your city it is popular for your age group (girls only or guys also?)to wear glasses and stronger is better. For your mother, in her day, it likely was NOT popular to wear glasses- if one needed a strong correction one wore contacts, if one needed a not so strong correction one went bare eyed. As a result of this, she probably has a "vision" for her only child- maybe a movie star or model. Do you know what it is and why it does not involve glasses? Maybe it could involve glasses!

Have you ever showed her Eye Scene and links to photos of incredibly beautiful women in glasses and many in strong glasses? Would that help persuade her that your choice to correct only with glasses is a good choice? Does your father support your preference?

BTW ehpc has a great idea for frames. Why not try some on at a shop, and post a digital photo; even though they won't have lenses people you share the photo with can comment. I guess they'll say they are spectacular! Maybe you'll gain the courage to buy them and create a bolder and more confident you.

ehpc 01 Aug 2007, 05:27

Being a GWG is a totally wonderful vocation, Rachel:) And buy some black rectangular plastic frames with wide sides next time:) What hair colour are you? Pete

Rachel 01 Aug 2007, 01:55

I was about 7 when I started having difficulty seeing at school. Then my best friend got glasses which she let me try on and realised that I must need some as well. When I told my mother she thought I only wanted glasses because my friend had got glasses and it wasn't until my teacher told her to take me for an eye-test that she finally capitulated. Even now seven years later she hates me wearing glasses and because I need pretty strong ones she's nattering me to change to contacts. It's so annoying.

Puffin 25 Jul 2007, 06:58

I remember playing rugby at school, one day this bespectacled lad came along and the teacher told him to take his glasses off, he looked sooo different, almost unrecognizable. Funnily enough I imagine that's how we all looked to him.

I never saw him play rugby again though.

guest 25 Jul 2007, 04:35

When I was at school in the eighties in Germany, we were required to take off glasses during sports lesson. For the glasses wearers, this meant going through the lesson all squinting uneasy. I particularly remember one who was pretty good at sports as long as he could make do with squinting terribly to see what was going on (he got contacts in the end).

I wonder how these things are handled now or in different places?

Matsu Kimura 22 Jul 2007, 00:35

When I was at school... well, my high school year was particularly interesting.

Back then, I was a high school student in Sapporo, Japan. I was studying in a class of 30--- 9 were boys while 21 were girls. It was particularly interesting because that was a science class for top students. Not surprisingly, those girls were rather nerdy, in general. I was (and I am) a boy, and I did very well in my studies. However, because of my rather odd personality, I was not popular in my class. Out of those girls, 15 of them wore glasses. A few of them has very strong prescription, very much like those in the GWG webpages. I was not particularly interested in GWGs, but I love to see girls squinting, borrowing, taking off or cleaning their glasses (especially so for beautiful girls and cute glasses). There were several girls who did not wear glasses, but some of them squint often, especially towards the end of the high school years. I had perfect eyesight, and I was aware of that. I still remember the girl sitting next to me in the second and third year was Haruka. At first, she did not wear glasses. But later on in the second year, I noticed her squint in order to see the board. I

thought she must have some problem in her eyes, but I never pointed out to her.

Haruka was famous for her neat handwriting and long hair. (At school, she wore a large bun, which is extremely unusual in modern Japan) Well, she did sometimes copy the words on my notes that she could not see clearly. I loved her face. She had a lovely pinkish-white skin (gets pink when blushed), which is very smooth (seems rather clean). Her head was rather high (even for the standard of male heads) and pointed (not very wide), luckily covered with her dense, long black hair. Her nose was rather flat but long, this made her wide mandible a bit unclear to notice. She had rather exaggerating Japanese eyes, large, but slit-like single eyelid apparent.

There was another girl (Sumiki) sitting next to Haruka on the other side, and she wore a large framed glasses (I think it was a fairly mild prescription ones, around -2.00 for both eyes). Her eyesight was not really good, as she sometimes squint through her glasses. Sumiki looked rather tomboyish (albeit quite short in stature), therefore I am not interested at her at all. In the third year (final year), I got familiar with Haruka. (I thought she actually loved me?) One day, I saw Haruka asked Sumiki for trying Sumiki’s glasses. Sumiki told Haruka that they are a bit weak for herself. Haruka tried it, and said they are too strong (I thought she was lying as she thought glasses might ruined her beautiful face).

(To be continued)

Yuen-Ming 21 Jul 2007, 19:27

I posted quite bit approximately eight years ago, maybe longer. I posted briefly about 4-5 years ago, too. Since I originally posted, I have had laser surgery, but I still wear contact lenses, rather than -34 glasses.

I am married to Rigoberto, and I have a son now. He is 5 years old, and alas, he is myopic!

YM

opsmplussie 21 Jul 2007, 15:53

I recently met a very nice French GWG - she speaks English and I decided to declare my weakness for gwgs to her at an early stage, and she responded quite well. Just for a bit of fun, I'd love to send her a message which includes a sentence or two in French, but I never paid much attention in language classes, so I need some help. Is there anyone out there who could give me a few amorous lines in French, perhaps making reference to glasses or myopia, which I could send her?

Therouteur 21 Jul 2007, 08:36

But with great respect to all concerned, and apologies to Yuen Ming just in case, what's wrong with being a creation of Tom the Hungarian.

If Yuen Ming is real, she's an ever fascinating person (of advancing years now, I wot, as are we all). If not, well congratulations Tom. I always loved reading Yuen Ming.

Come back Yuen Ming.

Come back Tom.

I still love you both.

Julian 20 Jul 2007, 11:57

Yes, Andrew, you're right there. The name of Yuen-Ming goes right back to the early polls on the very first EyeScene. It has surfaced again from time to time (like now) but I wouldn't be able to say whether it's been the same person posting evry time...

Julian 20 Jul 2007, 11:52

And, even more to the point, BlurryBristol, are you going to give us some more of your story? You kind of left it like the end of an instalment of a soap!

Andrew 20 Jul 2007, 11:51

Yuen Ming was before Tom the Hungarian, if I remember correctly...

Before my time, too!

aboy 20 Jul 2007, 00:50

BlurryBristol,

What is ur current prescription?

Julian 18 Jul 2007, 23:05

Good grief, there's a name from the past! No, not unless you were a creation of Tom the Hungarian.

Yuen-Ming 18 Jul 2007, 22:26

Are you talking about me?

Puffin 18 Jul 2007, 16:57

Wasn't there someone pretending to be some young girl trying to avoid wearing glasses and looking for tips on seeing things without glasses? Thinking about it now, it actually seems quite funny how we were all hoodwinked.

Julian 18 Jul 2007, 06:06

Why does a story have to be made up just because it has plenty of detail? Bristol's experience of getting his first glasses obviously made a big impression on him and has stayed in his memory. I can remember quite a few details of my first test and my first specs - and I might inflict them on you some day just to prove it! Puffin makes a good point too: a good story is a good story even if it's fictitious. Down the years we've had quite few fictitious characters posting to ES, and telling quite good tales, some of them. I have to confess I created a few personalities in the early days - but not any more. Julian isn't my real name, but all my experiences are real.

Chris 17 Jul 2007, 20:03

BlurryBristol:

You were lucky. On my first day at school with glasses I was given a note by my mum to hand to the teacher. Dutifully I handed it to him. I knew what it said. It was a request that he make sure I wear my glasses all the time. He was a sarcastic bastard and made sure everyone in the class who may not have noticed the NHS frames stuck on my face did so.

What I do rememeber was that after a very short period my eyes had become completely accustomed to the lenses which were deliberately made slightly stronger than the prescription indicated by the eye test because an immediate deterioration was anticipated by the optician. I would grow into them, so to speak, like my school blazer which was ordered several sizes too large. So after a week or so when I look my glasses off I couldn't see much in the distance but a blurr and I certainly couldn't read the blackboard so like it or not I knew I had to wear glasses all the time because I couldn't function properly without them.

BlurryBristol did your optician sell you on the myth that your glasses were a temporary requirement and that somehow you would grow out of them? Mine did, even though every few years the prescription became stronger particularly as a teenager the time when I was nine I had been told the "corrective" lenses would have "corrected" my eyesight.

Puffin 17 Jul 2007, 18:38

All these stories are fascinating, and in a sense, who cares if they are made up or real? Only perhaps in the sense that the real ones involve people with feelings that can be hurt, whereas my "fake" experiences expressed in my stories (Dear Diary especially) are a sort of amalgam of memories of those around me, what I read here and some complete fantasy.

Anyway, whatever is written here may one day end up in a story which might entertain you. What's the problem?

Willy 17 Jul 2007, 14:27

BlurryBristol -- Thanks for your story; it is interesting reading and it prompts some recollection in my mind of when I was about 13 or 14 years old and would suffer some headaches while reading or studying. Although I always passed the standard school eye test with flying colors, my mother occasionally "threatened" me with a full eye exam at an eye doctor if I was complaining about a headache. I learned to keep my mouth shut, and my headaches were never that bad and became less as time went on. (Now that I think about it, the fact that she never took me in for an exam does not reflect all that well on her!)

Later, while in graduate school in my 20s, I started getting headaches again and went in for a full exam and was prescribed glasses at +0.5 for "distance" although I was told I only needed them for prolonged reading, and that's all I used them for. Twenty years later, my prescription is L +1.25 -0.5, R +0.75, -0.25 with an add of 1.5.

But the thought occurs to me now that if eyes tend towards myopia in the teen years and toward hyperopia in older years, I wonder if I was more farsighted when I was 13, but my eyes became "more myopic" or less farsighted through my teen years until when I had an exam in my 20s they were only at 0.5? If I had had an eye exam at 13 and was found to be at +1 or more, I certainly would have been prescribed glasses and my mother no doubt would have made me wear them. Could this have "frozen" my eyes at that level and led me to a higher prescription. All speculation, of course.

Anyway, please continue...

 17 Jul 2007, 13:12

Blimey a busy day on this thread. Lisa hope you didn't miss my question yesterday.

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 12:53

I should have said 'proud of my roots', don't want to confuse anyone. I didn't have any routes! I only lived around the corner from school.

Andrew 17 Jul 2007, 12:47

BlurryBristol,

It is the small differences and the similarities which make all of the histories of people getting their first (and subsequent) glasses interesting to read. As I am shortsighted, I am always interested to read the experiences of those who are longsighted - but I'd far rather read something which sounds familiar than an invented story involving martians, hyperopia guns and goodness knows what else...

Please, keep going. My own story is somewhere in the "When I was at school" section, and I know exactly what you mean about NHS specs; I've been there!

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 12:40

I remember waking up that morning, and much like Jacky said in one of her posts, looking at the bedside table and seeing this case sitting there.

There was no shying away from the fact that these were my glasses: I was going to have to wear them.

It was so confusing at the time. I didn't need glasses, up until my mother interfered I could see perfectly, so how had it all happened so quickly?

I readied myself with the act of getting ready for school, which at the time involved spiking my hair into the current fashion, tying my tie back-to-front and putting on slip-on shoes (a big deal in 1988). Not bad I thought.

I was average height in my year, slim, in the top set for every subject and was average at sport, although that was what I loved doing more than any academic subject. I was also quite popular. Having a different accent to everyone else (hailing from Scotland) made me stand out. My nickname 'Haggis' meant that people who didn't know me, knew of me.

So, I guess I was used with being a bit different, in fact I was (still am) very proud of my routes.

Being different on your own terms is one thing, I could have easily adopted an English accent to assimilate better, I chose not to. Being different by virtue of wearing glasses was another. As I said, people that wore glasses were stereotyped as geeks, so they were all the same, and yet 'different' at the same time, but not the different I wanted to be. (if that makes sense?)

I had my glasses on when I went downstairs to leave. My mother in her wisdom told my younger sister, who was in the year below me, to report back on whether I was wearing my glasses in the playground.

Of course, as soon as we left the house I told my sister in no uncertain terms that there would be retribution should she blab to my mother that I'd gone against her wishes. As soon as we rounded the corner of the street, off came the glasses (you were not alone Jacky!) and into my bag they went.

When we got to school I met up with my friends and my best friend quickly said in front of the group, "well, where are these glasses then?". A few quizzical looks ensued... I retorted that I had no idea what he was going on about, maybe his mind was going along with his eyesight? That got a laugh, I felt terrible, but what choice did I have - he had put me in a spot in the first place.

I quickly confided in him that I did, indeed, have the glasses with me and took them out of my bag to show him. He was not at all pleased!

He didn't tell the others about it though, he said if I was too scared to wear glasses then it was my problem really. How right he was.

I sat through the register in our form room and the usual adolescent joshing went on as an undercurrent, which the teacher, Mr Woods, could selectively bring to the attention of the class if the mood took him.

My friend was making faces at me, making his hands into glasses and generally ribbing me. The teacher grew tired of this and told him to try actually wearing his glasses rather than trying to use his hands as visual aids.

It doesn't take much imagination (Derek) to think what came next...

Clare 17 Jul 2007, 11:45

BlurryBristol - keep going! It's quite an education for those of us who aren't hyperopes. Before reading posts here I couldn't imagine what it must be like. A few years ago I went out with a guy who was hyperopic; back then I didn't know what I've learnt here so I just assumed they were really just reading glasses.

GmH 17 Jul 2007, 11:44

Blurry please continue.

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 10:53

I have just read Jacky's curtailed story - thanks for pointing out the link Julian - I hadn't read to the bottom of the page. Dopey! (I am new to the site)

To be honest, Jacky's experiences were almost exactly the same as mine, although I think she had it much tougher than me. My first prescription was only +1.75, +0.75 10 and +2.00, +0.75 170.

I'm not sure that I should continue. It's obviously upsetting Derek! Although I'm not sure what your issue is Derek, why would I bother making up a story? Especially when it is so similar to Jacky's. If I was going to fabricate a story I hope I'd be a little more imaginative. ...I don't know, maybe the blurring of my eyes would have been the result of some rare tropical disease I picked up.

Then again, maybe I will continue, just to wind you up Derek. Funnily enough my experience has a lot of similarities to Jacky's but also a lot of differences too. The most interesting aspect, looking back and even now, was the sociological impact of wearing plus glasses. People tend to think that makes you stupid, whereas minus lense wearers must be studious. This certainly spurred me on to prove people wrong throughout my life.

You see Derek, I have a Marty McFly (Back to the Future) complex... 'don't call me chicken'. By mocking my story you are making me bothered enough to continue...

Derek 17 Jul 2007, 10:23

BlurryBristol. You can use shorter words if you so wish, but I would far rather you use words that are truthful, and have at least a ring of authenticity about them. But please do not disappoint what fans you have on here, and carry on with your "STORY"

Jennifer 17 Jul 2007, 09:44

BlurryBristol, please keep telling us about your experiences. What you have told us has been very interesting! You have a great writing style!

Derek 17 Jul 2007, 09:38

Only with you bekka

Julian 17 Jul 2007, 08:41

Oh yes; and if you want to read Jacky's unfinished story, scroll to the bottom of this window, click on 'View all posts' and scroll down again, as far as you need or want to.

Julian 17 Jul 2007, 08:37

BlurryBristol: don't be deterred, carry on with your story. Most of us are enjoying it and want to hear the rest. What happened when you appeared in school as a speccy kid?

Jacky 17 Jul 2007, 06:55

Hi Derek,

This is exactly why I no longer post here. If your writing was perfect you'd have spelled my name correctly, Jacky.

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 06:48

Derek, I didn't even realise I had a 'writing style' thanks. Maybe I should have used shorter words for you?

Who is 'Jackie', I'd be really interested in reading about her experience? Can someone point me in the right direction please?

I apologise to the rest of you, I was getting a bit carried away with meandering through my own memories. I guess I was 'hogging' the board. However Derek, I wasn't writing a 'story' for anyone other than myself. It kind of feels theraputic writing down some awkward memories. They've made me who I am today and I cherish them, despite them being difficult at the time.

Turk82 17 Jul 2007, 06:41

derek,

Perhaps you meant to post to the "Prose, Critique, and Writing Style" thread. Oh, right . . . this is Eyescene.

Please continue Bristol.

Phil 17 Jul 2007, 05:58

Well done Bekka: I couldn't agree more! You sound feisty!! Are you a gwg?

Bekka 17 Jul 2007, 05:15

Derek: What a nice thing to say. How pleasant you must be to suggest after reading a story like that, to say that a story you had previously read was written with a far better style. Do you also remind people that you meet, that you had previously met far better looking people.

What a loser you must surely be.

derek 17 Jul 2007, 04:32

very much the same theme as jackie's story some time ago, except her style of writing was far superior

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 02:30

My mother, sensing my discomfort didn't put me through the further anguish of walking around Marks and Spencers and her usual haunts, we went straight home.

In the car she'd told me how smart I looked in the glasses and she was sure my friends would think the same. I was not remotely convinced.

We got home and I pleaded with my mum to take the glasses off. My dad saw me and laughed - he was never the sensitive type - eventually saying, they don't look too bad, you're eyes look quite big though. My mum gave him a look that would have scared any living creature. My two sisters were also not too helpful in the esteem bolstering stakes... Milk bottle boy, etc. My mum brought order to events, but was still not moving on the issue of me removing my glasses.

I went up to my room, removed the glasses and cried. The small plastic and metal object staring at me from the bed benignly as if to say, It's not my fault, I just want to help.

I waited long enough for my blotchy face to calm down so that they wouldn't know I'd been crying, donned my (my!) glasses and went downstairs to watch Airwolf. Stringfellow Hawke didn't wear glasses, he was cool.

Watching my favourite programme I almost forgot that I was wearing the glasses. I could see the television clearly and when the programme finished and I took the glasses off I thought that the TV looked a bit blurry. It was approximately 30 seconds later that I heard, 'glasses!', a statement I was going to have to get used with.

I was meant to meet another friend to play tennis, but I called him and cancelled. Surely, they wouldn't make me wear glasses to play sport.

The next day we went to meet my grandparents and I had to add humiliation to my usual, bored and fed-up emotions that went with such visits.

If my family were treating me differently, what hope did I have? I had been very good that weekend and did wear my (my!) glasses fulltime.

On the Sunday when I went to bed, I took my glasses off to brush my teeth and I noticed that the mirror reflection was pretty blurred, I had to strain to see myself staring back. By the time I'd finished brushing this wasn't as bad as the initial experience, but still it was a worrying thought. Was I going blind? Maybe what they said was true?

I went to bed and read my book, I put my glasses back on as I was straining a bit and anyway, nobody could see if I was wearing them or not in my room. Deep inside I knew I actually liked the sensation of wearing them, although I wasn't about to admit that to anyone.

So, I tried to not think about it and ready myself for the next day at school.

BlurryBristol 17 Jul 2007, 01:02

Morning guys, thanks for the feedback - my experience, as I'll talk about, isn't too disimilar to Chris'.

I was to find out, however, that there is a distinct difference to being hyperopic rather than myopic and I'm not just talking about the physics involved.

I'll cut to the chase. I worried away the longest week in my life. On the Saturday morning off we went to pick up my glasses. This all happened way too quickly for me. There was little ceremony about the whole affair. Shouldn't a life sentence be dished out with more ceremony than this?

I didn't even see the optician, the young man who'd taken the readings on the machine at the start of my test looked after us.

We sat down and he pulled the glasses out of a small, clear, plastic bag. I was startled, the lenses looked horrible... nothing at all like those lenses in my friend's glasses that I'd tried on. They looked like a pair of small magnifying glasses.

He put them on my face and asked me how they felt. How do you think they feel, awful, like I want to disappear and never be heard of again. 'Okay', was my understated response, this was one of the first signs of an emerging passive/aggressive tendency!

He asked me to walk around the room and see how things looked. I got up, and skulked around the room looking at my feet. The glasses gave me a pretty clear view of my battered trainers. I could see the tire mark left by my friend's bike when he'd rode over my foot clearly enough.

I looked out the optician's window and things weren't too bad, the other side of the street didn't look as sharp as it should have I thought. Perfect, a way out of this, they've made a mistake, obviously. I walked back to the desk, feeling pretty clever with myself that I'dfound a way out.

'They're not right, the distance is blurry, I don't think I need glasses.' Chest puffed out, chin in the air, I handed him the glasses back. 'Ah,..' a smug look on his face, 'that's quite normal, but in a few days that won't be the case, as your eyes need to adjust to the lenses. I'm afraid you do need glasses, it says here on your prescription that you should wear them full time.'

What?!? Adults make no sense some times, I had clearly explained to this smug git that I could see better without the glasses. BETTER, NOT WORSE! Are they idiots, you wouldn't put someone's leg in plaster if it wasn't broken. Maybe they do, maybe there are people hobbling around muttering to themselves about a mad doctor who's put their leg in plaster?

So, we had reached an impasse it seemed. I was to wear these glasses, despite the fact that they'd make my eyes worse. Nothing I could do would change that.

I put them back on an went over to the mirror. I was in for another shock, my eyes looked massive behind the lenses. This was much worse than I had worried. After a few moments of picturing a bleak future; (blurred) visions of not being picked at sport, of girls ignoring me; I walked back to the smug git and handed him the glasses.

'You need to keep them on' he said. He gave my mum a case, a little metal case wrapped in a leatherette material, that I knew, would snap horribly every time I shut it.

We walked out of the front door.

Chris 16 Jul 2007, 19:37

BlurryBristol.

Sorry the last post attributed to you is from me. I put your name in the wrong space.

sourgrapes 16 Jul 2007, 19:03

I'm glad I only started wearing glasses in high school. I never really got negative comments. Some people said I looked smart and one teacher even complimented my choice of frames.

BlurryBristol 16 Jul 2007, 18:46

Well written. Anyone who got their glasses when they were at school seems to go through the same confidence sapping process. Like your friend I was fitted with light brown NHS glasses. The ones with the wire earpieces. That didn't come as a shock cause by then I knew I couldn't see properly. They do nothing for your self esteem either and, yes, you slip effortless down the pecking order. Not so much slip as fall to the bottom. You sort of become the class nerd even if you make an effort not to be. You can hardly act tough because it won't be taken seriously. It's not surprising many children who wear glasses atn early age ( I was nine and I had no chance of just wearing them for classes) are introverted. Certainly I was always among the last to be picked for any team when the choice was who would be the least bad. Also both boys and teachers made every effort to remind me that I wore glasses. I was "four eyes", "you blind git" or "creep" or worse. Look forward to reading more of your experiences.

Puffin 16 Jul 2007, 16:57

The lenses the optician was getting you to look through would for someone not hyperopic make their distance vision all blurred, and thus your hyperopia would be obvious.

As you are hyperopic, your large accomodation at that age was being used to allow you to see clearly in the distance, and giving you an additional plus lens correction had no overall effect on your vision: it just meant while looking through them your eye muscles had to change the shape of your lenses by relaxing a little - something you'd not really notice, especially if you were concentrating on not wanting to wear glasses.

Anyway, tell us more.

BlurryBristol 16 Jul 2007, 15:45

I will post about getting the glasses and the reaction, and future seemingly endless progression.

Got to turn off now, it's almost midnight and it's Monday..

Hope I've not gone overboard.

BlurryBristol 16 Jul 2007, 15:44

Sorry, I didn't realise how much I was rambling. I was getting quite into the memory.

I won't take up too much more space as I'm sure my story is much the same as the next person's.

