VISION

In my latest tale of woe I failed to mention that in this same period of time I went to have the cataract removed from my right eye.  (I did talk about it on facebook)

Ir was an interesting procedure, not really painful at all and it helped improve my vision a lot.  I will have the other cataract removed  next Monday.  The experience brought something to memory that had a similar result. 

I went through my childhood without any hint of vision problems.  I never occurred to me that any one could see better than I.  When I was a sophomore in high school, I was taking Geometry (the one Math subject that I really loved and did well in==something about the way rules are set up etc.).  About six weeks into the class I found myself changing seats each class period, sometimes asking my teacher to change my seat, because the glare from the sun in the window was making it very difficult to read what was on the chalkboard. (This is really very important in geometry>)   After severa; seat changes my teacher came to sit by me, then stated that she could read the board clearly from my seat, and she suggested that I might consider asking my parents to send me for and eye exam.

They did, and I had my eyes checked.  The optometrist checked my eyes, told me I needed glasses and that I should come in the following  Wednesday after football practice to pick up my glasses.  (He did show me a batch of frames and allowed me to pick one that I liked)

On Wednesday I went to his office and he put my new glasses on my head, then adjusted the frames a bit, and sent me away.   I will never forget the sensation I had upon leaving the building.  I looked across the street and could see the individual bricks in the wall of the store.  I noticed that I could see individual leaves on trees.   I had this insane urge to grab pedestrians on the street and point out to them the rows of varicolored bricks on the buildings. (fortunately I resisted that urge, realizing that these people who had been seeing these things all along would call a cop or something)   I will never forget that afternoon.  It was one of the most exciting days of my life.  I felt like Superman with x ray  vision.   It was late enough that I had missed the school bus and I fairly danced the five mile walk home.  Every intersection or block brought ne exciting things to see.

Holding my hand over the unoperated eye, looking around with my new lens was almost as exciting.  I didn’t dance around (I no longer dance around for anything unless I have to go really bad and the restroom is a long distance away), but I was newly amazed at the improvemnt in my vision.   I can hardly wait for my second surgery nest mondayl.   (I still haven’t successfully figured out how we are going to travel in July.)