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ON A RECENT trip to an optometrist, the cute looking doctor, David, declares in all seriousness that I am legally blind. This
pretty much confirms what I have known all along. That explains the many years of bumping into people and things, occasionally
knocking coffee over, and having difficulty telling a man or woman apart in the absence of my glasses or contacts.
"It's like having a 20/200 vision," he explains. "An individual with 20/20 vision would stand at 200 feet
to see the same view you have at 20 feet!"
Shoot," I groan, "plus it doesn't help that I also
got astigmatism."
"Yes," he nods, "And the prescription glasses is still the way to go."
The thought of going through the rest of my life with thick glasses doesnt seem too appealing. Contacts are okay
but I can't stand them for more than eight hours or so and besides, theyre a bit pricey. And I'm such a coward (not that
I can afford it) to go under the corrective knife.
And oh, that downward spiral of agony of looking for that
perfect frame: you, in front of a mirror, while a smiley salesperson hands you frame after mother loving frame, each looking
worse than the previous. Or, perhaps, it's you, alone with your reflection amid a rack of frames, unable to tell if this one
looks good or if it's the exhaustion talking. Consider my situation: a face that as round as they come; a nose that is a tad
too pug than I'd like, which makes the glasses slides down easily.
One thing I learn and need to remember (and
this goes to all of you out there with the round-faced persuasion) is to try frames with sharp angles: rectangles, trapezoids,
and the like. Round glasses would accentuate our chubby cheeks.
Yes luckily, for the eyeglass-wedded like me,
with a little know-how, it is quite possible to find a pair that complements an imperfect mug. After trolling the Web, I
learned the rules for selecting the right frames; the ins and outs of the labyrinthine world of lenses, like which extras
are worth the money (anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings are both musts); and ways to better the odds that your
glasses fit properly and match your prescription.
You can find a lot of info on the Web. For instance, theres
the eyeglasses.com with complete information on eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, LASIK and laser eye surgery, low vision,
& eye health. And AllAboutVision.com is your ideal source for unbiased vision articles because they sell no products.
There, one can find ideas on hot eyeglass styles, learn about frame materials, types of lenses and coatings, and choose the
right eyeglasses for your face.
Also, just for fun, I decide to poll my male friends about glasses: what they
think of them and the women who wear them.
My four-eyed surfer friend Vince has amassed a huge collection of
eyeglasses and has been wearing them since first grade. "I was a little Dexter," he confides, "I have a half
a dozen custom-made prescription glasses at any one time."
"I don't like putting contacts on my eyes,"
he adds. "I like glasses better because its a good management tool; you know, you can take it off your nose or shake
it to stress a point, plus it makes me look so much more intelligent."
"So how do you choose what
glasses to wear?" I ask.
"Depends on my mood when I wake up in the morning," he states,"and
what mood I want to be."
"But don't you have a favorite?"
"My new blue Ray
Bans would be it, I become a total madman. And with my tortoiseshells, I look like Jack Nicholson. My yellow glasses make
me crazy and so hyper. I need to get rid of it. Heaven helps me, but it does something literally to me, like the weirdest
thing..." he swears.
"And how about women with glasses?" I keep on.
"Oh,they
can be so damn sexy," he says analytically, "especially with the hair up. Ah, that teacher, that librarian look
really works with me, that will do it for me."
My other friend Richard believes glasses take away a womans
natural beauty and its a sign of vulnerability.
"Why is that? Glasses can also enhance ones looks."
I argue.
"Regardless of the kind of glasses she's wearing, she is always concern how she looks in them.
And that means that her guard and self worth is down. That is why, most women with glasses are fair game, they are susceptible
and to be taken advantage of."
"Oh, that is so B.S. That is not so true," I disagree.
"In fact, there should be a meltdown of all black frames, you know, like you women did with bra burning. They shouldn't
make those thick black frames anymore-- they're plain, boring, hideous. That geek-librarian-accountant look is so out of style.
If one decides to wear that, one might as well put a black marker around her face."
"I have one of
those thick black frames." I confide.
"How come I've never seen you in them?" he challenges.
"I usually go out with my contacts on."
"Well, this is L.A. and it's all about looks.
Those black frames just dont go with anything. What are they for?" he dares.
"Hello, black goes with
everything," I contradict.
"Oh,is thats why you wear yours a lot," he says. "But those Cat
woman glasses are sexy. Or the one that Audrey Hepburn wears in Breakfast at Tiffanys are gorgeous. The new stylish frames
are also really cute. But I never fell for women with glasses and never will."
Okay guys, whatever. As
far as I know as soon as I get home to Cebu, I will be scouting for pairs of glasses at SM City and Ayala mall. Ive traveled
around Asia and America and I still think you can get the best value for money for glasses in the Philippines. In Cebu, I
can find rock-bottom prices like two complete pairs for $60 or P3 thousand, which is a real deal. Typically, people spend
about $200 to $400 in the States so forget about making eyeglasses purchases here.
I know glasses can be a
hassle, like when kissing. But believe me, they come off pretty easily, don't you agree?
(Monday,28th January,2002)
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