I entered the darkened room and sat on the chair. The optician asked me a few questions, he seemed to be suprised I'd not been experiencing headaches. I guessed that this was your standard list of questions, or maybe he couldn't believe my fantastic accuity didn't cause some sort of strain.

After what seemed an age, I was asked to read out the letters on the wall. I had a number of lenses put in the strange plastic frames he'd stuck on my nose. 'Bloody strange this', I thought, I couldn't work out why he was putting lenses in front of my eyes. There's nowt wrong with my eyes I kept thinking, why is he bothering. None of the lenses made things any clearer really so I figured he was giving up in his pursuit.

And so, we finished. He asked me to look through both lenses together in the frames (he'd kept one eye covered up to that point) and asked me to read out the chart. To my surprise I could easily enough, another example of my superhuman eyes I thought.

He told me to look over the top to see if I could notice the difference. I did so and was taken aback that it seemed a bit blurrier over the top of the lenses, I tried not to show it.

He then made a statement which made my heart stop, I can still remember it to this day (19 years later).

'Right then, we'd best go out and tell your mother than you need to get glasses.' I was in complete shock. 'Helloooo', are you mad?! I don't need glasses, I demand a re-count - what are you talking about?

I think I managed, 'Sorry, did you say I need glasses?'.

'Oh yes, quite so. You're quite long sighted my boy you really ought to be wearing glasses now and you'll need to wear them all the time.'

'...but, but, I can see perfectly, why would I wear glasses when I can see fine?'

He didn't answer, instead off we went and met my mother. She seemed a little surprised, but not nearly enough by my thinking.

The optician explained everything again and said that I'd need to wear the glasses all the time, my prescription was quite strong for a first time prescription. He also said something which was extremely disconcerting. 'I've started him off with a prescription which will help him, we'll take another look in 6 months because he'll need a stronger prescription then.'

What a con, I was fine before I entered this 'shop' and now my life is over.

My mum made me chose some frames, they all looked awful. I chose some black steel-framed glasses that were pretty nondescript. '...we'll see you next weekend then' my mum said as we left the shop.

I couldn't sleep. I didn't dare tell a soul. I went back to school and asked my friend about how he was getting on with his glasses. He smelled a rat and asked why I was asking so much, I didn't need glasses.

I told him the confusing truth, he thought I was taking the mickey. He didn't believe I'd get glasses at the weekend and laughed the idea off.

Maybe there was some way I could make his prediction true. I could just not wear the glasses, couldn't I?

 16 Jul 2007, 15:42

Lisa - what kind of 'challenge' do you set yourself ? Are there things you just can't do bare-eyeed ?

BlurryBristol 16 Jul 2007, 15:15

Hi, I am new to Eyescene, what a fantastic site!

I was particularly interested in some of your stories about discovering that you needed glasses, as it reminds me of my own experience.

My first realisation that I needed glasses was a complete shock to me. I was 12 years old and was by no means the youngest in my year at school to need glasses.

I was always intrigued by others in my class who wore glasses. I wondered what it was like to see in a blur, I could see perfectly (or at least I thought so) so it was strange to me. I wondered what it must be like to put a lense in front of your eye and for everything to change in an instant.

I remember that my year group had a school eyetest. No problem I thought, I can see perfectly. And so it was that I entered the room feeling pretty nonchelant about the whole affair. As it turned out, I was vindicated as I could read the two lines of text below the target red line clearly enough. One of my friends failed the test and was packed off to the opticians. He was pretty upset about it, I seem to remember. I felt for him, a few lads teased him about it, he was a good sportsman and so was not your 'typical' speccy 4 eyes... he wasn't prepared for the shock!

At home that evening I was telling my mum about my friend's predicament. She didn't react as I expected, saying, "you really ought to get your eyes tested properly - those school tests aren't that good". I argued the futility of the whole excercise, reasoning that I'd just passed the test with flying colours, no problems here I was thinking. Looking back, maybe my mum had seen something in the way I read, I'm not sure?

My test was booked for the following weekend, I was annoyed as it meant I couldn't play football that day.

In the intervening period my friend came into class wearing brown NHS specs. They looked pretty strong to me at the time (probably -1 or thereabouts). I had no idea whether he was short or long-sighted or what the difference may be. I tried them on and couldn't believe how they blurred everything. I probably made some stupid comment about that, which made him feel worse than before. He only wore them in class and would take them off immediately at the end of the lesson.

I told him they didn't look too bad. It amazed me though to see how some people started treating him differently. He went immediately down the pecking order when it came to picking the football teams.

The Saturday came and off I went to the opticians.

It wasn't a particularly memorable place, not too old, not too modern. I remember looking at the lenses and thinking I'm glad I won't ever have to wear anything on my face (although I was secretly quite intrigued too).

I remember sitting at a machine and looking through the view finder at a hot air balloon as the machine went through it's thing. When I was finished the machine spat out a bit of paper which the young man took out of the machine, attached to his clipboard and muttered, 'interesting'. At this point I truely thought that maybe he was impressed by my super human eyesight. I had watched a bit of Robocop at the time and was convinced my eyesight was at least on a par with the robots.

lurker 16 Jul 2007, 11:05

Phil, I've been wondering, how do you react when people comment about your eyesight? If you go "I know, I'm blind without my glasses" then I guess it would be easier to go full time when people already expect you to wear glasses. Then again, if your reaction tends to be "I'm perfectly ok without glasses, don't ask about it!" (like mine was before getting glasses) then I can understand the embarrassment factor about showing up in glasses.

Phil 16 Jul 2007, 08:01

Lisa, I've got a rx not far short of yours: -4 after an eyetest last week. At the moment I have -3.75s and only wear them for driving etc. But I'm going to have to give in and wear the new ones fulltime when I get them. People say that at my sort of age a minus rx should not be increasing.. But I've gone up almost a dioptre over the last five or six years. And I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get about without specs. Is your rx stable now? What frames do you have?

Lisa 16 Jul 2007, 07:26

Phil, it's not that I really wanted to have the glasses, I'd still rather not need them... Just realized that they could really help me in some situations. Today I seldom go without, but sometimes I try to as a challenge for myself.

Phil 13 Jul 2007, 01:07

Wow Lisa. I started with just over minus 2. And now I'm -4. Did you really always want to be a gwg?

Lisa 12 Jul 2007, 14:12

Before getting my first pair of glasses, I had known for a long time that my eyesight was not 100%. As a teenager I had some minor trouble to read small handwriting on the blackboard, see the small details on screen in the movies ,... but didn't think it was too bad. Only when I tried on a friend's (fulltime wearer) glasses as a joke during a drunken party, did I realize how bad my eyesight had really become: everything was crystal clear. I managed to keep on her glasses for about 10min, and when taking them off I was troubled by the blurred environment. I had an eye exam the following week and got a -2.00 prescription. Today I am L-4.75 R-550.

C 09 Jul 2007, 14:51

I had no idea that I needed glasses until I went to get by drivers permit when I was 15. I failed the eye test with my mother who wore glasses right there with me. She couldn't believe it and asked if she look through the machine. She took her glasses off and passed! We went right to the optomitrist and he prescribed me to wear glasses full time. Back in those days you had to wait a full two weeks to get your glasses and we went on vacation before I got mine. I went to see Star Wars and used my mothers glasses and saw a movie clearly for the first time in a long time.

Derek 09 Jul 2007, 05:24

Nice storey Jane, it got me thinking, i wonder how many other people have found out that they need glasses, from trying someone else's on. Lets here about them

sourgrapes 08 Jul 2007, 19:38

Curt - I can read fine at a normal distance with my -9 glasses, although things start becoming blurry if I move closer than say, 3 or 4 inches.

Curt 08 Jul 2007, 19:28

sourgrapes, have you noticed any difficulties in close-up vision while wearing your glasses.

sourgrapes 08 Jul 2007, 10:18

I apologize if the comment sounded critical in any way. I like this community a lot.

sourgrapes 08 Jul 2007, 09:21

"For better or for worse, eyescene and this community are responsible for making me act on my OO tendencies."

Let me just clear this up, since the P.S. is a contradiction. I just meant it helped me get the courage to get the stronger glasses. :)

sourgrapes 08 Jul 2007, 09:16

I'll post personal experience about my eyesight when I was younger.

When I was around 11 I was taken to get some glasses. I was only have a little trouble seeing things like the blackboard, but I must have gotten by okay without them. I don't know what prescription they were, but I remember when I first put them on I was amazed at how much clearer everything looked. However, I was pretty self-conscious about them, and I refused to wear them. One day, I actually tossed them into a wooded area! I told my mom I lost them, but of course she did not believe me. She did not take me to get new glasses.

Fast forward to high school. I was a terrible student, and part of the reason is that I could not really even see the board, and had trouble even from the front seat a lot of the time. I remember when I was sitting next to a professor and he was showing me things on his computer monitor, I just could not manage to see no matter how close I moved my chair. I had to get my face within a couple feet, I guess. Anyways, making so much effort to see anything was quite painful and so I started giving up in high school.

But one day when I was around 16 or 17, I gave in and told my mom I was having trouble. So we went to the eye doctor and got some glasses. I don't remember what prescription it was, but I remember he made a comment saying, I don't know how you got by all this time without glasses. I was so excited when I got my glasses; I could see the hair and dust on the floor and the dots on the ceiling! I wore my glasses full-time this time, because I really needed them; the doctor recommended I wear them full-time as well, if I recall correctly.

Within 6 months or so, I was having trouble seeing again. We went to a different eye doctor. Again, I never kept track of the prescriptions, but I remember the optometrist made a comment to the other staff that I did not even get 20/40 with my present glasses, and she seemed to find this humorous. I kept going back there, and she always commented about how nearsighted I was or how much more nearsighted I had gotten. I always got excited when she said anything like that. Anyway, this was the largest increase... and I suspect I was about and slightly over -3 at this point, but that is just speculation.

Over the next few years I kept getting small increases, until I got to my present prescription of around -6; this is the first time I kept track of what it was. But as you know, I'm wearing -9 glasses to try inducing myopia, since I seem to get a big kick out of making myself more nearsighted and having to wear stronger glasses. For better or for worse, eyescene and this community are responsible for making me act on my OO tendencies.

P.S. My earliest OO experience must have been when I was 9 or 10. This was pre-puberty. A friend of the family had stayed the night and I had stolen her glasses... I don't know why I did this, but I got a kick out of it. Thankfully, I am not into stealing people's glasses. That was an isolated incident.

jane 08 Jul 2007, 04:59

Is there anything more embarrassing than turning up at school for the fist time wearing glasses, knowing that the teacher also knows and will instruct you to wear them if you have not got them on. That happened to me when i was 11 and was told i needed glasses. I made the mistake of telling my mum that i could see the tv clearer with her reading glasses on, so why did she take them off to watch it. Next think i was made an appointment at the opticians and told i was long sighted and glasses were needed. I curse the day i mentioned the fact to my mother. But now many years later and a lot stronger glasses, am resigned to being a four eyes.

Rupert 08 Jun 2007, 07:43

Interesting that NJ discusses trying on a friend's glasses years ago and being intrigued by the minification, then realizing that people with glasses don't see the world like non-glasses wearers.

As a -4.75 myope who switches between glasses and contacts, I have occasionally put my glasses on over my contacts and noticed significant minification, yet when I wear my glasses the minification is nowhere near as intense, and I do in fact see the world largely as others see it. There is some minification, but it's negligble. I don't need to readjust my perception of the world when I switch from glasses to contacts. The brain is an amazing thing.

I can imagine that as one gets up into the very high powers, both plus and minus, the world does indeed become significantly different looking, and switching between glasses and contacts would be more jarring, and perhaps even dangerous--judging distances, etc.

Freejay 05 Jun 2007, 16:03

Revenge pt 2.

Well, I couldn’t stop blushing after that I was so embarrassed and I never knew the girls took that much notice of me but hearing it from him I guessed it must be true. I tried to shrug it off but I could see he was resentful. I tried after that to be friends but he had been a loner so long that nothing could change him. He sat next to me for another year after that, his eyes getting worse until one day he came in wearing a new pair of glasses with lenses which we called “milk bottles” but which I know now are myodiscs. I realised that he was very self-conscious about them so we never mentioned them at all but we knew he couldn’t see much without them. He was excused games and PE even so he got more and more time on his own and was always in the library with his nose in a book. He was a very sad character and I often wonder what happened to him and if his sight slowly worsened until he went blind.

Jay.

Freejay 05 Jun 2007, 16:00

Revenge on the bully. Pt 1.

When I was at Primary school I was small for my age and had to wear glasses for myopia, so I got picked on a lot. In my class the biggest boy was a bully but he was also very short sighted and had very thick glasses, Harry Potter style. His sight must have deteriorated a lot because one day during the maths class the teacher wrote something on the board and asked him the answer and he said, “Sorry sir, I can see the writing”. Everybody laughed and the teacher told him to sit at the front so he came next to me. He had to squint a bit to see things and one day I made a joke about it and he threatened me that he’d beat me up at lunch time. Well, we had our fight and as luck would have it I accidentally knocked off his glasses and one of the lenses came out and as he couldn’t see much I offered to put it back in but it wouldn’t stay in place. I had to lead him round to the nearby optician who did it very easily (without charging him!) and we went back to school. After school I apologised to him and as we went home I suddenly said, “Why are you so horrible to people and me in particular?” To my amazement he said “Everybody laughs at me because of my thick glasses and I don’t like it so I just take it out on them.” I said, “But I wear specs too, so why me.” “Yours are so thin compared to mine, I’m jealous. None of the girls look at me but you … well you should hear what they say about you. They call you the “sexy, speccy blond.” (to be continued.)

NJ 31 May 2007, 12:30

one more thing. the friend I mentioned inteh last post had the last name of 'Glass;. Fitting, I think,

NJ 31 May 2007, 12:29

Gay Lurker, I had a similar situation recently. I had a friend from middle school and other youth activities who I thought wore very strong glasses, and once when he was doing some sports thing he asked me to hold his glasses. I tried them on, and being young and with good accomodative power was able to focus. I was stuck by the minification and realized for the first time that people with glasses did not view the world the same way as I did (without glasses). fast forward 30 years or so to a reunion where I ran into him again. He now wears rimless glasses and his Rx seemed to be about -5 or so. Respectable but nothing to remember.

Gay Lurker 31 May 2007, 10:44

I have always been able to tell a strong prescription by the small look of the wearer's eyes, in addition to cut in and thickness. When I was in college, in the early 80s, I had a classmate who wore transitions glasses. Back then they were only available with glass lenses. Even though this caused them to be thinner than the plastic lenses of the day, his lenses were still about 3/8 inch thick. His eyes were also so small through them. I always wanted to try on his glasses but still being in the closet, I never brought myself to ask for fear that he find the request strange. When he returned to school the following year, he had new glasses with thick plastic lenses about 3/4 inch. I can't remember what I said to him about them, but I do remember him letting me try them on. They were about minus 10 in power. As I recall, he seemed unphased by fact that his new glasses were twice as thick as the old ones.

Puffin 31 May 2007, 08:53

Certainly I remember a girl wearing about minus 4 or so glasses, and they seemed so strong, with loads of coke bottle rings, even though the thickness was hidden by the plastic frames. Yet now such a prescription would look much less severe.

NJ 31 May 2007, 08:37

I'm sure lenses have gotten thinner and this is part of the issues. Even as a young person, though, I knew that the true strength was best determined by cut-in, which presumably has not changed. Another issue is that as I have gotten older I have seen more really strong glasses, and so it puts things in perspective.

I remember in particular a girl named Mary W. in my middle school who wore what I remembered to be really strong glasses. I remember when she got metal frames and how the lenses really stuck out (CR-39 no doubt). Fairly recently I found a yearbook from my middle school and looked her up. Sure enough, she was in there and even wearing her glasses in the pic. Her Rx could not have been more than 3-4.

Andrew 31 May 2007, 07:12

With the changes in lens materials making high-index the norm for anyone with an Rx of 4 diopters or more, it may well be that the glasses were significantly thicker 20 years ago, and it is not your memory playing tricks.

pete 30 May 2007, 18:21

NJ

Point well taken. I remember watching Wonder Woman thinking how strong Dianna’s glasses were. Yea, how oversized maybe.

NJ 30 May 2007, 17:31

Sorry, that last post should read:

All these old stories really bring back some good memories for me. However, one thing I have found is that, over time, my memory tends to make glasses thicker. Several times now I have been to reunions and run into old friends who I remember wearing very thick glasses. But when I see them anew, often still wearing glasses, they are never as thick as I remember them being (the glasses, not the friends-some friends are just as thick as they ever were). Anyone else have this same kind of memory 'enhancement'?

Guess I am getting thicker w/ age.

lazysiow 30 May 2007, 17:29

From the way you talk about her, I almost fell in love with her myself.

NJ 30 May 2007, 17:29

All these old stories really bring back some good memories for me. However, one thing I have found is that, over time, my memory tends to make glasses thicker. Several times now I have been to reunions and run into old friends who I remember wearing very thick glasses. But when I see them anew, often still wearing glasses, they are never as thick as I remember them being the glasses, not the friends-some friends are just as thick as they ever were). Anyone else have this same kind of memory 'enhancement'?

An OO Anonymous 30 May 2007, 17:05

A moment of blissful near-innocence.

Early 70’s. (Names have been changed.)

Mary and I met as young teenagers in summer school and quickly became pals. After class we would take the bus to her house; walk to a friend’s; get stoned and watch Star Trek. Mary was kind of mousy looking, skinny and really funny. I was not yet sexually active so the extent of our physical activity was a lot of clowning around/pushing and pulling. She wore round horned rimmed glasses with very thick lenses. Her eyes were tiny behind the lenses and often hard to see through their reflective surfaces. I remember being intrigued but not turned on (or off) sexually. I do remember at some point she had white bandaging tape over one of the hinges and recall being curious about that. Over the next years we stayed friends but nothing like the closeness we had shared that summer. At some point she had started wearing contacts so even as my fetish began to awaken I didn’t envision her as one of the ‘girls with glasses’. By senior year my best friend began dating her and for a while we double dated. Though they seemed to lack the playfulness and spontaneity we had so enjoyed, their courtship was lasting into college years. I remember coming home for a Spring Break one year and calling Mary to see if she had heard from Tim. ‘No, being across the country he wouldn’t be home ‘till the summer . . . did you want to get together?’ So I went over to Mary’s. Now barefooted and quite attractive she stood at the door. Was I blown away! Not only was Mary all grown up, she was wearing these large rectangular shaped wire rimmed glasses with thick cube-like lenses that had concave fronts. We gave each other hugs and it soon seemed like old times. I must have asked when had she started wearing glasses again. I think she said that she had just gotten them and was getting used to the new prescription though she would still always wear contacts. They were really shiny and new. I could tell by her head movements that she was adjusting to this new intensity. I could not contain myself. I must have reached out and teased her some more – maybe messing up her hair; maybe holding her head and drawing her in close to me. It was apparent to us where this was going; we kissed deeply and with hands, arms, legs and whole bodies going everywhere things on the kitchen table got carelessly scattered. While I was yanking her jeans down over her hips I asked her to leave her glasses on. I watched as she held the glasses firmly onto her face with two hands: ‘The Moment That Could not be Improved Upon.’

We were inseparable for that week desperate to recreate the moment; favoring the Motel on Route 117 and planning our days around reruns.

pete

Julian 24 Dec 2006, 13:29

Pretty obvious Jacky doesn't want to be bothered with telling her story (fact or fiction) any more. And of course, if it WAS all fact, suggesting it it wasn't was the perfect way to shut her up.

 24 Dec 2006, 12:19

maybe Jacky doesn't wan't to be bothered by a creep-o like you. ever think of that!

nickweymouth 21 Dec 2006, 10:14

WE WANT JACKY WE WANT JACKY WE WANT JACKY WE WANT JACKY WE WANT JACKY WE WANT JACKY

PS dearest Jacky do You take hints ;)

Julian 20 Dec 2006, 09:48

Thanks for that story, Philosifer; it takes me back. That era of prudishness redeemed by solid common sense...

If it's over 50 years since your eighteeenth year you're older than me - 50 years ago I was in my 18th year - but I don't know about anyone else on here. The late, great EyeScener Eddy was certainly older han any of us, but now, who knows?

Philosifer 20 Dec 2006, 09:20

Here, for your consideration is a rather different sort of "When I was at School" story.

First here are a couple of, not un-related, essential bits of background information. For a start, I may be the oldest member of the Eyescene community ( and if not in fact the very oldest, then in strong contention for that distinction !) Perhaps because of that, I was raised in a very protective semi-Victorian environment, and learned many important things - as this tale will tell - a good deal later than most of today's youngsters.

Thus it happened that when, in my 18th year, I was farmed out to another family far from home, the new lady in charge of my life judged my social education to have been sadly neglected. Accordingly, she arranged with a friend of hers, who lived just a couple of blocks away, to do something about it.

This friend was regularly out on Wednesday evenings, and had an English 'au-pair' (maybe 24 years old) who was always left in charge of things at home. So the two senior ladies set things up for me to go over there once a week, ostensibly for cocoa and biscuits, but in reality to be taught the facts of life.

The selected teacher was undeniably attractive; tall and slim, fair and blue-eyed, but her most striking feature were her glasses. I could not guess their strength - at that time I didn't know a dioptre from a decimetre - but from what I can remember, and now know about myopia, would guess they were in the vicinity of -8 or -10. They were mounted in less-than-fashionable clear plastic NHS frames, and this was before high index glass became available, but there was no shortage of edge thickness or power rings.

Each Wednesday this glorious vision would meet me at the door and conduct me upstairs to the sofa in the little suite they had provided for her, where we would spend a few minutes in conversation, enjoying our coca and biscuits. She would then instruct me to "Come over here", while she carefully removed and folded her glasses before placing them on the table at the end of the sofa. 'Lessons' would then occupy an hour or two, until she stopped and retrieved her glasses, signaling that the session was now over.

One disconcerting habit she had was that, whether by choice or necessity, once she had taken those glasses off she seemed able to see effectively nothing. It was almost as if she had a switch connected to her eyes that would simply turn off the visual part of her brain as she removed her spectacles. Very strange, but it had a series of major effects on me.

This must have gone on five or six weeks, and I would try to describe the 'finals' and 'graduation ceremony' for you, but it’s a long story. You wouldn't be wrong, though, to conclude that somewhere there lies the explanation for my still being unable to pass a GWG in the street without a second look - over fifty years later !

glassesforeveryone 10 Dec 2006, 09:20

It seems you've caught our imagination Jackie. I keep pressing refresh and still there isn't the next installment. I can't wait much longer!

Pip 07 Dec 2006, 18:09

I am not the one who says she is a fake. I Just take these stories at face value and with a grain of salt. After all, who am I or is anyone to pass judgement?

Forest 07 Dec 2006, 14:52

first of all: is there a part 8 of

jacky's story? found it today...great.

I can understand you Si.

When i was at school there were some

cute gwgs who left their glasses on

the desk between lessons.

i often thought of staying in the classroom

and try them on or even to steal them

but i never dared.

Slit 07 Dec 2006, 05:35

Well Jacky,

We dont care whether you are fake or real, still keep on continueing the story.

In the good old past of Eyescene there were really nice real stories as well as fiction, which we miss a lot.

So, go ahead, continue your real story or the fiction.

