Forty years ago when I was in high school my folks bought contact lenses for me. I was so excited. Inheriting less-than-perfect eyesight, I had worn glasses since I was a child. As a teenager, of course I wanted to look more attractive so believed having contact lenses instead of glasses would improve my looks.

Forty years later, I care more about my eyes than my attraction to the opposite sex, so in January I went back to wearing glasses rather than contact lenses. I just had become too unreliable to change out the lenses when I should have, and of course that was not good for my eyes.

I needed new glasses anyway, so I went to Danielle and Dr. Brandon Watson (Alamosa Eye Care) to get fixed up. They were very thorough and skillful, and Dr. Watson got me started back on eye drops for glaucoma, which is another area I had become lax in. We are fortunate that the Watsons decided to move to Alamosa and take up the optometry practice in the Wal-Mart complex. Besides providing an excellent professional service, they are a great addition to our community.

I went next door to the Wal-Mart vision center and chose some frames that were similar to my old glasses. It turns out the wonderful young lady, Hollie Martinez, who assisted me there was my parents’ former neighbor when they lived in Alamosa, and her parents still live in the same house next to my folks’ old residence. She remembered my parents when she was growing up there. It’s nice to live in a small town where connections can last a lifetime, even if you don’t see someone very often.

It made me feel really old to find out my prescription was for bifocals! Gracious! Hollie told me I might have trouble adjusting to them, but fortunately they have been pretty easy to adjust to. It’s just nice to see clearly again!

I am still adjusting to having something on my face all the time, though, after all these years of wearing contact lenses. I keep wanting to take them off when I pull up to the driveway, like they are just sunglasses that I put on in the car. I bought a new pair of sunglasses to fit over my glasses, so now I’m all set.

I am pretty nearsighted so have to wear “corrective lenses” of some kind to see the world in focus and not be more of a menace on the road than I am already. I am grateful for my new glasses and for folks like the Jacksons and Hollie who can help preserve my eyesight.

I know I am more self conscious about my appearance, but truthfully I don’t think people pay as much attention to who wears glasses and who doesn’t as I think they might. As I look around me everywhere I go, I’m in good company, from our gals on city council and in courtrooms to my coworkers and fellow church members. Many of us need glasses with which to more clearly view the world around us.

Now I just have to take another “selfie” to update my column photo.