But please avoid going in to unrealistic extremes which will make the reader boring. e.g. Going up to unbelievable plus rxs such as +45 with quadrafocals!

nickweymouth 06 Dec 2006, 15:09

Pip you are entitled to your opion but please Jacky he is WRONG you are no fake please continue posting

 06 Dec 2006, 15:05

she may be a fake but she writes great fiction

Tom 06 Dec 2006, 14:44

Didn't you realize that Jacky was a fake? It takes one to spot one...

Pip 06 Dec 2006, 08:23

AS THE SAYING GOES FRIEND,

THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE!

nickweymouth 06 Dec 2006, 06:14

jacky im have now had to become a brat lol MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE

on my bended knees please please please give us more of your fantastic story we are all hookded to it

 04 Dec 2006, 09:10

Jacky,looking forward to hearing how you got on when you started to date.How did you put on make up for your magnified eyes and did you wear your specs to discos and in swimwear?Tell us all about your frame styles too please.

hooked 04 Dec 2006, 04:14

Hello Jacky,

pleas write more. I don't think your glasses history has ended there.

nickweymouth 01 Dec 2006, 00:27

dear Jacky please please please dont keep us waiting any longer we need the next part of your story we need it now

regards Nick

Simon 28 Nov 2006, 20:52

Aislinn, my age and prescription is around the same as yours so I would absolutely love to hear the rest of your story! Feel free to email me eyescener at gmail.com

NJ 28 Nov 2006, 01:09

touché!

sher 27 Nov 2006, 18:10

Jacky,

Haven't heard from you in a couple of days! Hope you're going to continue soon, we are all anxously awaiting your next chapter. - Sher

Filthy McNasty 27 Nov 2006, 17:16

OK, I can't resist: I know exactly *which* part of you is upstanding when you are ogling GWGs, too.

So there. I hate to be predictable, but I'd hate even more to exhibit what John Cleese referred to as "mindless good taste."

NJ 27 Nov 2006, 17:15

Naw...Just more timid.

Filthy McNasty 27 Nov 2006, 17:13

Think you're so smart.

NJ 27 Nov 2006, 17:03

..and don't you say nothing, Filthy McNasty!!!

NJ 27 Nov 2006, 17:02

OK, now I am feeling like a good upstanding citizen for doing nothing more than oogling GWG babes--a first for me!!

Si  27 Nov 2006, 14:27

This story by Steve has promted me to write for the first time about a school experience. At age 11 when I left Primary school I was prescribed glasses, just for distance like the blackboard. I refused to wear them and managed to get to 17 when I wanted to drive and had to get glasses.

Anyway, due to needing glasses I think I started my interest in them. At 14 there was a girl who joined my class called Hannah. She had glasses, and fairly strong ones. I used to sit near her in a few classes and we would occassionally chat, she was very chatty but I was quite shy. She I found her very attractive and she was good fun with everyone. At 15 we had a school field trip for 5 days and she was coming. At the same time she had got contacts which she wore very occassionally. The group of 'lads' on the trip came up with a game of some sort involving points scoring for various tasks and I was given the first one of getting a bra from one of the girls who had extremely large breasts as the leader of the gang wanted to know her chest size. I know, very sad but boys are boys sometimes. During the first evening meal I sneaked out and up to the girls room and got the required artifact. However, in the room Hannah was also staying and I came across he cabinet and had to look in. In her bag for washing stuff was her specs case and inside were her glasses. Large round plastic frames, brown colour, strong lenses. A moment came over me and I took them. Back to my room, stashed away and back to the others.

That night I was desperate to try them but couldnt being in a room with other lads, all staying up late etc.

Next day Hannah had the contacts in again and I heard in the minibus her telling a friend she was sure she packed them but had obviously forgot. I felt bad that firstly I had them and secondly that she was not seen in them but I also had an uncontrolable excitement inside me.

The 5 days went quite fast and I found no moments to try them. When I got home though I got to try them, too strong for me but a fantastic rush wearing them.

Come the return to school and about a week later Hannah had new specs and said in class she had obviously lost the other pair. She was hardly seen in contacts for the next 3 years. I went out with her for a few weeks and that was fantastic. I still have the glasses and about 4 or 5 years ago found them after a long time in my garage. They are virtually my current RX of -7. Sadly lost touch of her and according to friends reunited she has left the UK for Canada - and I tried contacting her but never had a reply. Not proud of stealing them, never stole anything before or after that (except the bra) and still feel guilty. First time I have ever 'told' anyone. Did have some great arousing moments with those glasses though. Sorry for long post.

NJ 27 Nov 2006, 13:23

Steve, at least your story made me understand on which side of this fetish extreme I stand. I love girls in glasses, but all of my sexual experiences have been limited to girls who are actually wearing the glasses. This afternoon, your story has made me feel more normal than I have felt in years.

Nevertheless, having lived with the OO fetish for all these years, I am at least sympathetic.

 27 Nov 2006, 13:14

i am byzelxik too

nickweymouth 27 Nov 2006, 09:09

Aislinn sorry i am dyselxik

nickweymouth 27 Nov 2006, 09:08

aislin i am waiting for the next part thanks

Puffin 26 Nov 2006, 19:09

Now I think about it, I do remember certain people slowly migrating to the front of the class and then (usually) getting glasses, although in some cases it didn't register.

Filthy McNasty 26 Nov 2006, 19:02

There is no doubt it was more tha *I* wanted to know.

 26 Nov 2006, 17:21

Steve, I think you told us more than we really needed to know ...........

Aislinn 26 Nov 2006, 15:41

It's a fairly typical story of getting glasses, but I'm bored so thought I'd do it anyway!

*PART ONE*

I first noticed my eyesight wasn't so great when I was 10/11 and in my second to last year of primary (elementary?) school. I sat towards the back and sometimes couldn’t see what was written on the board if it was smallish writing, or couldn't see the writing on screen if we were watching a video. At this point none of my group of friends wore glasses and because I didn’t want to be the odd-one-out I said nothing. I hid it well; somehow, copying anything I couldn’t see from the person next to me. Somehow I didn’t fall behind. It was getting close to the summer holidays so I was more focused on spending 3 months having fun with my friends and going on holiday, rather that the fact that I probably needed glasses. The summer went fast and it wasn’t long until we were back at school for our final year before heading to secondary (high) school. Once again I was experiencing the same problems, even though I was sat closer to the front this time, but again I kept it a secret, and for the first few weeks, was getting away with it. At this stage there was two other girls who had glasses, one part time, and one full time. I found myself watching them a lot, wondering what happened when they got their eyes tested, what it was like to wear glasses etc. Anyway a few weeks into the term we were given letters to take home to our parents, informing that the school nurse would be coming in the next few weeks to check our height, weight hearing and vision before we headed to our new schools. I panicked. I managed to hide the letter in my bag for about a week until my mother found it while getting my P.E. kit out to be washed! My secret was going to be found out. For a moment I thought I’d be able to pretend I’m ill and have the day off school, though my mother would never believe me, and would know I had something to hide. And anyway, I don’t think there was an actual date on the letter, probably to avoid this happening! Anyway, my mother signed the form and had me take it back to school. As the weeks passed, I kept looking over to the girl who already had glasses – Emma – and kept thinking how that may well be me soon. Emma only wore them for looking at the board, and I figured that perhaps that wouldn’t be too bad; at least I wouldn’t have to wear them when I was just hanging around with my friends; unlike Jennifer who had to wear them all the time. That must be awful, I’d decided. I’d hate to have to wear them all the time, although to be honest I didn’t want to wear them at all and there was still part of me that thought I wouldn’t have to.

Steve 26 Nov 2006, 14:20

I'd always had a strong glasses fetish, but it was not before turning 20 and being a university student that I could satisfy my strong desire to date a GWG. There was that one evening when a small team that I was part of got together to prepare a chemistry lab practice session at my place. A girl named Wendy was also on the team; she was - to my regret - seldom seen in her pretty (and heavy) glasses for being more attracted to contacts.

An hour after everybody had left my place, I noticed Wendy had left her briefcase in my cloakroom. I couldn't help but opened it, and yes, in there was a black plastic glasses case. My heart raced as I opened the case and, oh yes, Wendy's glasses were inside! I carefully took her specs out of the case, unfolded them, and admired those delicate dark blue plastic frames enclosing a pair of thick (7-8mm) lenses. Wendy didn't seem to clean her glasses too often as both lenses were covered with traces of fingerprints, grease,... I had high expectations as I put on her glasses, and I wasn't disappointed! As I was cautiously walking through my flat in her glasses, the whole place was twirling around. I spent the whole evening playing with her glasses: watching TV, taking a shower, eating, reading, letting the specs slide down my nose,... it was a lot of fun. Finally I also fully relieved myself onto her glasses, which was the beginning of a captivating time spent with Wendy.

Julian 26 Nov 2006, 09:39

No, I don't think it is progressive hyperopia, I think it's latent hyperopia. It can take a long time and several changes of prescription before the whole of it becomes manifest - a dilated examination will show the 'total' hyperopia but the patient won't be able to see through that Rx after years, decades maybe, of using the accommodative power to see things clearly near and far. So it take time to relax the muscles and tolerate the full Rx and be free of eyestrain.

Frances 26 Nov 2006, 03:49

I thought much the same as you Tim, but both my daughters are long sighted and up until they were in their later teens, their glasses needed changing every few years or so. And they both ended up with a substantially higher prescrition than they started with. which suggests that it does progress to some extent.

Tim 25 Nov 2006, 22:20

Jacky's fascinating story appears unique in that it chronicles a case of progressive hyperopia. While myopia manifests itself (usually) about the age of 7 and progresses through the teens and sometimes after, I thought that hyperopia was something that you were born with and which essentially does not change. Shall we get an explanation by the end of the saga?

hooked 25 Nov 2006, 13:34

Jacky, please do continue your story.

I would like to read more.

Puffin 25 Nov 2006, 05:34

no, I don't do that sort of thing.

lentifan 25 Nov 2006, 03:22

When I read your post, Puffin, I got an image of you helping this girl to break her glasses. Then I realised that's not what you meant. Silly me!

Jacky 25 Nov 2006, 02:06

Part 12.

I can remember feeling, this is becoming a habit, every time I went for an eye test, and I needed stronger glasses. Not what I wanted to hear at all. It got worse when the optician said, Jacky will be better picking a smaller frame this time, it will help with the lenses she needs. I can remember my Mother asking in what way, and she explained that they would be thicker than my old pair, and the smaller the frame, the better they would look. I ended up with as small plastic frame in silver, which I admit did not look bad. Until I collected them, and was not that happy, the lenses seemed to bulge out in the middle, far more than my old pair. And magnified my eyes far more.

I learned from the card that came with them, that I now had a prescription of R+4.50 L+5.00, which seemed a big jump from the first pair I got not that too far in the distant past. Also by this time, I was totally reliant on them, to even try to leave them off was becoming impossible, I needed to keep them on from morning until night, and there was no taking them off just for a short while, like I had tried to do before.

Linda said the looked ok, and it did help that she wore hers most of the time now, it seems we were both resigned to the fact we needed glasses. It was a good thing that I did not know at the time, they were to get a lot stronger yet before my eyes settled down, but that was in the future.

Also the time had arrived when both Linda and I started to take an interest in boys, or more than we had before. I can remember my first real boyfriend, who was quite happy that I wore glasses, and apart from asking a few questions about them, just seemed to accept that I was a wearer. Again as I recall, not a lot happened in the next few years, even my prescription stayed ok, or at least I had not had any problems.

By now, I was 15 years old and at school, we had a couple more members of the class who had appeared in glasses, so it was not just a few of us. I can remember that they all could swap glasses and see to some extent, but no one who tried mine on could see at all. I was beginning to learn the difference between short sight, and long sight. It would have been nice to have someone else like me, that we could have tried each others glasses on. The other think that stands out, is my Mother found out that she was to need glasses, but only for reading, or so she told me. I went with her and helped her pick out some frames, that looked nice on her. It was interesting when she got them and I had a look, because they magnified like mine did, but I could not see much with them on, but it was obvious that her lenses were a lot weaker than mine, you could see by how they magnified far less when I held them out to look at.

It was soon after my 15th birthday, I began to have problems again, but tried to ignore it, as my routine test was due in a few months, so wanted to leave it until then.

Puffin 25 Nov 2006, 00:58

There was this girl who wore glasses intermittently, one day she opened her bag and found them smashed, she cried a bit and for a week or two had to have someone read the board for her (these were the days before 1-hour glasses shops)

Another girl who wore glasses for the blackboard sat next to me a couple of years later. Again, she broke her glasses and I was the one helping her... that was nice!

Tod 24 Nov 2006, 09:28

There was this beautiful and sexy girl in my high school. Her eyesight was about -1.50 to -2.00. When she walked to school she wore her glasses as usual. But while walking in the hall in school she would pull her glasses down on her nose and look over the lenses as if they were reading glasses. Now all she was able to see was a blur. She probably didn't like the fact she needed glasses to see and this was her way of dealing with her less than perfect eyesight. Sometimes she would tilt her head back to look through the lenses when she needed to see something / someone at a distance. In class she would nudge her glasses back up her nose to see the board, etc. But once the class ended her glasses found their way back down at the bottom of her nose. I think this constant moving of her glasses must have loosened up the frame because one day and for about a week she came to school not wearing glasses at all. I first assumed she might be wearing contacts but then I over heard her say to one of her girlfriends "how am I going to see the board today without my glasses". Her girlfriend, who wasn't wearing glasses herself replied "you can wear my glasses". I never understood that. Unless her girlfriend was wearing contact lenses and carried a pair of spare glasses in her purse and both girls had a similar Rx. This was in the early 70's and soft lens contacts had just come on the market. I am thinking, maybe she herself has astigmatism and could not wear them. (just my guess)

Females never cease to amaze me.

jacky 23 Nov 2006, 07:17

this part 11 was too long for the board, will post the other part tomorrow, had to split it into two

Jacky 23 Nov 2006, 07:16

After what seemed an age to me, but I guess it was only about half and hour, they came back out. Before I cold ask Linda how she got on, she blurted out, that she was going to have to have stronger glasses; she only managed to get so far down the board. It appeared that the optician had told her Mother, she would be better wearing them full time now, and would notice a big difference when she got her new glasses. To me this was great, we would have two full time wearers in the class, and I would not be the only four eyes sat there. She picked out some frames, very similar to mine, but in a blue plastic, they looked nice on her. It was a few days after that we met up again, and the first thing I noticed, she did not have her new glasses on. I asked if she had them yet, and she replied yes, but was only going to still wear them for school and TV, she did not need to keep them on like I did. I asked her what her Mum said, but her Mother must have been more lenient than mine because she informed me her Mum said its up to her when she wears them, she will know when to put them on, and she was not going to make her wear them full time if she did not want to. I remember being a bit put out by this, why my Mum could not have been the same. I cannot remember now what her prescription was, but there did seem a big difference in her new pair, I noticed for the firs time lots of rings in the lenses and I had not seen them before. This was something I could not see in mine, but was to learn later on these were called power rings, and you only got them in minus glasses. Back at school, not a lot changed, I still wore mine full time, and Linda still wore here just for the blackboard. Not much changed for the next 5 or 7 months, and then two things happened.

I realised that Linda was wearing her glasses a lot more, she did not always take them off when the lesson was over, and several times still had them on when we walked home. I can remember asking about this, and was thrilled when she said that it’s getting that she cannot see when they are off. Music to my ears, another girl with glass all the time, maybe it was mean of me, but I was glad, and happy to see her wearing them more. The other thing was not so good, I was having problems with my eyes again, just like before the headaches began, and my eyes felt very tired most of the time. I tried to ignore it for a while, but in the end had to ask my mum to take me back for another eye exam. She fixed this up, and soon I was back at the same shop, same lady, same chair, sitting there having different lenses stuck in front of my eyes. This I thought was getting quite familiar now, but I was not really worried or upset, what was a small upgrade. The only thing I can remember, was my Mother came in the examing room with me, I think she was a bit concerned what the matter was.

After the exam, which was much like before, different lenses until I could read the line that I was supposed to? At the end, she turned to my Mother and said that Jacky had become quite hyperopic, (I had to look that up) and she would need stronger glasses

nickweymouth 22 Nov 2006, 15:12

please continue dear jacky i along wiht almost everyone else is hooked on your every word take care nick

hooked 22 Nov 2006, 14:24

Jacky, please continue.

I expect more interesting things to come.

-5.00 who luvs gwgs 22 Nov 2006, 12:51

Part 2 (previous 13 Nov)A year or so later I went to secondary school .I fel a little bit of a plagiarist here as I can tell a some what similar story to Jacky.I decided that I could do without them with a bit of squinting I could cope with the black board etc.About 9 months went by and I was accused by my parents of not wearing my glasses at school.How on earth they knew I never did find out.I was threatened but of course still did not wear them! Shortly after in the middle of French it would be wouldnt it the Master said Where are your glasses yes exactly as everyone else said I just wanted the ground to swallow me up I of course had to wear them from then on but just for class.I used to dread being told by the optician to wear them all the time oddly enough it has never happened I assume that it has been assumed by successive opticians that I do.Incidentally during the time when I refused to wear them we had a school medical for which I mysteriously developed a sore throat and stayed at home .It was just putting off the inevitable and when it was rescheduled I used my glasses very discreetly for the eyetest! I will continue part 3 in due course

 22 Nov 2006, 12:16

Please Hansel, tell us!

Hansel 22 Nov 2006, 10:39

and the lowest form of wit is....?

You think that's bad? 22 Nov 2006, 09:26

Talk about rough, ha ha! I'll tell ya, when I was in school I was so poor and nearsighted that instead of getting glasses, my parents gave me two shot glasses to carry around and I hadlook through the bottom of these shot glasses to see the board.

I knew another kid she was who was poor but farsighted. She had to use a magnifying glass she found in a box of Cracker Jacks in order to read 'See Spot Run'.

Let me tell ya. I had it tough growing up.I never got no respect at all.

You think that's bad 22 Nov 2006, 09:17

Talk about rough. ha ha! I'll tell ya, when I was in school I was so poor and nearsighted that instead of getting glasses, my parents gave me two shot glasses to carry around and I had look through the bottom of these shot glasses to see the board.

I new another kid he was who was poor too but farsighted. She had to use a magnifying glass she found in a box of Cracker Jacks in order to read 'See Spot Run'.

Let me tell ya. I had it tough growing up. I never got no respect at all.

Jacky 22 Nov 2006, 06:27

Part 10.

I left the shop quite happy in my new glasses, as with my first pair the distance was a small bit blurry, but like the first pair, the optician said this would soon clear. When we got home, I went up to my room and had a good look in the mirror, and decided that they did not look bad, but I was sure they made my eyes look a bit bigger. At this time I did not know much about different strengths in lenses, but the figures in the card that I received was different from the first one. This one was R+3.50 L3.75. I had a few comments at school when I appeared wearing new glasses, but nothing really bad. By this time I was totally resigned to wearing my glasses, and did not even think to take them off. It dawned on me gradually, that if I took them off, I could not see, which was a bit depressing, as I now had to accept that my reliance on wearing them was total. The days were gone when I could take them off as I pleased. I remember feeling a bit sad about this, more so as my friend Linda, still only used hers in class . But I do remember once when she came home with me for tea, we sat and watched a video after, and she complained that she did not have her glasses and found it hard to watch, without sitting right in front of the screen. Putting mine on, made her feel giddy she said, and was worse than watching it with nothing on. School carried on in its usual way, and the rest of the year passed quite quickly. The only notable event I can remember for the rest of the year is when we had the school eye exam, which I passed ok, but a few weeks later, during a lesson, I saw one of the boys in the class, put on a pair of glasses to copy some work from the blackboard. Linda and I approached him in the break, as did several members of the class, asking when he got glasses. He told us after the exam at school, his mum received a letter from the secretary, say they thought he should have his eyes tested. And when he went, was told that he would need to wear glasses. I can remember asking him what he had to wear them for, and he said just to see the board, like Linda does. As you can imagine, I was a bit put out about this, that made 3 of us in the class with glasses, and I was the only one who had to keep mine on. I know now, he was short sighted. Now we had the summer holiday to look forward to, and as I recall it was a hot summer, and I enjoyed it. Towards the end of the holiday, Linda said she had to go for her eye test, and could I go with her and her Mum, to look at some new frames, hers were by now,

Quite battered and bend with all the time she took them on and off and stuffed them in her school bag. I asked my Mum if I could go with her, and she was quite happy at this. We went to a different shop to what I was taken, but the routine was much the same, Linda went in, but her Mum went in with her, I was left sitting out in the waiting room.

To be continued

Phil 22 Nov 2006, 05:28

What was the strength of the lenses in that second pair of specs Jacky?

Slit 22 Nov 2006, 01:43

Jacky,

You are doing a great job.

Yes, one option for you is moving to the stories page. But there also i think the 600 word rule is there.

Still, keep posting because you have a loving audience! Forget the rude people who tell you rude things, if they dont like they are invited not to look at your postings.

Keep it up lady!

Chris 21 Nov 2006, 17:30

Great Jacky! Just keep going.

Jacky 21 Nov 2006, 09:54

sorry that was part 9

I am limited to 600 words, otherwise could write a lot more in each part. It seems when i start, i cannot stop.

Jacky 21 Nov 2006, 09:52

My Mother remained outside, the optician said she would come and discuss what I needed with her on completion of my exam. She sat me in the chair, and asked what problems I have been having. I explained my eyes hurt after reading a lot, and also watching the TV for any length of time. I knew enough by this time not to tell lies, that I was seeing ok and not having problems, even at my age, I was learning fast, that I could not fool my Mother or most other grown ups. It always comes as a surprise to discover you are not as clever as you think you are. She then had a good look at my eyes with an instrument that shone a light into them, after she put the funny glasses on me and put a blank in one eye. A lens was put into the other and I was asked what line I could read. I cannot remember after all this time what it was, but she tried lots of different lens in, each time asking how it was. After the got the required answer, it was much the same procedure for the other eye, which she said was slightly more long sighted than my right eye. But this was nothing to worry about; lots of people had different prescriptions in each eye. When we were finished, it was the same as before, she said lets go and talk to you Mum. We all sat down again, and she said I am afraid Jacky needs stronger glasses, but I expected this, If you remember, I mentioned that she would need them changed after 4 to 6 months. We are getting closer to her full prescription now, so the change I am giving her will make a big difference to her reading and how her eyes will feel in general. Being honest, this did not come as that much of a shock, I knew without a doubt I was going to end up with stronger glasses, I don’t know how, but I just knew. On the plus side, Mum had said I could have some new frames if I needed my glasses changed. I think I was entitled to one free pair a year at that age, and if I certain frames or lenses options, my Mother had to pay part of the cost.

But because I had only had the other for just 6 months, she would have to fork out for the cost of new ones. I was an only child, but my Mother was divorced from my Father, so this must have been an expense she could have done without, but bless her, she let me choose what I wanted. (I did not appreciate all this at the time, but did in later years, and thanked her for what she did) I decided on another small oval frame but in light brown, they seemed to look ok to me and my Mum and the assistant thought they looked nice. They informed me that they would take a day or two to get made up, and they would phone me when they were ready. (None of this one hour service then, but it was not far away). I came home from school one day and was informed my glasses were ready, so we went to collect them. It felt a bit like the first time, when the assistant took them out of the case, unfolded the arms and put them on my nose, took them off, adjusted bits and put them back. I was asked how I could see, and it was ok, and was then given a card to read, which I did with no problems.

 21 Nov 2006, 09:42

Taking about crap teacher brought to mind this experience: whilst in primary school we were waiting to leave the classroom when another teacher came into the room and noticed a girl squinting this was the teacher’s opportunity for an impromptu eye test in front of the class to confirm that the girl did in fact require glasses. To this day I have always thought of it as being a totally heartless act to embarrass a 10 year old when it could have been done in a much more confidential way. Of course the girl in question within the next few weeks was fitted with a pair of -3/4 lenses which to me made her absolutely stunning and probably was the beginning of my OO , but which she hated for as long as I knew her.

-5.00 who luvs gwgs 21 Nov 2006, 08:24

Jacky please please continue I started a similar story last week and will continue when I have time mines almost the opposite of you being myopic and male!!

Phil 21 Nov 2006, 07:36

Please continue Jacky. It's a great history. You can't cut it off in the middle! How your rx increased, your various new frames and lenses, and where you are now will be fascinating.

hooked 21 Nov 2006, 07:35

From my part I just can repeat

please continue!

Puffin 21 Nov 2006, 07:33

This is an enthralling story, please continue. :-)

Jacky 21 Nov 2006, 07:22

I am considering posting furture parts of this in the glasses stories. This was suggested by Julian, and will let you know the outcome when i have spoken to him again. I am only up to when i was 12, and feel i could go on for ages yet, but where i am posting them now, seems the wrong place. If people want to read more, i could go on about when i got to my teens, going through a period of hating my glasses, to becoming an OO girl who loves them. Plus all the other advantages/disadvantages of wearing them. Any comments would be welcome by email or postings. I have already had a few emails, telling me they are enjoying the story, with the exception of one, which was quite rude, so i will not mention it. Lets hear from you all please, are you interested in the rest, or does the story loose interest after getting your glasses at school.

Jacky 21 Nov 2006, 07:15

I kind of got into a routine after that, put my glasses on when I got up, have breakfast, and leave for school. Around the corner, off with glasses and into their case. Arrive at school and before going into the first lesson carried out the same procedure in reverse, out of their case and onto my nose. It must have been a few weeks later as far as I can remember, that I noticed that my distant vision was not blurry anymore, but quite clear. I cannot remember why, but can remember that this pleased me, in my mistaken youth; I thought I must mean my eyes are improving because I am wearing my glasses.

Silly girl that I was I was to learn later that it was just my eyes getting accustomed to the glasses. I must have been after about a month or 6 weeks of wearing my glasses that I began to notice a change when I took them off going to school. Things were quite blurry, which was not how it used to be when I took them off. I found this quite concerting, but noticed, after they were off for a while, my eyes would sort of come into focus again, and things would be clearer. By this time, I had gotten used to keeping them on all day at school, even in the playground, it save me getting any hassle for any teachers on duty during the break. It had been my habit to remove them at the end of school, and put them on before getting near my house. There was another school near ours, and I knew one or two of the boys there, and did not want them to see me in glasses. Even at nearly 12, boys were beginning to look a better option than I had always seen them as. Linda and I used to be in competition to see who got the best looking one to chat with. The practice of taking my glasses off and putting them on when it suited me, came to an end, I cannot say at what stage, but it seemed that when I took them off now, my eyes did not come into focus again until I put them on.

At my age, life seemed cruel, but what option did I have, it was getting to the stage that I could not see without them, I had tried doing my homework without wearing them, but it turned out impossible, my eyes felt like they were being dragged out of their sockets, and felt they were crossing (they were not I looked in the mirror) but it felt as if they were. I reckon that within 2 months of having been told I need glasses, I was a full time wearer. Now they went on in the mornings and came off at bed time.

I had tried very hard to not go down that road, but when it happens, there is not much I could do about it. Thing carried on pretty much the same for about 6 months as I recall, and which my Mother concurs, when I began having problems. The headaches were starting, and I could not see as clearly as I once had. An appointment was made for me at the opticians for the following week. I arrived and after a short wait, was taken in the room by the same lady who had seen me the first time I went.

Puffin 20 Nov 2006, 18:39

Well I have experience of both types of teacher, some shockingly bad, some behaving like little Hitlers, others ready to humiliate as below, a few quite nice ones just trying to teach in a friendly manner.

Chris 20 Nov 2006, 18:38

Most of my teachers were more concerned with keeping order in the large unruly classes they were assigned to than inspiring their pupils. Most of us left at 16 knowing very little and being relieved to escape the monotony. I don't know how much they were paid in those days but it was a sight better than the parents of most of the children who came from a neighbouring council estate.

They weren't that sensitive about those with bad eyesight either. I have related my first day at school with glasses. Often thereafter when your name didn't come immediately to mind I was referred to as, "Hey you with the glasses." Older boys used the same endearing greeting too.

I think that it was a clever ruse on the part of the optician to insist that we wear our glasses all the time and telling our mums to make sure of it. Within a very short time I became totally dependent on my glasses and couldn't function without them so it wasn't a case of having to wear them but needing to. What was your experience Jacky?

For those of you for whom the term NHS glasses are a mystery, ebay has an exact copy of the frames I wore, except that the ear pieces were of curly wire which can be seen at: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-NHS-spectacles-eyeglasses-1960s-Aut-Leaf-456_WOQQitemZ110045831692QQcategoryZ31415QQcmdZViewItem

NJ 20 Nov 2006, 15:49

Sorry, but I need to speak up for the education professionals out there who are doing there best to deal with out-of-control kids and their pass-the-buck parents who would like to blame anyone other than themselves for their kids' ills. I was a high school drop out--hated every minute of school and made it clear to my teachers that I did--only to get to middle age with the emerging understanding that, in fact, my teachers are/were among the most positively influential people in my life. Unfortunately, many of them did not live long enough to hear me say to them how much their efforts really affected my life. They get paid squat to endure the abuse they do, but they have the singular gratification of knowing that they have turned around more lives in their professional careers than most of us could hope to in a thousand reincarnations.

Now that I have kids of my own (and have managed to finish college, graduate school, and medical school, thanks to the faith in those who believed in me during my youth) I have nothing but praise to heap upon them, and I spend large sums of my money on supporting their cause. Truly, I am alive and prospering today because of these dedicated individuals.

Do they make mistakes? Sure! Did some of my teachers say things that were hurtful? Sure! Do I love them anyway? Yes!!

Before criticising, try going into the classroom and putting up with all the shit you'll find, all the while trying to make a home on a teacher's salary. If you do, you won't be soon back here deriding this profession.

cut-in uk 20 Nov 2006, 15:06

Jacky, you seem to have hit exactly the right note ! Please follow through with the history of Rx and I can only reinforce the other enthusiastic comments on this thread.

Tod 20 Nov 2006, 13:12

RIGHT ON!

You hit the nail on the head 100%.

Those who can do, those who can't teach.

To the teaching "profession" ...THE BRONX CHEER!!!

Educationiscrap 20 Nov 2006, 11:47

Sorry Jacky (not Jackie)

Educationiscrap 20 Nov 2006, 11:45

As much as I enjoyed your story Jackie, what concerns me is that there were then and most probably still are, teachers who love to humiliate children and seem to take a perverse pleasure in doing it in front of as many other children as possible. If they had half a brain or any compassion at all, it would be very easy to take a child aside and inform them why they had to wear their glasses a bit more discreetly - especially at that tender age, when one is very sensitive.

It seems to me, that the teaching "profession" (and I apologise to the good ones out there - at the most 10 percent) is full of egotistical, bullying, sadists who have absolutely no interest in children's welfare whatsoever, only in their own power and so-called status.

When I was at school, I remember a couple of incidents like yours and I estimated that only 3 teachers at my school were any good and asking children I know today, that ratio has not changed.

Sorry about the moan, but feel free to disagree...

newglasses 20 Nov 2006, 10:22

i agree with all the others, please keep writing. it is very interesting for me since i am a hyperope, only at the beginning (one year into wearing glasses...). it's going to be intersting to compare the development of my eyes with yours... keep up the great work!

best wishes.

nickweymouth 20 Nov 2006, 10:13

jacky please keep at it your a fantastic writer take care Nick

RBK 20 Nov 2006, 09:50

Jacky! I enjoy your story too!! I love hearing glasses stories!!!!! May be you will one day publish a childrens novel about glasses! There are only 2 I know of....Magenta gets Glasses and Arthurs Eyes.

RBK 20 Nov 2006, 09:49

Jacky! I enjoy your story too!! I love hearing glasses stories!!!!! May be you will one day publish a childrens novel about glasses! There are only 2 I know of....Magenta gets Glasses and Arthurs Eyes.

Jacky 20 Nov 2006, 08:33

After all the kind emails and comments I have received, I can do nothing else but carry on with the story. I will post the next part as soon as possible, at the moment I am getting all my old rx's together, so I can list the changes that I have gone through over the years. Plus writing the next part inbetween.

Thanks all again,

Curt 20 Nov 2006, 08:17

Jacky: Yes, please continue. I think a lot of folks here on Eyescene appreciate reading a well-written story such as yours. For most nearsighted people, this is unfamiliar territory. They have trouble seeing the board at school, reading roadsigns, etc. They then go to the eye doctor, get glasses, put them on, everything becomes clear, and that is the end of it. Hearing the story of a latent hyperope such as yourself is a completely different experience; getting used to the distance blur, the magnification of the eyes behind the lenses, eventually getting used to the glasses only to find out that you now cannot see without them (which you haven't gotten to yet). I know a few folks that have gone through what you did, but it still makes facinating reading. Please continue!

Puffin 20 Nov 2006, 04:43

This is all very interesting, writing about your feelings, not just saying I got some glasses today... thanks!

hooked 20 Nov 2006, 04:06

Please keep on writing more on your glasses history.

Galileo 20 Nov 2006, 03:33

Jacky, you write a good story I'm enjoying reading it. Please continue.

Julian 20 Nov 2006, 03:27

Yes, go on Jacky.

Jacky 20 Nov 2006, 03:14

That was my story of my experience at school, but if you think its worth reading, I can carry on, telling how it was when I found out I could not see without them, getting stronger glasses, boyfriends, changes in my eyes, I could go on if you wont find it to boring, for my part I have loved to write the story, it seems like I am reliving my life again by just sharing it all with you. And if it helps any other youngster who suddenly has to wear glasses, then it’s been worth it, even it helps only one

Jacky 20 Nov 2006, 01:32

Part 6

I left the heads office in a complete trance, how can my carefully thought out plan all collapse like this, it all seemed so simple when I thought it out. I informed Linda what had happened, and she just laughed, which quite annoyed me. It was ok for her, she only had to put hers on to see the board, whereas I would have to keep mine on, for all and sundry to see and snigger at. We went into afternoon lessons, and I cannot remember what we were doing, but I can remember sitting there at the start of the lesson, waiting to see what was going to happen. Sure enough, the teacher addressed me in front of all the class, and said I have been instructed by the headmistress, to ensure you wear your glasses Jacky, your Mother has informed us you have just got a pair, and the optician told her that to benefit, you need to wear them full time. So put them on please. I felt myself going deep red, as everyone in the class turned and looked at me, this was so unfair. I had no option but to go into my school bag and get them out. I opened the case and took them out, and I am positive everyone in the class was watching me. There was no escape, and the only solution was to put them on, which I did. Various comments came forth from members of the class, like 4 eyes, specky Jacky and some other names, but the teacher soon cut them off and started the lesson. The rest of the period seemed to creep by, and every time I looked around the class, it would seem as if someone was looking at me. To me at the time, it was one of the worst experiences of my life; nothing could be more soul destroying than what I was just made to do. When the bell went for break, I walked out of the class and into the playground with Linda. I then removed my glasses and kept them in my hand. A lot of the other girls in the class wanted to try them on, and I seemed to spend the whole of the break passing them to my friends and explaining why I had to wear them. I can also remember getting some nice comments about how they looked, which I can tell you, helped no end. It gave me a bit of my confidence back. When we returned for the next lesson, it was with a different teacher, but now the class had seen me in glasses; it was not a big deal to put them on again before the lesson began. I was glad I did; when the teacher mentioned he was glad I was complying with orders, and wearing my glasses, and went on to say he was sure it was for my own good. Again, I got a couple of remarks, but on the whole most of the class just turned back to their work. The rest of the day went fine, with no problems. At the final bell, I took my case out of my schoolbag, and removed my glasses to their case. Getting close to home, out came the case again, and on went the glasses. My Mother was waiting for me, and the first thing she said, is I am so pleased you have your glasses on, did you wear them for school. I replied I did and she said she was glad, as she had spoken to the school secretary about me, asking the teachers to ensure that I wore them. I can remember thinking to myself, yes; you got me fair and square there, and spoilt my master plan. But to be fair, later on that evening doing my homework, I had to admit to myself, that it was easier with my glasses on, and it made the work that much clearer, but that was my secret, not one that I was going to admit to anyone

hooked 20 Nov 2006, 00:19

This is a really fine glasses history.

Please don't let me/us die without the knowledge how the your story has ended.

Jacky 20 Nov 2006, 00:02

Sorry i wrote my email address the wrong way, it should be

pluseyedjacky@hotmail.co.uk

sorry for anyone trying to send me mail

Andrew 19 Nov 2006, 11:18

Thank you for taking the time to tell us your story, Jacky. Remember that as well as keeping us interested, you are providing information for those in a similiar position to you in the future.

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 10:16

again thanks to all of you, you can always email me at jackypluseyes@hotmail.co.uk

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 09:21

Julian and cactus you are both so kind, I will have to try harder now, but I never saw myself as a writer, I just speak from what I remember, and tell it the way I saw it, it that goes down well, great, i am glad you are all happy with postings. Love to you all.

Julian 19 Nov 2006, 09:15

Yes Jacky, your story is riveting; you tell it well and I keep looking out for the next instalment.

Cactus Jack 19 Nov 2006, 08:44

Jacky,

You seem to have a real talent for story telling. Is it possible that you have missed your calling?

C.

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 05:33

Sorry again that was part 5,

and thanks again to all the kind comments I have had, It makes it a joy to remember and put all this down on paper.

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 05:32

I woke up next morning and turned over to check the time by the bedside clock, and saw this blue case sitting there with my glasses inside it. All of a sudden it was not such a good morning. I got up and got washed and dressed, and when I was all ready, took out my glasses and put them on, looking in the mirror again to see how they looked. After putting them on and off for several times, thought I better leave them on until I get near school to keep my Mother happy. When I appeared downstairs wearing my glasses, she took one look, and said, I am so glad you have seen sense and put them on, I thought I was going to have a battle on my hands with you over wearing them. Not at all I replied, I know you are only thinking of what’s best for me. (Even at nearly 12 I was a devious bitch) They still felt funny sitting on my face, I just wanted to remove them. My mother saw me to the door, and gave me a kiss before leaving, and said now don’t forget, you must wear your glasses. Yes I know I replied, thinking to myself, a lot she knows. I had about a ten minute walk to school and as soon as I was around the corner, off came the glasses, and away they went into the case, the case being put into my school bag, where I intended it to stay. In the playground, I met up with Linda my friend, she wears glasses to see the board but not otherwise. Come on then Jacky, lets see your glasses were her first words, and why have you not got them on, I thought you are going to have to wear them all the time.

I am supposed to Linda, but am not going to , I can see the board ok unlike you, so I will only use mine at home when I read or watch TV. She wanted to try them on, so I took out the case and gave them to her. She stood there, looked at them, and slipped them onto her face, saying god, you must be blind, I cannot see anything but a blur, and they must be stronger than mine. I replied well, I cannot see anything with yours on, we must have different types of glasses. (Those days before I was an OO I knew nothing of plus and minus lenses as I do now, to me , glasses were glasses,

The morning lessons went fine, I had a little chuckle to myself when during the maths lesson, Linda had to put her glasses on to copy from the board, I even felt a bit sorry for her. Just before the lunch break, the school secretary came in and said the headmistress wanted to speak to me for a moment when the lesson was finished.

My form teacher asked what I had been up to, and I said nothing as far as I know, but was feeling slightly worried. Lunchtime arrive, I asked Linda to wait for me, and popped down to see the Headmistress. Knocking on her door, she told me to come in and sit down. She explained that my Mother had been on the phone to the secretary explaining that I now had to wear glasses, and it was important that I wore them. She has requested that I inform all the teachers, so they can make sure that you comply.

My carefully thought out scheme had just collapsed like a house of cards

jacky 19 Nov 2006, 05:05

Thanks for the support Nick, i had posted another part, but somehow its got lost in the system, will have to re-write it later on

nickweymouth 19 Nov 2006, 02:37

Jacky your story is fantastic you have a flair with words please please continue we all dontr care how many parts it takes you have a gift for writing

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 01:12

Sorry that should have been part 4, this is ending up longer than i thought. But when i sit down to write more memories keep coming back.

For those of you who asked what my first rx was, i still have the card here in front of me, in fact i still have my first pair of glasses. The card reads R+3.00 L+2.75. When i first got my glasses, that number did not mean a thing to me, but as i grew up and became more of and OO girl, i learned the difference between plus and minus. I will mention the changes as is carry on with my history.

Jacky 19 Nov 2006, 01:08

And there I was walking out of the shop wearing glasses. It was very difficult to take in, I was so conscious of these on my face, it just did not feel right. I had a good look around me, and yes, things were very clear, but a bit blurry in the very far distance, which I was told to expect. I can remember removing them to compare what it was like without, when my Mother screamed at me, put your glasses on, and leave them on. This did not bode well for the future. We arrived home without me meeting anyone that I knew, which was a big bonus was for me. The first thing I did was go into my room and have a good look in the mirror, to see how they looked. Again, being honest, they did kind of suit me; I thought maybe it will not be so bad wearing them for some tasks. One thing I noticed when looking in the mirror, which I had not noticed when I put them on in the shop and looked at myself, was that my eyes looked quite large behind the lenses, I was not sure if I liked this or not, my eyes were quite big to begin with, and to me, I was sure everyone would remark on how they looked. When I went downstairs to speak to my Mum, I asked if I could take them off now promised to use them for reading and watching the tv, and any other tasks that made my eyes ache. Alas, the answer was no, she told me in no uncertain terms that the optician said it was important that I wore them full time, otherwise my eyes would not learn to accept the the lenses, and be able to focus as the should do. So for the rest of the day, I had to keep them on, watching the TV was quite good, I could read the clock in the video recorder without squinting. I went to bed and read my book for a while, and they were a big help. My Mother came in and spoke with me before tucking me in for the night and asked how I was finding them, she explained she just wanted the best for me, and if I had to wear glasses for a while, so be it, and maybe when I am older, I may not need to wear them at all. My main concern was the next day, going to school. I was working out that I could put them on to leave the house, and take them off when I got closer to school and out of my Mothers site. I could not think of any tasks at school, that would require me wearing them. I can remember feeling quite clever with my way of thinking, and telling myself, I had got it all worked out.

Tod 19 Nov 2006, 00:44

birth control glasses (sorry)

Tod 19 Nov 2006, 00:43

Jacky, I am enjoying your story very much. You are from the UK I gather. I know you are female. In the US we would spell your name as Jackie. And we here know little at all about NHS or NHS glasses. I can only assume that these glasses are like the BCG glasses our military provides. Also known jokingly as birth cotrol glasses.

Chris 19 Nov 2006, 00:04

Jacky:

Your doing great. Keep going!

Slit 18 Nov 2006, 19:19

Jacky,

No you are not making us bored.

Just go ahead with what happened when others saw you for the first time with them.

How did you adopt to becoming a full timer?

Pls post the progression of rx also.

(It's very important for the readers because it helps to develop our knowledge about different situations, & how to handle them)

sher 18 Nov 2006, 15:09

Jackie,

Please go on, am enjoying your story. I am 45 yrs old and still trying to adjust to the idea that I need glasses, mostly for presbyopia. I have always loved to see others wear them and really enjoy the different styles like I enyoy seeing people wear fun jewelry. I can only imagine that it would be difficult for a young person to be new at wearing glasses and have to go to school and deal with varying comments. I have had a hard time adjusting at work, even at my age. Please continue.

Sher

Jacky 18 Nov 2006, 09:05

This was intended to be a short posting to how I felt with glasses at school, but has turned out far longer. Please tell me if i am beginning to bore you all, if so i will stop, if not i will carry on.

Jacky 18 Nov 2006, 09:00

Part 3.

When I had calmed down a bit, the optician suggested that my Mother and I went to have a look at some frames, and then she could get the glasses made up for me.

My mind was still in a complete mess, I did not want to have to wear glasses, and why did this have to happen to me. My Mother asked the optician, if I wore them now, would it mean I would always have to wear them. She replied that as I grew older, there was a chance I may need them less, but could not guarantee this. After a while, I reasoned that if I only wore them for reading, and they helped my headaches, then it may not be so bad, but I was not going to wear them full time. We picked out some frames, after going through most of the shops selection, and I choose a small oval frame in dark brown, I did not admit it, but they quite suited me when I looked at myself in the mirror. The dark brown seem to go with my hair, which while not quite blonde, was very fair. We were then told that we could pick them up tomorrow anytime after midday. There was no way I was getting more time off school, she informed the lady that we would come in after school had finished. I went home with my mind still in a whirl; Mum did not make me go back to school that day, I think she knew that I was upset. She tried to tell me, that they would look good on me, and to think that I could get back to my reading, without any headaches, surely that would be better for me. I asked her if I could just wear them at home, and promised to put them on at school if my eyes ached. She just replied we would see how things went. The next day in school, I confided in my friend and told her what happened. She could not believe that I would have to wear glasses full time; she had had hers for over a year, and still only wore them for school work. I told her I only intended to wear mine when I really had to, then not at school if I could help it. At the end of school, My Mother was waiting outside to pick me up, and off we went to the opticians. After a short wait, the lady bought out a tray with my new glasses sitting in it. They looked different with the lenses in. The lady took them out of the tray, and put them on my face, took them off, made some adjustments and put them on again. She then told me to walk around the room and look at objects distant and close, to see how they were.

Being honest, things looked ok, very clear, but the far distance seemed a small bit blurry. She explained that was normal and my eyes would adjust to them after a few weeks of wearing them. My mother seemed happy at this, and asked the lady to confirm that I was to wear them full time. To which she replied, oh yes, she will need them more than ever when her eyes adjust to them. I was then asked what colour case I wanted for my new glasses, and choose a blue case, and took the glasses off to put in the case. This was the first time I realised what full time meant, the assistant said, oh no Jacky, you should really keep them on to accustom your eyes, and my mother god bless her, agreed with her

Jacky 17 Nov 2006, 23:52

Thanks for the comments both of you.

Ok Slit, what I will do, is make a part 4, letting you know how my eyes changed up to my present pair of glasses. As long as you think anyone will be interested in it, 1 dont want end up boring the readers on this site

Will post part 3 soonest.

Slit 17 Nov 2006, 22:41

Well Written Jacky,

Can you find your old prescriptions and post how prescriptions changed as you grew up in age?

Though you might not have old rxs of 20 yrs, at least last 10 yrs?

I also am very sure that i need some plus rx to put my eyes at total comfort, but i still did not face an eye exam for near vision.

(I have tried +1.25 which lets me see all distances crystal clear, and +2 which lets me see near up to 150 cm from eyes clear and distanc blurred.)

Chris 17 Nov 2006, 17:38

Jacky:

Well written. I know exactly how you felt. Been there, done that. The only difference I imagine when you were told that you had to wear glasses all the time was that you got to chose your frames. Where I came from the NHS did that for you.

Jacky 17 Nov 2006, 09:58

I will Phil, even now at 25 I am still wearing them

Phil 17 Nov 2006, 09:23

Great history Jacky. Don't forget to bring us up to date at the end!!

VFL 17 Nov 2006, 07:53

I could not have been much older than Slit when I started feeling "that way" about glasses, weak eyes, etc. My first oo memory was a Saturday morning cartoon where a hapless dog lost his glasses. The poor thing was so helpless and desperate. I was riveted and obsessed about it for quite some time. Truly, I've never forgotten it.

My mother wore very thick glasses that magnified her eyes. Perhaps that was the first thing I saw and it imprinted on me. Freud would have a field day.

Regardless, it goes to show that this "glasses thing" can run deep.

Jacky 17 Nov 2006, 03:33

Part 2.

The time for my eye test had arrived, and as predicted, I was getting a half day out of school. My mother was going to pick me up lunchtime and accompany me. It was a bit of a laugh for me, as I said, there is no way I need glasses, and I could read the board at school with no problems. On arriving at the opticians, they sat me down and done various tests before I was asked to accompany the optician into her room. As I recall she was a very pleasant lady, who put me at east as soon as she began speaking to me. I was directed to sit in the chair, and she put these funny frames on me, and blanked on eye out. I was asked to read the letters on the board with various different lenses she kept putting in. When this was complete, she done the same with the other eye. When it was completed, she said, ok, that’s fine, let’s go and talk with your Mother and discuss the results. We sat down at a table in the shop, and I got a funny feeling all was not as it should be, and I was right. She explained to my mother, that I was quite long sighted, and this was causing the strain and headaches. She went on to say she would guess that I had been long sighted for some time, but as I got older and increased the amount of work they were having to cope with, the accommodation was not sufficient to jump between close work and distance, thus putting a strain on my eyes, which was causing the headaches, and problems reading.. She also informed my mother that this is a problem that would not have been picked up at a routine school eyesight exam. As you can guess, at this stage, I was gob smacked to say the least. I can’t need glasses, I was thinking, I can see fine. My Mother then asked if their was a solution for the problem, which she said, oh yes, Jacky will have to start wearing glasses. I felt sick at this stage, this cannot be happening to me, I was imagining having to put a pair of glasses on my face every time I wanted to read or watch the TV.

But it got worse when my mother said I take it she will only require them for close work, and I heard the optician say oh no, she will defiantly need to wear them full time, you daughter is really quite long sighted, and I am surprised she has not had problems before, the prescription I am giving her is quite strong for a first time wearer, and it will no doubt need to be made stronger when her eyes have learnt to accommodate with the glasses. By this time, I cannot describe how awful I felt, my world was upside down. Will post last part tomorrow, explaining the awful time I had to walk into school wearing glasses.

Slit 16 Nov 2006, 19:22

Hmm... When i started feeling OO...

Well i was only 4 and half yrs old when i started feeling OO!

Those days i remember that i get extremely exited everytime i see someone with glasses. I used to secretly try out my aunts glasses, although i didnt know anything about the prescription. (Later i found out they are about -3)

Unfortunately when i moved to another house away from aunty, no one at my home were wearing glasses and i had very rare encounters with glasses. This grew my curiocity more... Those days TV channels purposedly excluded someone wearing glasses.

At school, i also tried out looking through the lenses (both + & -) and it was an amazing feeling how i felt my eyes' internel lense adjusted to see through those lenses.

NJ 16 Nov 2006, 15:12

...and sorry for the typos. I don't have my computer glasses on (I really need thick glasses now, in my old age, and after a bit of surgery)so typing at the computer is a challenge.

NJ 16 Nov 2006, 15:10

Hi Katy,

I remember once walking on the streets of New Your (where I went to college) and seeing a cute blond girl who had been in my English class the previous year. She was with her BF, but nevertheless I circled the block, pulle out my physics lab specials and put them on. On the next block I ran in to them--blind as a bat with these glasses--and proceeded to converse as if nothing unusual were happening. However, in short order she asked, "what's woth the glasses?", to which I replied that my contacts were very apinful today so I needed to take them out. She relied along the lines that she had no idea my eyes were so bad, and she felt sorry that I was so blind. What a rush! Her BF was silent during this time, and we eventually parted company that day, and never united over this issue.

There were a few other girls at college with whom I had similar encounters. Once was a high myope I had seen in the library, and managed to engage (wearing my physics lab glasses) in a conversation which led us to a regular swimming appointment at the college gym. Unfortunately, she was really not my type--thick glasses notwithstanding--and it never amounted to anything.

Puffin 16 Nov 2006, 13:53

Once I dismantled an old pair of opera glasses to get the lenses, there were two of big weak plus and small quite strong minus, and also had a couple of pairs of minus glasses about -7 from an older relative which I used to play with. Goodness knows what happened to them.

RBK 16 Nov 2006, 11:47

Doreen totally agree. MMMM I lloved it when jocks would get glasses. However, myself in specs is not delightful to me.... hmmm I remember once the hottest guy at my school started to wear silver metal frame rectangular glasses and boy did he look hot! (sophomore yr) He usually wore contacts, but BOYYYYYYYY.... He was dumb too. One day in my 12th grade history class he made a very smart remark, and EVERYONE was shocked. He was wearing his glasses that day, and said it was the glases that made him smart haha..... MMMM

Katy 16 Nov 2006, 09:47

NJ - I too stole lenses from the physics lab - one strong minus and one strong plus, which I still have. When I did my research project for physics A-level, I claimed I was really interested in the colours of light through prisms and lenses, and so got to spend two weeks in a darkroom by myself with the lens collection - heaven! What you said about mounting lenses in frames reminds me - when I got my 2nd pair of lenses to go in my existing frames, aged 17, I took the first lenses and superglued them on the back! I had decided I liked the vision through the combined lenses, and the way they looked thick. God knows how it wasn't obvious - but I hardly ever wore them in public. I remember my then boyfriend seeing them and saying 'your glasses are getting a bit thick, aren't they?' :-)

Jacky 16 Nov 2006, 09:19

Part 1.

Reading these messages brings back so many memories of when I had my first pair of glasses. Unlike some who had posted, I always got on ok with the eyechart at the school clinic and never had any problems reading the line that I was instructed to. I was about 12 when i began to get headaches when reading, and watching the tv, and did not think that much off it. But my mother noticed that i spent less and less time reading, while before I spend half my day head buried in a book, reading for me was a joy.In the end i had to admit to her, that reading was making my eyes sore. Quite firm in the knowledge that my eyes were ok, after all, i read the bottom line at the school check up. I did not get over worried when my mother said she would make an appointment for me at the opticians to get my eyes checked out. Great I thought, half day off school, and no worries about glasses, i can see fine.I had a friend at school who was given glasses a year or so ago, and several times i have tried hers on, and could not see much at all. I used to tell her how sorry I was that she need glasses, if it was me, I would be very upset. She replied how lucky that I was, she would soon be needing to wear hers all the time, instead of just in classes. I can remember telling her the next day at school, that i was going to have my eyes tested by an optician, and asked her lots of questions, about what happens, and what is it like. She done her best to answer me, but again, I was not worried, after all, I could see the board fine, no problems for this girl.

I did not intend for this to be so long, so will post this now, and continue the story later, or tomorrow when i have some time.

Doreen 16 Nov 2006, 03:30

I have been trying really hard to remember when I first started acting like OO, but I'm still not quite sure. A friend of mine used to have glasses ever since I met her in kindergarten. I guess I always noticed when someone got glasses from early on. But I never ever wanted glasses myself. I was really angry to find out that I was getting slightly myopic at the age of 10 - maybe earlier, but that's when I first realized it. I remember a girl in my class who had glasses, which she even wore for sports, and suddenly she did not wear them at all. Only some time later I found out that she got contact lenses, at 11 which was quite early.

I also remember that my friend's brother got glasses when he was about 10. I had always fancied him a bit, but glasses really made him quite attractive for me.

In high school after the eye test I was always curious if anyone would turn up in glasses sooner or later, preferably boys. It did not happen too often as there were not too many boys in my class.

I also once overheard a friend of mine mention that the boy sitting next to him had been copying his notes quite a lot. The one who'd been copying never actually got glasses as far as I know. Maybe I'll see him glasses one day, which would be great because he was quite handsome and most girls of my class had a crush on him over the years. Also university makes many people myopic as far as I have observed ;-)

NJ 16 Nov 2006, 01:22

I started trying to get glasses in the 2nd grade, by deliberately failing the eye test. It didn't work the first time, but in the 3rd grade I got prescribed a pair of +1 readers. Given what I know now, I'm sure I must have been pretty obvious to the OD, since I kept saying I couldn't see things. I was quiet for a few years, but when the hormones started kicking in during my middle school years, I again failed an eye test on purpose, and got a pair of -0.50 (+ some cyl) in the 9th grade. Once again in high school, this time on my own and self pay, I faked another OD exam and got a pair of -1.50, -2.00 glasses. This last OD noted that I could see the eyechart with plano lenses, if I was tricked into thinking they were real lenses, and just when I was ready to run from the place, thinking I'd been caught, he started in with this story of psychologically induced myopia, and gave me a script for something like -1.50 and -2.00. He even tested me to see if I needed bifocals, but by that point I was sure he was trying to trick me again. Too bad, as they would have been my first pair of prescribed bifocals. By the time I was in college, I had figured out enough to do GOG, and have been in this mode ever since.

That's my short OO history. Oh, except for the time I found some really high plus lenses in the physics lab and stole two of them, and mounted them into a pair of frames I had claimed from the university lost and found. I have a few funny stories about stumbling around in those on the NYC subway, before I figured out the GOC thing.

Phil 16 Nov 2006, 01:21

I always secretly wanted glasses-though if I'd got them I bet I wouldn't have worn them. But I just managed to scrape through those school eye tests though I had a friend who didn't. I remember wearing his specs on the bus home from school. I couldn't see a thing: I think he was astigmatic and I was just a little myopic. I remember envying my cousin who got a mild plus rx when he was about 10 but hoped that I could get a minus one. And I used to secretly try on my father's plus pair when my parents were out.

I was attracted to gwgs as soon as I was arrtacted to girls at all. And I remember the thrill when various female classmates got their first specs. I can remember those feelings so clearly. A girl at choir who started out with a mild minus lenses in plastic frames which she wore part time and graduated to big round metal frames which she wore fulltime. I once kissed her: the metal was so cold! The sweet girl who sat in front of me in class who got small metal frames with a mild minus rx which she donned for reading the board. She once let me try them on. A girl on my school bus with about -6 lenses and blue plastic frames with sides that didn't quite end up snug behind her ears! A big girl who got specs which she said were "for leisure": a very mild plus that she used for reading.

Those were the days!!

Katy 15 Nov 2006, 14:24

How old were people when they first started acting like an OO? I remember being 5 and being absolutely petrified of the nurse that came to do eye tests - I couldn't think of anything worse than having to get glasses. It was such a huge thing for me - I used to be shaking going in, and whenever she mentioned my mum, who she knew, I was convinced she was planning to phone her up about me. Around the same time, my best friend got glasses, which I thought was incredibly exciting. All the way through school I had a bizarre fear of trying anyone's glasses on, but eventually found some in a drawer at home and tried them on by myself all the time :-S

Hansel 14 Nov 2006, 14:14

First memories include lining up outside the medical room, wondering what was happening, but it was soon clear that I, like others have remarked, would be sent to the doctor to get the note to go to an optician's and the tortoise shell frames with flexi wires duly arrived subsequently. As I have noted in early posts I was very much a reluctant wearer.

The worst moment in those first couple of years, not having worn them at school, was in my mother's class, and when I had made a mistake, came the never to be forgotten phrase and the feeling that all eyes were on me when she uttered something along the lines of,

"Well the reason you got that wrong is because you aren't wearing your glasses."

There were no stones in the room to crawl under.....

Puffin 14 Nov 2006, 13:50

Yes, I remember seeing in the literature for my degree photos (they lend you a mortarboard and gown) that your optician can remove the lenses from your glasses for this photo. No doubt you'd then need some assistance looking the right way for the camera.

? 14 Nov 2006, 10:35

In school yearbook photos. Why do some girls wear their glasses while others remove them? And in rare cases they remove the lenses and just wear the frames in the photos?

hooked 13 Nov 2006, 14:38

Last part of school days (I missed that thread)

Two years before making the final exams I selected some lessons which weren't held at my school but at the one where only girls were in (fieve minutes by foot) so we and them get mingled in the courses.

In the first lesson in chemistry I recognised a girl with relatively strong plus glasses (must be a bit more than +6 these days) wearing them naturally without any attitude not wanting to wear them. For sure, I tried to get her attention.

Oh, we're married for more than 15 years now.

_5.00 who luvs gwgs 13 Nov 2006, 12:17

I first had glasses when I was 8 .I could not read the bottom line of the chart!I was duly taken to the eye clinic a very depressing NHS place presided over by two elderly women and a rather creepy optician ( I have subsequently heard that all little girls had to sit on his knee )I was told I had the weakest possible lens in my right eye and a slightly stronger one in my left eye my guess is -0.50 and -1.00 respectively the glasses took about 2 weeks to arrive and were the round wire NHS types with Spring ear pieces.I was told to wear them for the black board and TV.So naturally I took them off between lessons.I just wish I had been told to wear them all the time as it must have been obvious that my myopia would increase so it was just putting off the inevitable.About a year later it did increase and I was prescribed slightly stronger lenses in a similar frame.I remember when I put my first pair on being surprised to see bricks in distant walls and leaves on trees now I need glasses to see the walls and trees! To be continued

Chris 12 Nov 2006, 23:34

First day at school with glasses (Part 2)

At my first class, I handed a note from my mum to the form teacher. I hadn't read it but I knew what it said. It was a request to make sure that I followed strictly the optician's advice to wear my glasses at the time, without exception unless there was a risk that they might be damaged.

I suppose as the day wore on I became a little less conscious of my glasses as my thoughts naturally moved to other subjects. In the last class of the day, distracted from whatever was being taught, I took my glasses off, possibly to clean the lenses again, and then started to examine them in detail and to see what it was like now to read the blackboard without them; first with one eye, then the other, then with both. Needless to say, I couldn't read a word or even distinquish any feature of the teacher's face: he was just a pink blur. Then from the direction of the blur, I heard my surname being called out. "Put your glasses on and pay attention!" I did as I was ordered. As you have to, I put my glasses back on using both hands to loop the ends of the temples over my ears. I knew all the class was looking at me. Yes, if anyone had failed to notice, they knew now that this was my first day at school in glasses. I could feel my ears burning. I didn't look up.

Thankfully the bell rang and the class ended. The ordeal over. Tomorrow should be easier as indeed it was. As was each successive day. On the way home, Pete, my best mate, said, "Your glasses suit you, you know". I didn't believe him and he seemed to confirm this when he continued, "And if anyone gives you grief cause of them, I'll bat them. So although I knew now that my glasses definitely did not suit me, I was thankful for the support. A support that I definitely reciprocated two years later when Pete was prescribed glasses for the first time. However, it didn't seem so bad for him because I had been there before him.

After a while you forget that you have glasses on but every so often you catch your reflection and you can't escape it. NHS frames in those days seemed designed to make the wearer look nerdy and nerdy was exactly what I looked like. There is little you can do to make yourself look tough and menacing. Even less when you are like me short and slightly built. There was nowt I could do about it but accept my lot. I had been cast in the role of the myopic lad with the brown NHS glasses. That was my assigned place amonst my class in the school.

F*** my brother for realising this in an instant! I was always very admiring of my brother when we were at school and tried to emulate him. He was a tear-away; always in trouble, always in fights and usually at the instigater of most of them. But that was not to be.

Chris 12 Nov 2006, 23:07

First day at school with glasses (Part 1)

Julian: in response to your efforts of some months ago, a reply.

I think that I mentioned that when I returned home from the optician everyone made encouraging remarks about how good I looked in my new glasses - the brown plastic NHS ones with the wire temples. Everyone except my brother Steve, who laughed and laughed and goaded me unceasingly about my glasses. His was the only encouragement I sought and it definitely was not forthcoming.

As I awoke next day, Steve was already up, thank goodness. Following my strict instructions, the first thing I did was to take my glasses out of their vinyl covered metal case and put them on and went down stairs to wash before dressing for school. At breakfast I was greeted with more confidence sapping ribaldry from Steve. "Hi, four eyes. What do you think you looks like? A jerk, a prize twat." The crosser I became, the more he taunted me. As I left the house I felt sick at heart and wished I could avoid going to school. But I couldn't.

My house was nearer to school than my best mates, so I used to wait for them at the end of my street so that we could walk to school together. Today was a little different. Normally I took little notice of people passing by. Today I felt that the only thing anyone from school who passed noticed were my glasses. When my mates came, they said nothing about my new glasses. It was as if they did not know what to say, so they avoided the issue altogether. They could pretend to take it in their stride because I had told them the day before that I was off to get my new glasses. It was even quite awkward telling them that.

Assembly and registration were the same. I sensed the whole school was looking at me, noticing for the first time that I was wearing NHS glasses. I was one of those poor sods who had to endure this particular form of humiliation. It made me very conscious of my glasses. They felt hard against my face. I was very aware of the edges of the frames. I could see them as they restricted my range of vision, even though the world was now crystal clear with hard edges for the first time. The wire ear pieces were also quite tight and they made the backs of my ears a little sore. I was also conscious of little smudges on the lenses and, when I felt I was not under the glare of everyone's attention, I took them off to clean them with the little square of soft fabric the optician had put into my glasses case. Soon enough I became completely used to the world through dirty lenses and, if I cleaned them at all, it was on one of my shirt tails, which normally hung outside my trousers.

Random_Eye 31 Jul 2006, 13:00

Thats a good story.

So what is your current RX? Still at -3.50?

Christopher 31 Jul 2006, 12:07

Part 3

It was with somewhat mixed feeling that I went to pick up my new glasses a couple of days later. After a couple of months in contacts, I knew I couldn't cope with the blur anymore, but I was pretty uncomfortable at the thought of having to wear glasses. When I picked them up it was a relief to be able to see again, and I knew that I didn't have any option other than to keep my glasses on all the time. After picking up my glasses I spent some time in town shopping before I had to get the bus home. It was good to be able to see properly, but I felt that everybody was staring at my glasses and I hated the image I saw when I walked past a mirror in a shop. The whole situation was made worse by the fact that later in the week was our leavers' ball, so the first time most people would get to see me as a full time wearer was a big occasion, and then I was off on holiday with my mates to celebrate the end of the exams. It wasn't as bad as I'd imagined having to wear my glasses, and people weren't that surprised - at the ball most of my mates wanted to try on my new glasses. Because I wasn't particularly comfortable about having to wear my glasses, every time my photo was being taken I whipped them off, so there are a fair few photos around of me squinting vaguely into the distance.

It took me quite a while to get used to having to wear glasses all the time. I suppose that it wasn't until I went to university that I got totally used to them. I made a conscious decision to keep my glasses on when I had my photo taken for my student ID card and my bus pass; this combined with the fact that I'd worked out it was easier to shave and do my hair with my glasses on, meant that I got used to seeing myself wearing them. Because I was meeting new people, they all saw me in my glasses, so to them they were just part of who I was. Also, I guess the fact that I was away from my parents, with whom I'd spent years battling against over my glasses, probably helped.

Christopher 31 Jul 2006, 11:54

Part 2

My next visit to the opticians came when I was 17; I went to the opticians without my parents, partly because I thought they'd ask the optician if I should be wearing my glasses all of the time and there would be another row. I got a slightly stronger prescription again, and took the opportunity to change frames again, this time opting for a bronze, semi-rimless pair that I thought looked OK. However, there was no advice forthcoming from the optician as to whether or not I should be wearing my glasses all the time. I have no idea what my prescription was, somewhere around the -3.5 mark I would guess. When I picked up this pair my parents were away, when the dispenser said "Are you going to keep them on?" I did and I wore them constantly for a few days, I really enjoyed being able to see clearly. But the day my parents came home, I put my glasses back into their case at the end of the school day. Looking back now I can see how stupid I was being. I've got no doubt that I should have been wearing my glasses all of the time and I was in a silly situation: I was quite happy to wear them at school - I would put them on as soon as I arrived and wear them all day, I even kept them on a lunchtime and when we were playing sport - but I really wouldn't wear them for anything else if I could avoid it. I was being pretty silly and I think that my parents constant nagging to wear my glasses when I was young had made me hate the idea of having to wear them.

Just before I left school my parents decided to get me a set of contact lenses. By now it was very clear to everybody that (a) I couldn't see well enough without my glasses and that (b) I wasn't going to start wearing them. I think that they were worried about the idea of me going off to university and getting into difficulties because I couldn't see properly. Whilst I liked the clear vision contacts gave me, this turned out to be a disaster. I really struggled with putting the contacts in and kept losing them, they also irritated my eyes and made them red. Still, I persisted for a few weeks because it was great being able to see clearly without having to wear the dreaded glasses. Stupidly I'd ignored the optician's advice about keeping a back up pair of glasses - I'd chucked them out when I got contacts because I was convinced I was never going to wear glasses again. However, at a check up after a couple of weeks, the optician said that the fact that I kept dropping and having to replace contacts and the fact they appeared to be irritating my eyes meant that I should stop wearing them and go back to glasses. At this time I was right in the middle of my A Level exams and didn't have a spare pair. I'd spent most of the past two months either wearing one or two contacts and being able to see reasonably well, and the blur without any correction was all the more noticeable. I ordered some new glasses, but they took a few days to arrive and I remember having to sit some of my exams with my face virtually on top of my paper so I could read what I was writing and I was getting terrible headaches.

Christopher 31 Jul 2006, 11:42

Here's my story: (Part 1)

I first got prescribed glasses towards the end of my time in primary school. My parents chose for me some oblong, shiny gold-framed glasses and I absolutely hated them. I don't really know why I was given them; I don't remember having too much trouble seeing, so I guess it must just have been a routine check-up. I didn't wear them very much at all. Over the next couple of years my parents used to nag me to wear my glasses when I was at home watching the tv. This had two main effects: firstly, I began to hate the idea of having to wear glasses even more and secondly, I kept breaking them deliberately so that I didn't have to wear them. However, my parents then decided a pair of more chunky brown plastic frames was in order, to prevent my deliberate mishaps. I was about 12 or 13 when I was given this pair, and I was stuck with them for a couple of years. However, by the time I was 14 my vision was getting to the stage where I couldn't read the board in class any more without my glasses on even if I was sitting right at the front. I was starting to get in trouble for not completing work properly and my marks were dropping, so I was forced to wear these horrible glasses at times in school. My parents still nagged me to wear my glasses to watch tv, but I still resolutely continued not to.

At my next check up at the age of 15 my parents did allow me to have new frames which I preferred to the plastic ones. I have no idea what my prescription was by this stage, but I wore this pair most of the time in class, but for little else. My parents continued to nag me to wear them, which made me more reluctant to wear them. The truth was, though, that over the next couple of years my vision deteriorated to the stage I couldn't really see very well without them. However, because of the constant battles I'd had with my parents I didn't wear them much, but if I was out of the house, I usually made sure that I had my glasses tucked inside my pocket in case I needed them. However, I'd put them on for a few seconds and then take them off straight away. The irony of the situation was that if my parents had left me to my own devices, I'd probably have got fed up of not being able to see and have started wearing glasses full time around the age of 16, but because we'd had so many arguments about them, I wouldn't wear them.

Bobby to Julian 22 Jul 2006, 14:03

I sent you an answer yeasterday. My side says it was sent ans everything is OK. Did you get it? If not, check your spam filter, pls.

Julian 22 Jul 2006, 06:46

Yes, Chris, I remember the day perfectly and could even tell you the date. Mine were brown NHS plastic, the kind with yellow streaks in them that were meant to simulate tortoiseshell (I think) and they didn't have cable temples. I ws 18, after all. My lenses were plus and I didn't wear them full time at first - so I imagine I put them in their grey metal case and put that in my top pocket. I was on my bike, and I went on to the public library, where I put them on to try them out. While I was browsing round a school friend came in. He said, "When did you start wearing glasses?' I said "Today" and we changed the subject - I don't remember him trying them. He got glasses as well but I think that was later on.

As for elder brothers, my only brother was a lot older than me and lived away; I don't remember any reaction from him, and all my cousins had (plus) glasses already. I do remember my brother telling me rather shamefacedly, years later, that he needed glasses for reading now. I said, with perfect truth, "Well, that's only to be expected at your age," and he looked very pained. So younger brothers can be bastards too!

Puffin 22 Jul 2006, 02:27

I think that's what elder brothers were made for.

Chris 21 Jul 2006, 23:49

Julian:

Do you remember the day you first got glasses? I do.The light brown NHS plastic frames with cable temples?

The optician put them on me and I was amazed. The world which had been soft and blurry, which I thought was normal, suddenly had hard edges. Really hard edges. I was transfixed by it. It was amazing. I looked around the optician's shop and then the street outside. I had never seen anything like it. Then I made to take my glasses off and the optician stopped me. No, I must wear them all the time otherwise I might of damaged my sight sight. You see, I was still being fed on the illusion that glasses would cure my bad eyesight by the time I was sixteen.

When I went home everone was very complementary about how I looked in glasses. Even though I was far from sure. Oh, they suit you, they said, they make you look more intelligent (for intelligent read nerdy)until my elder brother came in for tea. The bastard. He just laughed and said what a twat I looked. He couldn't stop laughing and calling me four eyes which did wonders for my self confidence. So I really felt insecure thinking about my first day at school with glasses. What would my mates say?...but that's for another time.

Julian 14 Jul 2006, 08:56

Another kid who is currently at school; I know his family and have been vaguely acqauainted with him since before he started school. At that time he wore what looked like quite strong plus glasses; then no glasses at all; but recently (he's just about to move on from junior school) he's in semi-rimless specs with minus lenses. Interesting 'cos his mother and a much older brother are very myopic. I guess his myopia has been developing for a few years, but has taken longer to show itself.

Julian 09 Jul 2006, 09:28

Following up my previous post on this thread: the kid I had heard was getting his first glasses was in church and Sunday School this morning wearing them. I had imagined he'd inherited the myopia gene from his father (like the other kid I mentioned) but no, his lenses were plus, the left one quite strong. At coffee time after Mass he was getting quite a lot of attention; I asked him if he could see better and he gave me a definite YES. His mother said he didn't know he wasn't seeing properly (not many do) because his right eye was doing all the seeing, but he's obviously happily bespectacled. Apparently it was picked up at vision screening in school, which I always thought would spot myopia and not much else. His frames are slightly squared-off dark wire ovals, and apparently the specs coat nothing! His mother said there wasn't a single pair of 'Yeuk!' frames.

rebbull (pinkspecs) 01 Jul 2006, 14:33

Please join my yahoo group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NHS_EYES/

If you have any photos please add them or send them to rebbull1@yahoo.co.uk

daffy 25 Jun 2006, 21:19

Our memories are such wonderful things that I can't believe the details one remembers…

My first "school" glasses experience was when a guy got glasses at year 4. He wore them only in class. They were shiny silver metal. I remember once staying back at lunch, just to try them on… I don't even remember why. They must have been astigmatic lenses - not strong.

Then there were two new girls - twins - they were plus wearers, full time. A bit weird, but maybe that was because we made them out to be like that.

When I was in 5th grade, we had a teacher that was renowned for her vocal attributes - she could yell the socks off anyone. What intrigued my about her was her glasses. At the time, I never saw anything like it. All the school kids would tease her saying that she was wearing her glasses upside down (now I know them as drop-temples). They were green and huge, probably around -3 (a guess). That's when my fascination about glasses began. I remember that I desperately wanted to get glasses. I was even praying. But the odd thing was, that when I finally did end up getting my prayers answered, I was embarrassed about wearing them. More on that later.

Julian 25 Jun 2006, 09:05

Not when *I* was at school, but...

Two of my fellow-governors of the local Church of England junior school are guys with children in the school, both as it happens quite myopic. One of them has two sons, the older of whom (aged 9 at the most) has been wearing minus specs for, I suppose, two years, and recently got new ones, semi-rimless with coloured trim. The other guy's wife was saying after church this morning that their lad (5 or just possibly 6) needs glasses, and her husband said, "Get him decent frames; I won't have him suffering what I suffered."

So Andrew, Chris, Kevin, things ain't what they used to be ::)

Andrew 23 Jun 2006, 15:07

Chris,

At least I escaped the cable temples!

Puffin 23 Jun 2006, 03:59

The SS nurse also had a machine to look into, it had balloons with numbers on (I think), she could shut off one eye at a time, but for me she blanked them both out and then blamed me because I couldn't see anything! Arrgh awful woman!!!

Geoff 22 Jun 2006, 17:10

And Willy, the results of the eye chart test were......?

Willy 22 Jun 2006, 14:46

We didn't run to a school nurse. Nothing quite that elaborate. But once a year the school doctor would front up. Boys separated from the girls, in our underpants. What an indignity! A quick jab of Salk vaccine, a check of our balls and then the really exciting bit where we read the eye chart.

Puffin 22 Jun 2006, 14:05

I remember the school nurse at high school, she was like a female nazi. Very brusque and rude to the boys, sweet to the girls. Grrr, makes me angry even now. Glad I never had to visit her more than once. Some poor kid told me when she discovered that he couldn't read the chart in her office that she thought he was joking or playing a game. Horrid woman.

Chris 22 Jun 2006, 13:24

Andrew

In my case the optician did not give me a choice at all. In fact I don't think he mentioned what kind of frame I should have at all. He knew from our address in the nearby estate that I would be on the NHS and he must of gauged the size of my face. So it was only when I came to pick up my glasses for the first time that I saw I had been chosen the brown plastic NHS frames with the cable temples which were so long they curled right round the back of my ears so you could see the ends when you looked at me straight on. Also there was no chance of selective wear. When I took my glasses off in the opticians to see what they looked like, I was firmly told to put them back on and to keep them on always. Otherwise I would damage my eye sight. My mother wrote a note to the teacher with the same effect. I was never allowed to take the damned things off, ever, until I went to bed at night.

Clare 18 Jun 2006, 14:14

Andrew - I couldn't get the top line and came out with a -3 recently so your recollection is probably quite accurate.

Andrew 18 Jun 2006, 13:44

I changed school at the age of 13, and no-one went between the same schools as me, so that would have been the ideal time to admit that I needed glasses. I could have arrived at my new school as a glasses-wearer, part- or full-time, and no-one would have been any the wiser. The fear of the NHS specs took over, so I said nothing. I worked on the basis that I had coped (just) to that point, and it had not occurred to me that my eyes would still be getting worse, so there did not appear to be too much of a problem.

On arrival at my new school, we were again seated in alphabetical order, and I ended up in the very front row, right in the middle, and as close to the board as I was going to get. I could see the board from there (just), so there was still no need to say anything. Then came the news I had been dreading - all the new pupils were to have a medical. It came as no surprise to me when I could only read the top two lines of the eye chart, so when I went to see the doctor for the next part of the medical, he told me what I already knew - that I needed glasses.

After that, I did tell my parents (although the bit about not realizing was not 100% true). My first visit to the optician came; he also expressed surprise that I didn't already wear glasses. When it came to selecting the frames I was given a choice - black, blue, brown, pink or clear NHS frames. I opted for brown. If I had to have NHS specs, I might as well blend in with everyone else!

I guess my first pair were probably about -3.00 - does that sound right for someone who was only able to read the top two lines of the Snellen chart?

Some of my new school mates were not surprised to see me in glasses, but I only wore them in class and for watching the television - I hadn't dared ask how much I should be wearing them!

 18 Jun 2006, 08:46

That teacher must have been Mary Kay Letourneau.

SweetStephine 18 Jun 2006, 01:52

I think in third grade I had a teacher who was optic-obsessive. One of my classmates was a boy who wore brown plastic frames with high plus lenses which was rare for my area. She (the teacher) paid special and unusual attention to him. She started by asking him questions like "Can you see the board?", and "Do your glasses need cleaning?".A coule of weeks later her questions progressed to "Do you need me to clean your glasses for you?" ,and "Do you need me to adjust them for you so they won't slide so bad?". Up to now he insisted he would be fine. The next day She asked very sweet and coy "If you were to lose those durring recess would you see anything?" ,and "Have you got a spair pair in your backpack?". After saying no to the last question it wasn't very long at all he and the teacher had a "little accident" that just happend to knock his glasses off his face. She held them and let him search the floor asking "Are you ok?". She gave them back after a few seconds"Oh here you go." like she helped him. Days later he got in trouble and had to be paddled for something and was chastised for taking his hands off his knees to push his glasses up.

Visitor 15 Jun 2006, 08:43

The first in our class got his specs at about eleven. He had been squinting considerably for a while and in the end gave in and started wearing his glasses. There must have been something about him that made his glasses unwilling to stay put. Throughout the years, whatever frames he wore slid down his nose more or less constantly, and he would struggle with them. Sometimes they would fall off when he just looked down. One time, he secured them with a piece of string tied from earpiece to earpiece. Obviously, this made him an easy target in a brawl.

I remember he switched to contacts rather early.

Annie 15 Jun 2006, 07:44

After i got my first glasses the following year i left school and seven months after i got a job. while i was working i had gotten another pair of glasses with Rx aproximately -3.00, that i can recall. Soon after i realized that in less than 6 months i was unable to see from them. My job then, entailed alot of reading and much paper work. I noticed that books that i would normally put on my desk and read and write had become difficult to see. I was having problems writing. I had to write much larger so I could read it while writing. Another embarrasment came when i copied info from an invoice and took it to my supervisor for review and had to make corrections. I was standing and my sup. was sitting, She said "write it here", and i was like, where? Then i was convinced that somthing was wrong as even with my glasses on i still couldn't see where to write while standing or even to make the correction. I called my optholmolgoist a few days after and told the receptionist what had happened. I was told to come in the next few days. I went and was place before the eye chart. Without glasses I was unable to read the chart at all. I can recall that even with glasses i couldn't read all the lines. The opth. was puzzled, she could not undersdand why my vision had deteriorated in less than 6 months. She sent me to another opth. on the same building for review. The result was the same. I was then referred to another opth. for further tests including visual field tests. He did the test and was puzzled as well. He said I should return the next day to repeat the tests in order to make the correct diganosis. I returned the following day, did the tests and was told that I have glaucoma. I was shocked and wasn't convinced and went to 10 seperate optholomogist after...

Rand0m_Eye 15 Jun 2006, 06:47

Annie do tell more, please ;)

Annie 14 Jun 2006, 12:11

I have been reading the posts for quite somtime and for the most part, they are interesting. I got my first glasses while i was in fifth form in high school. I entered 1st form having difficult seeing the board but i dear not tell my mom that i could'nt see well. As you all know most parent expect their children to have perfect vision. Well i went through 1st to 4th form unable to see the board clearly. Throught the years I had to travel from one class room to another at the end of each session. So I would be rushing ahead of the other students to make sure that i got a front seat as i am nearsighted. One day in question, i didn't get to class early and unfortunately ended up in the third row. That session I had shorthand. I was so unforutnate, the teacher called on me to tell her what a particular outline was and I was at a loss. I could'nt see nothing on the board. I just stood there as if i were domb. I did'nt try to squint because it was of no help. I usually get good grades for shorthand. I was an a student at the subject but I just could not see the board it was just blurred and I was embarrased to say it, for fear that my class mates would laugh at me. The teacher waited for quite somtime for me to answer but I felt like the earth could just open and take me in I just could'nt give an answer. One year later, by then my vision got worse and became even more noticable to my class mates as i was still struggling to get a front seat. That year the school had a health fair and i was pushed into the exam room for the test. After the test a boy from my class who was standing near by said "you need glasses". I didn't respond or answered as i was again embarrassed and i dear not tell my mom. I told a good friend of mine and she spoke with my mom and suggested that she would take me to the optican and I was prescribed my first glasses. But I had even more serious problems..... will continue at another time.

Jutta 14 Jun 2006, 00:52

in the 7th grade (germany) two girls in our class like to try on glasses of someone else. One day Petra, one of the girls came to scool with big framed glasses. She told us that were her aunt`s glasses and she borrowed to her. I think they had -1,5 or -2,0 diopters. She wear them the whole day and in the next weeks very often. She told me that she do´t need any glasses but she likes to wear them.

Chris 13 Jun 2006, 16:22

Andrew:

I wasn't as smart as you. I had no idea I was short sighted at school. I thought how I saw was the way everyone saw. In retrospect I must have been most uninterested in what was going on in class for it not to occur to me that I was meant to read what was on the blackboard. But in my primary school classes were large and the main proirity of teachers was to keep order.

It was when I was waiting for a bus with my mother that I asked her if the bus which was approaching was ours. Yes, can't you see it's a 78 (or whatever), she replied. Evidently not.

A few days later after school I was taken to the high street opticians...but that's a reminiscence for another tiem.

Chris 13 Jun 2006, 16:22

Andrew:

I wasn't as smart as you. I had no idea I was short sighted at school. I thought how I saw was the way everyone saw. In retrospect I must have been most uninterested in what was going on in class for it not to occur to me that I was meant to read what was on the blackboard. But in my primary school classes were large and the main proirity of teachers was to keep order.

It was when I was waiting for a bus with my mother that I asked her if the bus which was approaching was ours. Yes, can't you see it's a 78 (or whatever), she replied. Evidently not.

A few days later after school I was taken to the high street opticians...but that's a reminiscence for another tiem.

Andrew 13 Jun 2006, 13:12

Perhaps it's time I posted something more meaningful to this thread...

I probably started needing glasses when I was about 10 years old, but as I have a surname starting with B, and we were seated in our classroom in alphabetical order, this put me in the front row, so I didn't notice that my eyes were changing. Thus, in the September after my eleventh birthday, when I changed class and was allocated a different desk, I found it getting increasingly difficult to see. However, the threat of NHS specs, and the teasing suffered by some of my peers when they first got glasses, meant that I was going to do anything I could to avoid getting glasses. Also, I never wanted to try on anyone's glasses, because I didn't want to be the one who did not end up commenting on how strong they were.

After school, I stopped going to the normal bus stop as it was a "Request" stop, preferring to walk half a mile down the road to a "Compulsory" stop, where I knew I would be able to see the number before deciding whether to board the bus or not - it also cut 1p off the fare (which was only 8p anyway).

One Christmas we were learning a French carol for the school carol service (I was in the choir), and I was specially moved to join my fellow choristers in the back row of the class, while "Mademoiselle" taught us the words from the front. Unfortunately, I was asked to read something, which I couldn't. One of my fellow choristers insisted I put on his glasses (he had recently got his second pair, which he had to wear all the time). Although I took them straight off, saying they were not right for me, with hindsight I would say that there was less than half a diopter between his eyes and mine. I then continued on in my blur for the best part of another year.

Julian 12 Jun 2006, 22:45

He was a rugby referee as well - and wore plus fours for that!

Andrew 12 Jun 2006, 11:11

Only a Latin master could ask about "spectacles"!

 12 Jun 2006, 08:11

Julian 12 Jun 2006, 06:30

To answer Chris's actual questions before I go on to the full story. First, unlike the rest of you, I hadn't been dragged kicking and screaming to the optician; I had always (and I mean always) wanted glasses, and now that I'd got them I wore them with pride, when I wore them, even though the frames weren't my first, or second, or third choice. John hegley's motto could have been mine; 'Glad to wear glasses'. Secondly, I didn't wear them full time or anything like it. I put them on in class when there was some close work to be done (slight hyperopia/astigatism was my thing) and, I suppose, took them off again when I felt like it. Reading was certainly easier and there were no more headaches, and I found pretty soon that I could read the board through them and didin't need to take them off or look over them. Thirdly, I can't remember much about other people's reactions...one guy in my class who'd failed the school vision screening a few months before and got his first minus Rx (in frames one degree less basic than mine, mottled at the top, translucent below) looked and raised one eyebrow, a knack he had that we all envied!…another guy tried them on at some point, and wondered if they'd asked how I got there without them; he obviously thought they were strong…sometime in the first few days the Latin teacher, whom I didn't go to any more, stopped me in the corridor and said, "Did I see you wearing spectacles the other day?" and I explained he probably had but I didn't wear them all the time (he was quite myopic and for years wore Harry Potter type specs, but might by that time have graduated to brown plastic, still with cable temples).

Julian 10 Jun 2006, 23:35

Chris: I hope you don't live to regret that suggestion; I'm starting out to tell the whole story. At some length...

Bob 10 Jun 2006, 09:27

My first real notice of glasses was when I was in the third grade and a friend moved out of my neighborhood. He still went to the same school, but I didn't see him everyday. One day a month of so later I ran into him in the lunchroom and he was wearing glasses. To me, it almost seemed like he was a different person and something about that fascinated me. I never saw him again without glasses.

After that I started noticing girls who would show up in class with new glasses. It seemed like they would always say they were only going to wear them to see the board. But in most cases it seemed that they would eventually wear them all the time. I loved watching them progress from wearing them during lessons, to keeping them on most of the time in class, to forgetting to take them off for most of the day, to showing up with glasses on and never taking them off.

I always wanted my own pair of glasses, but didn't need them in those days.

Chris 10 Jun 2006, 08:33

Julian:

Perhaps you can get this post going now we have dispensed with the tiresome Laura. You say towards the end of your school days that you got glasses and your mum setteld for the standard NHS brown plastic glasses. The ones we all had at one time or another. Can you remember what it was like the first day you went to school with glasses. How did they feel? More important what did you feel?

Wurm 09 Jun 2006, 19:30

I've cleaned up this thread as best I could. Please keep it on-topic.

Original Tony 08 Jun 2006, 08:19

WHEN I WAS AT SCHOOL nobody would admit to wanting to wear glasses, and those that needed glasses felt embarased about it.

Now, kids are envious of thier class mates' glasses and unashemedly ask to try them on!

Yeti 06 Jun 2006, 06:24

I remember first time when I paid attention on glasses, It was at first year at basic school, there was a boy who wore weak minus glasses (-0,5 or -1 I suppose). I noticed that, when I look throught his lenses everything seem to be smaller and I asked him how it is possible that he could se better with glasses, that makes thigs smaller. I didn't know anything about vision disorders and optic at all so I thought glasses should make thibhs bigger not smaller. Year or two went, some new girls started to wear glasses in my class and one day we had a eye test at school, nurse asked me to stay at front of eyechart, cover my eye and read...I was surprised because I couldn't read last two lines. I was obliged to visit eye doctor, I was diagnosed as shortsighted and prescribed first glasses with -1,0 lenses. I didn't want to wear glasses so I persueded eye doc and my parents that I could see well and fact I wasn't able to read last two lines didn't bother me. Eye doc said I wouldn't be able to read even two bigest lines in fwe years and he was right. Few days went and I had my first glasses, I resist wearing them, my parents forced me to do it so I was bespectacled only at home, outdoor I wore my glasses in my pocket. I persueded my mom to vivit another eye doc, and he really made my day, he said It's not neccesery to wear glasses full time. Months went and some new bespectacled people, girls especially appeared in my class. Some of them wore glasses all the time, other ones put them on only for blackboard. I started to read a little about myopia and I understood why my glasses make things smaller. My prescription increesed to -1,5 and I still didn't wear my specs all the time but I noticed it became more difficult to read from blacboard, recognize faces. I learnt how to squint by eyelids, I noticed taht some kids changed glasses to and now they have lenses taht make things smaller then it was before. I realized to myself that I am interested in other, girls particulary, glasses. I always tried to tolk with oter glasses wearers about vision. It wasn't long time when I noticed I can't see clearly again, and I discovered tilting and pushing glasses up make significatn difference - I was prescrobed -2,5 and it was a time a started to wear glasses more and more frequently in public. When I finished basic school I looked at world behind -5 lenses.

Chris 04 Jun 2006, 00:22

Andrew:

I think it's with Rx but you'll have to divide the cost by about 25 to get it into 1960s money. I think 4 0r 5 quid was what it cost and nothing on the NHS.

Andrew 03 Jun 2006, 11:09

£114 for a pair of NHS specs with glass lenses (no Rx?) in 2006 - at least they were free when I first got a pair. Actually, I had 4 pairs before I finally managed to persuade my parents to let me have something different, and that was in the Easter holidays before I did my A levels.

Julian 03 Jun 2006, 07:27

Pathetic, as you say. Could have been worse: could have been round wire NHS frames mended with Elastoplast.

Chris 03 Jun 2006, 06:53

Julian:

What intrigues you? Two eleven year old lads in brown mottled NHS glasses. Pathetic!

Julian 02 Jun 2006, 23:58

Chris: hideous, yes. Confidence sapping? well, I know what you mean, but at least you could see when you put them on, and that must have been a plus, confidence-wise. I'm intrigued that you and your friend Pete were both in brown plastic in primary school; as I said in my previous post, that was pretty much for high school in my generation.

Chris 02 Jun 2006, 22:41

If you really want to wear those hideous, confidencs sapping NHS frames you can also get them online from:

http://www.retrospecs.co.uk

They also have those brown or black fades (brown in my case) we had as fifteen year olds.

Andrew 02 Jun 2006, 11:18

Wilma? Was that last post really made by Julian, and not Fred Flintstone?

Julian 02 Jun 2006, 08:49

Thinking about those NHS specs... As far as I can remember all the kids who wore glasses in junior school chose (or had chosen for them) round wire frames, plastic covered, with cable temples, in the Harry Potter genre. In high school the plastic frames so detested by Andrew and Kevin were more common. Some more enterprising (or better-ff?) kids got into 'private' frames that could take NHS lenses and so were cheaper than the all-private variety. I remember a girl who had different-coloured plastic tops to her frames according to whim or outfit; we used to tease her good-hunouredly: "Red ones today, Wilma?...Blue ones today, Wilma?"

As I must have said time and again on various threads, I didn't get glasses till my last years at school, and my mother who was paying insisted on mottled brown plastic NHS frames. I wsn't too pleased, but at last I had glasses (instead of headaches!)

Kevin 01 Jun 2006, 19:52

I agree with Andrew. For those of us who spent our school days waring ugly NHS frames that made us look like prize nerds, there the last type of frames I would choose now.

INGLASSES 01 Jun 2006, 16:51

JON

You can purchase the genuine NHS plastic (black, autumn leaf, crystal, blue, pink) frames by following the link below. They also had tortoishell frames but at the moment these all seem to have been sold so best be quick.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Dead-mens-spex

Hansel 01 Jun 2006, 14:56

On starting at secondary school there was a girl who used to sit for one lesson near the back of the class. I quite liked her red hair. At the start of our first year she did not wear glasses. Later in the year, I happened to glance round at one point, as one does, just in time to notice her taking out a new pair of black plastic framed specs, giving them a quick clean before putting them on without a great deal of self consciousness. Not too strong, memory tells me they would probably be about -1.50. Needless to say, in time I managed to pluck up the courage to ask her out. By then she had gone full time.

Down the line she then changed to gold wire frames which were the vogue at that time in the late 60s/early 70s.

Perhaps a question for our fair hair/black frame devotee...What think you Pete, of red hair and frame combinations?

Andrew 01 Jun 2006, 11:15

I'm not quite sure I really want to talk about NHS specs, but they were the reason why I spent a couple of years in Laura's position!

lazysiow 01 Jun 2006, 07:47

edwin - SOMETIMES??!!! :)

Ted 01 Jun 2006, 06:30

Jon, check the Optical Shops thread. Therouter has posted a link that you may find useful.

Jon 01 Jun 2006, 06:22

Would still love to hear from anyone who knows where I can get old style NHS specs from or anyone who wants to talk about them.

Melyssa 01 Jun 2006, 04:44

Another interesting school situation for me was midway through sixth grade when I needed stronger glasses, but still not enough to wear them fulltime. The first day back at school, one day after I had acquired my new brown squarish frames (bye-bye cat's-eyes), the teacher wrote a word on the portable board, rolled it across to the other side of the room, and said, "Melyssa, glasses!" Even though I had not had my glasses on at that point, I told him what the word was ("writing"). He was stunned, but then I told him I saw him write it before he zoomed the board away. He admitted he should have moved the board first. One for Melyssa! :)

Chris 31 May 2006, 20:10

Laura says (whether it is true or not) she sometimes borrows a friends glasses so she can see better. How many people I wonder discovered that they were short sighted by trying on someone else's glasses particularly when they were quite young?

Before you get glasses you think your eye sight is normal as you have no other reference. Certainly that happened to me. New glasses meant a world with hard edges when before they had been gently blurred. It was quite a shock. That was when I was nine. Other kids were curious of my glasses and asked to try them on. I think that is normal. One day when I was in the last year of primary school a mate of mine, Pete, asked to try my glasses on during break. When he did so he was thunderstruck. He realised that he was seeing clearly for the first time even though my Rx was stronger than he needed. Sure enough in a couple of weeks Pete came to school with his first pair of NHS glasses. They were brown plastic like mine. It was much nicer having a mate who wore glasses too. I felt a lot less out of place.

glasses4ever 30 May 2006, 23:48

I remember one of the very first days at high school. One afternoon I was in the car with my mother (stop at a red light) when I saw one of my new mates (a girl I have noticed wearing glasses at school to se the board ) across the street. I called her by name and waved my arms out of the car's window to be recognised, but even if she was looking in my direction she seemed not to realise who was trying to gather her attention. Next day at school I asked why she didn't reply to me at all on the street and she admitted that, she was completely unable to recognize my face without glasses. I have to say that we were met just 2 or 3 days before at shool, but it seemed quite strange that one could be so nearsighted and still not wear glasses.

Things went on normally for her (wearing glasses at school just to see the board and conducting normal relations without glasses with us mates for the rest of time), until a day when she looked particularly in a discomfort with her glasses. I noticed her moving from her chair keeping her arms in front of her as she was in the dark, although she was wearing glasses! I asked what's the matter with her, and she answered that she just got a new prescription on her old frame the day before. She jumped from -1.25 to -3 at once, so although having gathered a clear vision after a long time spent in the blur, she was still in a large discomfort with her new lenses. I remember it tooks a few days for her to behave normally with her glasses.

She started wearing glasses full time short after, then soon moved to contacts. After five years in the same class, and many time spent together, with her in contacts, also out of the school, I met them recently and she was wearing quite strong glasses (more than -5, probably).

Melyssa 30 May 2006, 05:46

Laura,

Unfortunately, my eyesight grew progressively worse. (Thanks, Mom & Dad!) I needed to wear glasses fulltime at 16, which was "just" 34 years ago. My prescription is up to -9.00 & -8.25, which it's been since I was 36, and the only times I don't wear glasses are while sleeping, taking a shower, or shoveling snow with my husband. (I'm not shoveling snow by myself; it's too much work! LOL)

Melyssa 30 May 2006, 04:20

I wasn't able to get away with what Laura has been doing. I got glasses during spring break of third grade (RX -1.75 & -1.50) and I had to wear those good ol' modified cat's-eyes in class to read the board and at home to watch TV. In school, I was fortunate that one other third-grade girl and two boys already wore glasses fulltime. My classmates took it in stride, and just a couple of them wanted to try mine on just to see how strong this 8-year-old girl's lenses were to them.

Naturally, one day I was mentally preoccupied and ended up wearing them at lunch, not even realizing it until a classmate told me I had them on. "Oh my goodness, so I have! No wonder the food looks terrible!" She said, "You don't need glasses to see that!" We got a good chuckle from that. After that day I did not wear my glasses during lunch, as I knew enough to take them off at 11:58 -- and at 3:28 to leave school.

Socks 29 May 2006, 20:52

Clare,

I survived through all of my school life from the age of about 9 unitl I graduated high school by pulling my eyelids, so I know that with very little practice it can be quite effective. In those days my RX would have been less than -2 and I could see enough to get by and only remember being caught doing it once.

NYC O^O 28 May 2006, 15:00

In the 1980's while in college I had a girl friend who wore hard contact lenses but claimed not to have any glasses. At concerts and sport events she would ofton have to remove her contacts and then she would use a pair of small binoculars to see details. Otherwise she was in a blur unless her contacts were in.

About 5 years ago I ran in to her and she was now wearing moderately strong glasses about -5.00 to -7.00 range. She said while wearing contacts she could never adapt to glasses but when she stopped wearing them her eyes then could finally adjust to glasses.

It as amazing what she could see through the binoculars when her lenses were off.

Seeker 26 May 2006, 00:30

A girl at University with metal frame round lens glasses fairly strong used to push her glasses to the side a bit in the Lecture theatre to see the board it lifted the glasses off her nose so she was looking through a thicker part of the lens. It seemed to help but looked a bit strange. With my plus glasses looking through the thicker middle of the lens does'nt seem to be much different to the tinner edges.

dixie guest 25 May 2006, 08:08

Anyone who thinks that others do not recognize that you can fool others by not wearing glasses is fooling themself. I teach at a university and it amazes me how many of my students are constantly squinting at the board. I wonder why they don't just wear glasses or contacts. They look like they are struggling so much - and for what? So they can feel like they are perfect?

Puffin 25 May 2006, 05:28

I remember a girl who had really poor vision, could not read the board from more than about 6-8 feet away, had glasses but did not wear them full-time. This went on for something like 2 years, at least, until one September morning I saw her at the start of the next school year - full time glasses wearer. How did she slip through the last time, though?

Larika 25 May 2006, 02:23

When I was school age, there were quite a lot myopic girls in my class. One of my classmate called Tina who started to wear glasses in grade nine. And the first glasses she wore has rather thin lenses. at that time I thought she was wearing a plano... actually that was a -1. In grade eleven, She had changed her glasses but not much differ in her presciption. By then, some girls trying to borrow her glasses and she immediately turned hopeless. I thought that's strange... usually low prescription won't be that blurry. Her lenses is quite thin. Several months later, Tina was prescipted a pair of -2, which was a bit stronger, and those girls who borrowed her glasses found her glasses too strong and had their own glasses later. I remember by then we had 15 girls in my class, only 1 of them didn't wore glasses (she had perfect eyesight), and several who wear glasses could still see the board. (I assume that's a bit blurry so they wear them in order to be more comfortable)

hooked 22 May 2006, 00:32

Back to topic:

(Aargh, I feel this will become some kind of glasses fetish autobiography)

Secondary school:

We moved from a small location to a big city so after 4th grade I had lots of new schoolmates.

As there was a school for girls only nearby in the school I was the majority of pupils have been boys.

From the few girls in the beginning there have been a few myopic I'm not interested in.

After some years one of those girls came up with medium to strong plus glasses she only wears whilst being in the classroom.

I had to observe a lot. I'm pretty sure her vision in far was with glasses as without. She never wanted to be seen with glasses outside the class even if one of the myopic girls said to her. "Look, I have my glasses on all the time. Why don't you want to do that?"

In 8th grade hazardously she sat in the lessons of designing (if that's the correct word in English) face to face with me. Wow, this was the only year I liked these lessons.

Later on we mostly have been in different lessons and I have never seen here since we left school she didn't came unfortenately this year when we had a party for being 20 years out of school.

Julian 21 May 2006, 18:26

Is it true? Is it kind? is it necessary?

Loveglasses1, you score one yes...

Puffin 21 May 2006, 17:16

Strange you mention this, because the best swimmer in my year also wore glasses, wondering if there's some connection(?)

Seeker 21 May 2006, 14:42

The swimming at school was a challenge for the glasses wearers. One girl who had quite strong glasses and was a good swimmer and raced often developed a quite clever system, she would leave her glasses at the start of 50 metre races and a friend would have her prescription sunglasses at the finish. She used to say that when she stood at the start she could'nt see the other end of the pool.

 20 May 2006, 03:30

One of my most vivid memories was in the 3rd year of Junior School when a visiting teacher came into our class and noticed a girl squinting this prompted him to conduct an impromptu eye exam for her in front of the class, which of course she failed big time, it was distressing for her of course and to this day I can't believe the insensitivity of the teacher surely he could have done it discreetly. The girl a few weeks later turned up with a pair of red horn rimmed glasses which were in the -3 to -4 range she was to my young mind beautiful in them and I have been a GWG fan since.

still 17 May 2006, 08:41

Here's another for you, Puffin:

8-)

still

Puffin 17 May 2006, 08:14

Sorry the smiley went wrong it should be

:-) not :)

(!)

Chris 16 May 2006, 18:31

I have often wondered what my eye sight would have been like if I had never had glasses. Even if it would not be perfect, I am sure it would be much better than it is. Opticians are in the business of selling you glasses or getting as many people to wear them as possible. First there was the euphemism of "corrective" lenses. Then you were told that it would take a little while to get accustomed to the Rx. I am sure that was a cover up for a Rx that was higher than the one you actually needed but you soon grew into it. Then your mum was told to make sure you wore your glasses all the time, an instruction repeated to the teacher, so there was no escape. Then two or three years later, the same over-prescription. A modest correction when I was nine turned into -6.50 and -7.00 by the time I was 16 and complete dependancy on glasses. I am at a loss without them.

Rand0m_Eye 16 May 2006, 07:42

When I was in school first grade I remember a friend getting some red wire frame glasses. I know the script was not high maybe -1. I remember thinking when I get glasses I want frames just like that. Needless to say that style was long gone by the time I was able to get glasses.

I saw the same girl about 10 or so years after. She still had the same frames only most of the red paint was chipped off. The RX was much higher my guess is around -3.50

Marco 16 May 2006, 03:03

My fascination for glasses started at school. I was about 14 years old and a new girl who had just moved into town joined our school, and my class! She wore heavy minus glasses, with thick lenses in stylish blue plastic frames. I loved watching her taking her glasses off to rub her nose or eyes, squinting, obviously not seeing anything and then putting them back on. I secretely wished I could try them on but didn't dare asking her...

Until after Xmas when I was sat next to her. One day she took her glasses off when classes had just finished, most fellow pupils started leaving, and just the two of us remainded in the classroom. It took some courage but I asked her "Cathy, could I please try on your glasses for a second?". To my surprise she said "Sure!", and she passed me her glasses. I carefully slipped them on and really enjoyed the moment, which I still cherish! Her specs were much stronger than my sister's, who was a full-time wearer at the time as well. Cathy too seemed to enjoy our little game as I tried to move around and focus on distant objects. The best was still to come, as I slipped off the glasses with both hands and then carefully put them back on her nose! She thanked me and told me she really enjoyed knowing that I showed interest in her glasses.

Chris 16 May 2006, 02:41

Seeker:

You would need a sledge hammer to break most plastic lenses used in school glasses by kids with bad eyesight but they were fairly soft so they scratched easily and you gradually got used to seeing the world though a slight haze of small abrasions. Before metal frames it was the screws of the hinges that regularly got lost. A safety pin and some tape was the usual repair.

Puffin 16 May 2006, 02:11

And oddly enough this happened again to another girl, 2 years later, and the girl who it happened to sat next to me in Geography, and I was the one who got to help her. :)

Puffin 16 May 2006, 02:09

I remember a girl who wore glasses only for distance, one day she opened her bag and found them smashed, cried a bit, and got her friend to read her stuff from the blackboard. They sat at the back and I imagine she hadn't a hope of reading it. For some reason it seemed to take weeks to get them replaced.

Seeker 16 May 2006, 00:29

When the Aviator and gold metal frames came into style but before hi-index it seemed school wear and tear took its toll on the tiny screws holding the lenses, especially the thicker strong prescriptions. Incredibly the lens seemed to very rarely break but the wearer more especially the few long sighted boys had no hope of fixing them and the myopes had awful trouble looking for the screw. I recall several times trying to put a thick shiny plus lens back into the frame, now I would be in that caregory.

Chris 15 May 2006, 21:39

There are some glasses for sale on ebay #4462979989 (the link is given in the thread for glasses for auction or sale) that could have been mine after college. Even the lenses, except I don't have bifocals. But that's 70s more than 80s I think.

Chris 15 May 2006, 19:47

Otto:

I had a similar style of glasses when I was about the same age and wore them until I left college. The lenses were plastic thought but it did not stop my glasses sliding down my nose. In fact I only started wearing metal frames in the late 80s. I think I had just got used to myself in plastic frames.

Pete:

It was I who asked you about yuor tastes in 80s eyewear. I overlooked giving my name. Soory mate.

OttO 15 May 2006, 16:23

ehpc

You bring back such memories! Those frames go back not just to the 1980's, but to the 1960s. Back in 1965, age 17, my very first pair of glasses were plastic, horned rims, black on top, clear on the bottom.

What did I know in those days about rims or lenses! Lenses were glass of course, and kept sliding down my nose. I don't believe I did a repeat on those frames. In those days the doc didn't have to give out the Rx and he usually didn't. I never knew that first Rx. In our small town the opthalmologist was in business with the optician who shared offices. Yup, those were the days.

Puffin 15 May 2006, 14:12

Yes I liked the big bold red plastic frames too. They say "look at me, I'm not hiding my glasses!"

ehpc 15 May 2006, 08:19

Actually I have always detested 'half-frames' i.e.dark plastic at the top and transparent at the bottom - they look like 1950s Ministers of Religion!But the big bold black or dark blue or vivid red square 1980s frames worn by women were soooooooooooooooooo cool:) Who is the anonymous poster who asked me about this? Pete

Puffin 15 May 2006, 04:13

Yes those 80's frames were big. If only current frames could get slightly bigger!

Chris 14 May 2006, 18:32

ehpc

I don't know what you find so great about 80s frames or are you joking. For most of the 80s I wore roundish square frames. They were plastic moulded round the nose which made them comfortable to wear. Dark brown at the top and around the nose going to nearly transparent. The arms were silver metal. They were thick enough to hold thick plastic lenses so that not too much of the lens showed at the back. Looking at old photos the frames look huge but they seemed the right size at the time. After that and for most of the 90s I had square gold metal frames with high index glass lenses for the first time. The frames were thicker than you would have now. Again there were much larger than the frames I wear now.

ehpc 14 May 2006, 07:53

Providing they were minus lenses, that must have been soooooooooooooooooooo cool Frank! Curly blonde girl, minus lenses, beautiful huge blue 1980s frames.................oh when will huge frames come back into fashion? :) Pete

Frank III 13 May 2006, 15:50

One of the most wonderful moments I had at elementary school was when Barbara, a curly blonde girl in my class, came to school one day with large plastic blue glasses. She was one of the cutest girls in the school and it was so gorgeous to see her wearing those beautiful big specs. I didn't know much about glasses at that time, but I guess they were reading glasses, because she was not wearing them full time. Unfortunately she did never start to wear them full time and since after school ended I've never seen her again.

DWV 13 May 2006, 15:02

It was grade 4 or 5 when I got glasses; busted for not being able to read the blackboard. The eye doc said something then about how the glasses should stop my myopia from increasing. Anyway, my eyes didn't get much worse, possibly because I often took them off when reading for long periods. If I'd only known...

I can only remember one girl with glasses in my elementary school classes: Cindy, who wore cateyes that gave her a vaguely oriental look. By high school in the late '70s there were more GWGs: several wearing the same style of big translucent plastic frames with metal temples. [same style that Penthouse Dec 1979 "Pet of the Month" Judi Gibbs wears in several pictures - anyone know what brand/model those are?]. One girl in tortoise-shell aviators which matched her naturally streaked hair, one who alternated between huge thick tinted rimless and plastic frames. At a summer job a couple years after high school there were two GWGs in those same plastic/metal frames, one stereotypically stunning blond in amber frames, and a cute brunette with translucent blue frames.

Chris 13 May 2006, 01:56

Steven

As I've written that was my experience. I actually believed the optician for some years telling people I only had to wear glasses until I was sixteen, even though the presciption was getting stronger and stronger. Luckily there were two or three boys in the class with glasses so it was seen as quite normal to have to wear them so I wasn't teased and that.

steven 12 May 2006, 23:51

I also bought into the lie that glasses were going to make my eyes better. I failed an eye test in first grade and was told I only have to wear them until my eyes go better. Twenty five years later that still has not happened

I remember the first day I walked into school with glasses. I was the first boy in school to get them. I was also best friend with the tallest and most popular boy and he told everyone he would beat them up if they made fun of me. Ironically he got his own glasses the next year.

Myopeinhere 12 May 2006, 07:18

Ah school days....

My most wonderful moment was with a girl called Alison who's brother was in our gang,she was a year below me in school and never hung around with us until one school party,I'd consumed a huge amount of alcohol(about half a bottle of Sherry if I remember)and was walking back after the party with my friends,Alison was trailing behind and so i just sort of trailed behind as well,I was infatuated with her glasses,this was like 1980 and she was very short sighted,even now I can remember the way the lenses stuck out about 3/4 inch.

Well we trailed behind so far we were all alone and the schooklboy kisses and gropes started,such fun,but the highlight was when she let me carry her glasses for her as she hated the feel of them on her nose,well I just held these jewels for about half an hour and relished looking througth them.

We were an item after that for a few months but drifted apart,love to know how she is now,tried Friends reunited and all other avenues but nothing,my guess is she would be well into double figures now.

Phil 12 May 2006, 06:55

Good vintage Pete: same as me. I liked the 70's.

I had a gf who started with black plastic frames, not dissimilar to what's in fashion again now. She whipped them on and off at the school choir practices. Then her first full-time pair were round metal frames. I remember my first kiss with her: the metal was so cold as I touched them with my face. She soon went back to plastic: brown, I think. I wish I could see her now. Bet she's into progressives with a fair minus.

Next girlfriend was keen on glasses and was so cross she had perfect vision. I really should have married her but I was too young to realise what a find she was. Her best friend got a huge pair of plastic, square frames with low minus. She was so jealous. Not seen her for years either. I bet presbyopia has made her dreams come true.

Then, at Oxford I fell for a myope with siver hexagonal metal frames: she was minus 3 or 4 I think. One day, after suffering headaches, she got a separate pair for reading which let her see nothing in the distance. I was never sure what was going on there, optically speaking. But I wasn't complaining. She's a Prof of Feminist Studies in the States now, God help us.

Oh those were the days!!

ehpc 12 May 2006, 05:53

..................or even '1980s glasses' :) (I was born in 1954 :)) Pete

ehpc 12 May 2006, 05:53

I liked all the big 1908s glasses:) What is your 'handle'?:) (I don't in general respond to anonymous posts) Cheers, Pete

 11 May 2006, 22:18

ehpc:

Could you describe the glasses you most lied in the 80s?

ehpc 10 May 2006, 10:12

..but,as I never tire of saying, the current trend for black rectangular plastics with wide sides is definitely the best trend since the early 1980s.Pete

ehpc 10 May 2006, 10:09

The greatest period for glasses was the early 1980s:)..............:)

SZ6 10 May 2006, 09:39

Visitor, I wish I'd been in college back then, I wasn't born until the late 70's! I can only imagine the fantastic sightings and conversations in college back then. The library during finals/midterms must have been great, too. Even when I was in school, you'd see hordes of girls forsake their contacts for glasses during late-night cram sessions, though the glasses would be small, high-index, etc.

Do you recall any specific memorable sightings from those days? How thick did the lenses get? I knew at least a couple girls who were up in the -12 or -13 range, and I can't even imagine what their glasses would look like in the days of large frames and CR-39.

 10 May 2006, 09:26

How far off topic can you get?

Clora 10 May 2006, 08:49

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visitor 10 May 2006, 04:46

This thread is making me nostalgic for college. When I was in college in the late 1970's many of the high myopic girls were just starting to get contacts. I suspect most had hard lenses. This led to many interesting discoveries, especially for early morning classes where the girls couldn't pry open their eyes in time to get their lenses in, and late in the day when they got back to the dorm and just couldn't keep them in their eyes another minute. I had a lot of great oportunities to talk to themabout their contacts and poor vision. They were always willing to show me how strong their glasses were. Of course most wore really thick CR-39 large size glasses in their off hours. Those were the days!

hooked 08 May 2006, 23:55

4th grade:

In Germany in 4th grade you have to pass an test for vision and hearing.

In our class out of 20 pupils I think there were about 3 to 4 which had strong plus glasses also some with minus.

Most of them had theier glasses before first grade.

AFAIR on the test all those with plus glasses had a bad vision in one eye while having been tested.

I wondered then why this was so.

In those days I didn't know this was mostly due to a lazy eye catched too late. But I recognized the correlation between bad vision in one eye and plus glasses.

Seeker 08 May 2006, 20:46

A girl at school who it seemed had always worn glasses and at the time of this incident had -6.5 by her own admission came one day in sunglasses even inside. Turned out they were prescription or pretty close and her normal glasses were broken. Back then it took a while to get new ones so for a few days she used the sunglasses. Occasionally she would try to go without but had the dilemma of causing interest because she had so rarely been seen without glasses and even her close friends were surprised at how difficult it was for her without them.

Kevin 08 May 2006, 19:08

When I went to school for the first time wearing glasses I was very self conscious of them and my school mates were curious. I was the only child in my class with glasses so I felt a little bit of a freak. After that every year or so another kid arrived for his or her first day with glasses or joined the school having already been prescribed glasses. This was always made worse by the fact our glasses were all from the NHS as our parents couldn't afford private. Somehow the NHS commissioned the ugliest cheapest most practical-looking frames it could find to knock any self confidence out of a kid.

I started being picked on at my secondary school. I was teased and bullied because I was small, shy and bespectacled. My best friend also wore round NHS glasses like me and I think we bonded because we were fellow sufferers and recipients of unkindness for a reason that was quite beyond our control. I suppose in self defense we also played the part and instinctively became nerdier and nerdier so some of the taunts were justified. Sadly I didn't turn into Bill Gates though.

I don't think the problem arises today. Glasses even for kids are a fashion accessory.No one is forced to wear unnecessarily institutional frames which make them look poor and unloved.

Poptician 08 May 2006, 05:24

Like Doreen, no-one seemed too fussed when I started wearing glasses as school. I was expecting no end of nastiness and was pleasantly surprised when I didn't get it. It might have been due to the fact that I was blessed with frames that didn't look too freakish and the low minus lenses weren't the type to attract comment.

This is more than can be said for an unfortunate girl who started wearing glasses a year or so later. She was stuffed up with NHS Harry Potters and plus lenses, which did her no favours at all and in fact she was a pretty little lass so that made it worse. She got no end of stick and name calling and I felt desperately sorry for her. It even reduced her to tears on some occasions. I left that school at the end of that year so I don't know how things turned out. Hopefully she got some decent specs and turned out into the attractive woman her junior years suggested she would.

Geoff 08 May 2006, 04:49

I can remember being in 4th grade and a doctor telling me I needed glasses. In a few weeks, I was wearing plus lenses in black frames---not very attractive. Several other boys in the class had the same ugly frames. The glasses were my companion for about 3 years until reaching Junior High and I gave them up---even though I couldn't see that well without them. Began wearing glasses (much more attactive frames) in college for close-up work.

Dee 08 May 2006, 01:04

All i can remember at school is being the only person in the class who had glasses. I had them at 4 years of age, and as far as i can remember, up until i was about 7, no one else wore them. Then things changed, one boy appeared in them and a short time after another girl. I think this coincided with the annual visit by the nurse to check the eyes of the children. By the time i was about 15, again as far as i can recall, there were about 6 or 7 wearers in the class. How things change. There was even another quite high plus wearer like myself, so felt more at home.

Puffin 06 May 2006, 06:19

I remember one winter's afternoon in junior school, it was snowing heavily so we got to go home a bit early, there was this hyperopic girl about +5 or so, and she was happy because there was no way the snow would blow in her eyes.

Willie 06 May 2006, 03:01

Ah, school days! Bright June mornings with long shadows, sun glinting off the frost and all of us sitting there in our short pants wishing to Christ that someone would turn on the heating.

Of course nobody did. This was the fifties and not a centime of State money was squandered on our education. So we were in an Irish hedge school. transplanted into the antipodes. "I'd like three volunteers to clean the toilets. You, you and you will do." Doubtlessly character building...

Glasses were a big part of my young life. 1954 was a big year. Boys got tortoiseshell round glasses and girls got clear plastic same. somehow although I was only eight years old, the experience of seeing, inter alia, Cherie Tankey, Maria Woodlock and the little Maltese girl whose name now, more than 50 years after, evades me, was strangely erotic. In 1956 there was an influx of Hungarians after the revolution and several of them were very exotic girls with equally exotic frames which occupied seemingly centuries of musing.

The nuns who taught us all wore rimless octagonal glasses, apparently from a single source, usually referred to as the charity of the Parish. But, as an optometrist told me years later, the bridges and arms were real gold, the only splash of colour in the black and white life of the Irish Sisters of Charity. Actually my partner in crime, one Gavin Murphy, helped me to disprove the monochromacity of nuns theory to some extent when, during one of our "volunteering" moments, we managed to induce Sister St Bridget to climb a ladder and fix a blind.

But that's another story...

Chris 06 May 2006, 00:36

I got my first pair of glasses when I was nine. Nothing special, just light brown plastic frames. When I got them the optician said that I would have to wear "corrective" lenses until I was sixteen. It was as if glasses were temporary and the lenses would improve my eyesight. Perhaps it was a white lie to boost my flagging morale. Was anyone else fed this myth when they were first prescribed classes when they were young? It is of course complete rot. My eyes just got worse and worse, which any optician should have been able to predict, and by sixteen it was quite obvious that I was going to have to continue to wear glasses and still do.

Kevin 05 May 2006, 06:48

I can't remember being given a choice. My Harry Potter style NHS glasses had a brown plastic covering over the frames and ear pieces. If you pulled it off, yes, I pulled it off, it was gold coloured metal underneath.

Julian 05 May 2006, 01:43

As far as I can remember, no one in junior school wore any kind of glasses other then the dreaded round wire NHS frames. There were variations, of course. Some had plastic covering on the temples; some only round the lenses; some (though I can't remember any in school) none at all. Most had the cable temples that curve round the ear; but (was it later on?) some appeared with 'hockey-stick' ear pieces. Some of the plastic coating was black, some was a dark reddish-brown. Some was even a very pale pink.

Bobby, whom I wrote about in the first post on this thread, had black plastic covering on the tmeples; George had none. When I think about it, Bobby's first glasses go back to before the NHS was set up, just. George was a few years later, when we were well up in junior school. Our class teacher was off sick for quite a long time, and a retired teacher came in to supply. One day, I don't know what prompted her, she said to George, "Where are your glasses?" "I don't have glasses, Miss." A week or two later she asked again, "Where are your glasses?" "I haven't got them yet, Miss; I'm waiting for them." Ten-year-old Julian was all ears, and eagerly looking out each morning for a spexy George. In due course I ws rewarded; the lenses were minus, though I didn't know that at the time; but I do remember, from some angles, the first hint of a power ring.

Doreen 05 May 2006, 01:11

My first day at school in glasses: I put them on, when I came into the class room and thought everyone would be staring at me and start to ask questions which I did not want to answer. Well, I was wrong. Hardly anyone made a comment and I think most of them did not even realise - not all are glasses fetishists, remember;-) Well, I did not have many friends in this class anyway, so I did not really care. Honestly, I can't remember much of that day, but there was one nice experience. A girl from my class asked me to try them on and told a friend of her that she'd be getting glasses quite similar to mine in about a week. That's about all I can remember.

Another thing was that before I got glasses, when we used to watch TV at school(movies,...), I knew that squinting improved my vision. So I tried to sit in a way, hands on the face, that nobody would see me squinting.

After I had glasses, of course, I watched other people when watching TV to see whether anyone was squinting.

Kevin 04 May 2006, 23:16

Can some of you out there give your experiences of your first day at school with glasses even if you didn't have NHS frames and lenses. I can remember vividly being very self conscious of having glasses and thinking everyone was looking at me. I really wanted to take them off but I had been ordered to keep them on all the time and my mum had asked the teacher to keep an eye on me so there was no escape.

Seeker 04 May 2006, 19:33

And how much borrowing glasses went on. Seemed more common with the girls mostly low minus who did'nt wear glasses all the time so occasionally left them at home but then had to try and borrow at school. Can't often have been the exact same prescription but must have done the job. One girl who had two pairs could have made a few dollars she loaned them out quite a bit.

Puffin 04 May 2006, 17:29

I wonder how many eye-chart-memorizers there are out there.

Doreen 04 May 2006, 10:58

There I was told that I was -1,25 in both eyes. He told me to wear the glasses for TV and whenever I felt like needing them. I wore them to watch TV, nothing more, but I was having a real hard time at school since my vision got worse. So about half a year later I gave in and decided to wear them at school. I would put them on in the morning and take them off after the end of the day at school. My vision slowly deterirated, but I still only wore my glasses at school and for TV even though I was -2,25 then. When I reached the -3,00 by the time I was 13 I went to a different ophthalmologist and got contact lenses. Even though these were RGPs my eyes continued to get worse, but not so rapidly anymore. After that I never wore my glasses again at school and I got a lot more self-confident after that.

But that experience had triggered my interest for glasses and other people in glasses. I watched others getting glasses and some getting contacts with great interest. By the time I graduated 10 out of 20 people from my glass did wear glasses at least sometimes. And there might be some of whom I didn't know they got glasses as they might have opted for contacts right away. By now I know that more than half of my ex-class mates wear glasses. A fetishist's heaven one might say!

Doreen 04 May 2006, 10:49

I first noticed that my vision wasn't perfect anymore when I was about 10. I tried to neglect the fact and my myopia must have been very mild back then. I cheated at the annual examination we had at school - I knew which line of the chart we had to read and memorised it. I just wasn't ready for glasses.

About a year later at a new school I knew my eyes were getting worse. I had trouble seeing things written on the board, but overhead transparencies were much worse. At the next annual examination I knew there wasn't much I could do, when I couldn't read any letter of the relevant lines. So I got a note for my mum who took me to an ophthalmologist...

hooked 04 May 2006, 07:53

When I was at school:

I will start with first grade maybe that was the first event that get's me being a glasses obsessive.

A girl (can you imagine I still know her name even if it's been 30 years since? I do not know any name of all other classmates) was getting ill I wasn't in class.

Two weeks later she returned with glasses and never was seen without by me (I don't know if strong or not and if plus or minus) and classmates told me during a lection this girl said she couldn't see any more and her eyes moved around unccordinated.

I'm still envious today that I missed this event.

For me this was the reason to ask: what is this thing with eyes and glasses?

Puffin 04 May 2006, 07:35

What happened to NHS specs? I think they got broken coz they were cheap crap. And of course nobody wanted them anyway.

Poptician 04 May 2006, 05:21

Kevin is right. They were bloody awful then and they are bloody awful now. Some things don't improve with age.

Kevin 03 May 2006, 18:39

What happened to all those NHS glasses of the 50s and 60s? We chucked them away as soon as we got a decent pair of glasses. They may be desirable now, looking very retro, but I can tell you they weren't at the time. They were a curse. Ask anyone who had to wear them.

Maxine 03 May 2006, 17:25

Jon

I know exactly what you mean, I am looking for the even earlier type that was all metal, and seem like hen's teeth to get. The type you are on about are a "hybrid" between the type I am looking for but had the notoriously fragile hinges that snapped all too easily, but still had the curly wire earpieces. My cousin had a pair like you are talking about in the late 60s/early/70s. What has happened to all these old NHS specs?

Maxine

lentifan 03 May 2006, 13:20

Looking back on my school days, I'm struck by how different many of the gwg's I remember turned out in adulthood.

The myope I was most attracted to, a big girl, not particularly stylish, but a lovely jolly personality with alluring and fast increasing prescription, got contact lenses at the first opportunity (c -10) and was never again seen in specs. This was a great pity as her big bulging eyes made her much less attractive to me than when she was wearing her specs.

Two others come to mind. One was a thin weedy-looking girl who was always squinting through battered-looking low-minus specs. About 20 years later I saw her looking very elegant and wearing fetching black plastic frames with what must have been near -20 lenses. Very attractive and a great contrast. The other was a big blowsy girl with maybe -8. She grew into a somewhat slimmer and very elegant -15 or so.

Lastly, there was a bubbly little dark-haired girl with very strong-looking lenticular plus glasses. She grew taller and became stunningly attractive, albeit her lenses ceased to be lenticulars. Unfortunately, she came off the market by marrying young (and, as far as I know, happily).

Jon 03 May 2006, 11:40

Does anyone know where you can get the old tortoiseshell NHS frames with curly ear-pieces. They drove me wild at school and I would love to get a pair now.

Inglasses 03 May 2006, 02:16

Maxine

You can purchase old style NHS frames from Ebay. Try this link, should take you to the seller.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Dead-mens-spex

ChrisB 02 May 2006, 22:37

Sorry the second para should have read.

"The object of my affections 'Georgie' "

ChrisB 02 May 2006, 22:35

When I was 13 or 14 one of my friends was severely myopic but wouldnt get glasses - being very concious of his image - vain I think you would call him. He always used to try to sit at the front of the class to see the board. When he couldnt he had to copy from another of our 'gang' sat in the adjacent desk. One day one of the gang members composed a whole page of text in his book in pencil, supposedly copying it from the board. He waited until his myopic mate had copied it into his textbook and then rubbed out the pencil - it was gibberish. Shortly after that the myope gave in and got glasses. We were all round his house that afternoon when he got back from the opticians. His mum said "See, I warned you that sitting so close to the telly would ruin your eyes" Doh!!

On a more GWG front I remember the strange stirings I got when a number of girls in our year got glasses - but to my disappointment the then love of my life, object of my ,'Georgie' didn't succumb - even tho to my puzzlement both her parents wore glasses (hyperopic). I encountered her again, about 10 years later and yes she did now wear glasses (but too late). Unfortunately, even with the glasses, I didnt fancy her at all - but that might have been because she was married, had one kid and one on the way!!

Ah well..

Tanya 02 May 2006, 17:28

Hi Everyone

I've E-Mailed this story to others, but it is very appropriate to this thread. The first time I tried glasses on was when I was around 5 years old, when a girl who sat beside me in class appeared one day wearing them,(they were the metal framed type that Maxine here is looking for)I asked to try them on and was hooked. Ever since that day I have wanted to wear glasses!Joyce(the girl with the glasses),and I became close friends, and I tried on many pairs of her glasses over the years.It is not until the last five years that I have needed glasses of my own, (presbyopia has now set in). I can still see well for distance, but can't see to read very well,But! I have splashed out on vari-focals which have a minimal distance prescription but allow me to read clearly. I wear the glasses full time although I don't need to, but I love waering them. I'm still friends with the girl that started this 40 odd years ago, and she thinks I'm mad wanting to wear glasses, (and she knows I don't really need them a lot) she now wears contact lenses. One night over a drink when I had just got my first pair of prescription glasses, she looked at me and said. One day there will be a bright light from the sky and you will end up with a dog and a white stick!!

Tanya

Puffin 02 May 2006, 16:54

Another memory from school - sort of - concerning plus lenses. I remember this girl from a year or two below me wore these fantastically thick plus lenses - I can only guess at their strength, plus 6? more? who knows? Anyway I saw her on the bus one Saturday, and some of her friends got on, and one announced that she'd just got contacts. She was of course, as you might imagine, struggling to get used to them, blinking like mad, etc! This girl with plus glasses tut-tutted - was she envious, because she couldn't wear them? Or perhaps she was a closet glasses-lover, and wearing contacts was bad news? Anyway I saw her again, with boyfriend (and still with glasses!)

sigh!!!

Andrew 02 May 2006, 14:14

Whatever happened to Estelle Williams?

hyperope 02 May 2006, 08:47

my story is similar to the one of plusfan, from grade 4 up to grade 6 i was sitting beside a farsighted girl. her prescription was +4 for distance and an add in both eyes of +2.5 so the line in her bifocals was very visible. i was really fascinated by her glasses, especially since it made her eyes so big, withouth her glasses her eyes turned notably inwards and she wasn't able to see at all. she went through three different glasses during that time, every pair getting a bit weaker about which she was really happy. Once we went all together to a public swimming pool, there i was allowed to "guard" her glasses while she went swimming with her friends. of course as soon as she had gone swimming i took off looking for a mirror, the glasses tightly in my hand. when i put them on in the restroom i had to move rather close to the mirror to see my reflection but the feeling (or rather the shiver) wearing the glasses gave me i won't forget. i didn't wanna take them off ever but eventually had to give them back to her. ever since then i also wanted to wear plusglasses, which i do now (with 27 years), but far from being that strong or even being bifocals. so long.

Poptician 02 May 2006, 05:51

In 1973 or so there was a whole raft of girls in the 6th form at my school wearing the same frames - a very thin gold metal rimmed design with hexagonal lenses. It seemed that every week or so another GWG would appear with this frame, and there were also girls who had never worn glasses previously suddenly sporting these elegant new specs. Sadly, they were uniformly of a low minus prescription. The worst thing was that one of these girls, a Lauren Bacall look alike, was a really good friend and also the object of my love.(I mean real love here, by the way, not just fancying her). She didn't wear her glasses all the time, but seemingly at random intervals. I remember one day we were talking and she took her glasses out the case and put them on, which I found a real turn-on. I never asked her to go out with me for fear of her turning me down and also in case it turned sour and spoiled our friendship - more fool me, because some years later I found out from a mutual friend that she felt exactly the same about me, by which time it was too late as she had sensibly married someone else. Another opportunity lost, as always.

Kevin 02 May 2006, 00:43

I suppose everyone who wears glasses has a "when I was at school" experience with them. After my first term at primary school it dawned on my teacher that my lack of progress may have been caused by not seeing the blackboard so I was given a desk at the front. No improvement as I still couldn't read anything on it, so I was given a note to give to my mum saying that I should have my eyes tested. Yes, I was markedly short sighted. Yes, I was fitted with NHS frames and lenses - blue plastic with wire ear pieces. Really great for my self confidence and I remember feeling very embarrassed of my new glasses as no one else had the same kind at my school. My eyes became successively weaker. They always do. My next NHS pair were Harry Potter style at a time when they were definitely not the frames of choice but at least I was not the only one at school in wearing them. Just to rub it in my next pair were the same, unflattering style. But there was nowt I could do about it. Without glasses I was technically blind. They just made me look like a geek and I was treated like one by nearly everyone even in lower forms. Then later around the time of 'O' Levels I got brown plastic frames, dark at the top and translucent at the bottom, still with wire ear pieces - not NHS but NHS lenses - great for pulling in the birds, I don't think. They made me look several years younger than I was and a real nerd and, until I had a screw replaced, one of the arms was held on with Elastoplast for a time. So for all my school days I was the short skiny lad with the thick glasses who was treated as a prize jerk - a period I prefer to forget. In fact it was only at uni when I got a pair of gold metal framed glasses with thin glass lenses that wearing glasses ceased to be an issue and a cause of undisclosed unhappiness and an obvious lack of confidence and social assurance.

Plusfan 01 May 2006, 09:50

Great thread, i can remember from when i was 7 till 12 there was a very beautiful girl in my class with high plus glasses i think the were +8 or +9 from that point she was really facineting me, her big blue eyes behind the lenses, when i looked from the side true her lenses everything was moving and turning, it drives me crazy when she was cleaning her glasses and took them of and one of her eyes turned in !!! that girl i will never forget, that was also the point where is started my interest in girl with plus glasses.

Julian 01 May 2006, 07:35

Well, there seems to be some interest in this thread!

Another recollection from the other end of my schooldays...in our last two years at school (when most of us were 16-18) myopia, not unknown before, really came into its own. In our last year a fresh-faced, fair-haired guy called Billy made no secret of the fact that he couldn't see the board, and would borrow any pair of glasses he could see through (mine, being plus, were no help). Before too long he appeared with a pair of his own: not NHS frames, but private frames that could take NHS lenses (a common variety in those days) - heavy temples in mottled brown plastic.

Adam 01 May 2006, 03:49

Lots of memories from school. I was about nine when I knew I couldn't see properly but never did anything because there were only about 2 people at school who had specs and they were always looked on with pity. It wouldn't have improved my chances with girls either!! But we had a new boy join the class who wore thick glasses and he was seated next to me so every now and then I asked to look thru his specs. He was surprised that I could see with them and offered to lend me a spare pair for going to the cinema or football matches. We became best friends and I eventually gave in and told my parents who promptly send me to get my own glasses which turned out to be just as strong as those I'd borrowed. Christian's eyes got much worse and when we were about 14 he got a big pair of "aviator style" specs with lenses which were almost black to make it look like sun glasses as he said. The lenses were about a half inch thick at the sides and their weight made them slip down a lot but he said he never minded that. Of course it didn't fool anybody and he had to hold books and things closer to see them especially in darker places. We remained good friends until we left school and went our separate ways - he to university to study law and me to medical school where I'm in my last year of training. Among my felow students most are high myopes, although a lot of them often wear contacts these days.

Seeker 01 May 2006, 01:25

In Science class in High school a girl who had not previously worn glasses started to borrow the glasses of another girl who had just gone to contacts. These were quite strong glasses which surprised many people as she used them for the whole lesson whenever she could for weeks. Another girl full time glasses wearer again quite strong came to a Social one night really dressed up but with no glasses and did not have contacts, can't have been an easy night for her.

 30 Apr 2006, 21:52

This is a great thread. When I was in school... There were two girls in my history class in high school. They were best friends and one of them wore glasses. The other girl always said how she would never wear glasses and was so glad she had perfect eyesight. Three years after we graduated I saw the girl who hated glasses at the grocery store wearing wire rim frames with at least -2.50 RX. I'm not sure how she seemingly all of a sudden became nearsighted but I love to see a girl who once said she hates glasses become a GWG. This is a true story.

Slit 30 Apr 2006, 21:43

hmm...

I exactly cant remember the first time i saw a GWG at school, but i still remember the only girl who wore PLUS glasses, honestly she was a pretty girl, with or without glasses.

In my country, the wearers of PLUS glasses is extremely rare, so seeing her was a dream come true for me!

First time i saw her she had much weaker glasses (may be +2 or +3) with a chain to avoid glasses falling off.

Throughout the years the glasses kept becoming thicker. And lately i did not see her again, but i am pretty sure by now she is happily married to some lucky guy out there!

Puffin 30 Apr 2006, 15:14

Another memory, I remember this girl from a much higher year when I was in the bottom year of high school, she wore thick (minus 8-9 or so) plastic-framed specs, and one sunny day I saw her outside with a friend. Evidently she had just got reactolite lenses, ie they go dark when it's light, and she was there as I walked past, trying to get them as dark as she could, I remember her saying to her friend something like

'This should get them really dark'

Odd what glasses does for a girl, because with them, I would have forgotten her.

Puffin 30 Apr 2006, 15:09

When I was at school, there was a girl who wore glasses (not very strong, about minus 4) who insisted on arranging her longish curly hair so that it went over the top of her glasses, in an attempt to disguise them, I assume. (Surely she must have realised she could do nothing about the sides, bottom, front etc?) What is interesting is that she befriended another GWG and got her to curl her hair and do it too!

Bobby 30 Apr 2006, 14:12

Wow! What a thread!

When I was at school ... Well, well, I attended 3 different ... erm ... sorry, 4 different elementary schools. Let's omit the reasons why they were 4 as it does not have anything to do with this story, except for I had many schoolmates any quite a number of them wore glasses.

The first one, I mean the first girl who wore glasses appeared in the second of my schools. She was one year older than me, so she belonged to another class. Her name was Vladka. She wore black plastic narrow cat-eyes with plus lenses. I fell in love with her immediately - and to no avail. Many many years later, when I was browsing through some old papers I found a scratch pad... There were some pictures I had drawn when I had been 6 or 7. I used to draw agricultural tractors with wagons full of potatoes or "super modern" cars .. and there were my name and her name written as headings of every picture. If a 6-year-old boy can love I loved her, and I still remember I loved her glasses.

Maxine 30 Apr 2006, 13:56

Hi Julian

You seem about the right age group to know what I am talking about in the way of British NHS Frames. I am the person who wants a pair but can't get them for love nor money, any help would be appreciated

Maxine

Julian 30 Apr 2006, 06:57

The various school reminiscences in the 'Vision' thread suggested that a separate thread might be welcome for recollections of schooldays - yourself or other kids needing or getting glasses. For example:

When I was a mixed infant in what (in England) would be called the Reception Class these days, there was a lad in my class called Bobby. When the rest of us graduated to writing on paper with a pencil, Bobby had to carry on writing in a sand-tray with his finger until he got his first glasses which he wore full time. My visual memory says they had strong plus lenses in the kind of NHS frames somebody's asking about on another thread. Thinking about it, he must have been very hyperopic or short of accommodative power if he could't cope with letters half and inch or so high.