Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Sonny Boy, Can You Fetch Me My Spectacles?

Since I take public transportation to work, I rarely drive our mini van. When I do drive, it is usually to place I already know how to get to and I do not need to look at the road signs.

A few days ago, my family and I drove to a nearby museum that we have never been to before. Looking at the road signs, I noticed that they were all blurry until I got close to them. I have always had 20/20 vision and considered glasses to be something other people wore. The experience of not being able to read the signs alerted me to the fact that I better make an optometrist appointment to have my eyes examined.

Last Wednesday night, I went to optometrist and was diagnosed as:

OD. -0.75 -0.50 X 080
OS. -0.75 -0.25 X 105

Afterwards, I picked out a pair of frames for my first pair of glasses with my daughters help. Luckily, I will just need the glasses for driving and I do not need to wear them all the time.

A receding hairline, grey hairs growing in my beard, and now eyes that need glasses are unmistakable signs that I am getting older.

12 Comments:

At February 14, 2006 at 9:01:00 AM EST, Blogger torontopearl said...

...oh, but no doubt growing wiser too!

 
At February 14, 2006 at 9:02:00 AM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Well, I look wiser with the glasses on ;)

 
At February 14, 2006 at 9:09:00 AM EST, Blogger MC Aryeh said...

I have had glasses since I was 10, so I don't associate that with growing older. It is surprising when these changes seem to suddenly come upon us though. What does getting older mean to you?

 
At February 14, 2006 at 9:25:00 AM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

MCAryeh: It means that I have many more responsibilities.

On a side note, after picking up my glasses last night, I now realize how blurry things are if I don't wear them...

 
At February 14, 2006 at 10:42:00 AM EST, Blogger Akiva said...

I always tell my children as they comment on the increasing grey hair in the beard, that's Hashem's sign he's giving wisdom.

So far they're buying it :-)

 
At February 14, 2006 at 10:52:00 AM EST, Blogger Shoshana said...

I have worn glasses for many more years than anyone could possibly consider me old,and as for gray hair, my brother had one gray hair since he was very young - people always used to comment on it, so see it as a sign of distinction, rather than age!

 
At February 14, 2006 at 11:02:00 AM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Akiva: I like that! I will have to use it myself ;) And when I repeat it I can say "Amar Rebbe Akiva!" :)

Shoshana: Since you have always worn glasses, what has marked the passage of age for you?

 
At February 14, 2006 at 11:59:00 AM EST, Blogger Shoshana said...

I think I mark age with the number of responsibilities to consider before fun, with the time I measure my dollars before I spend them, what I have to consider before making plans.

People still tell me I look very young, so I find other things to measure age with.

 
At February 14, 2006 at 11:35:00 PM EST, Blogger Stacey said...

I feel your pain. After a life of perfect vision, I went to the eye doctor a few weeks ago and was told it is no longer perfect. He said I could get glasses for driving, but my prescription wasn't bad enough that I'd fail the driving test....so I decided to just get prescription shades.

Ugh...and I have pulled 2 or 3 greys, which look horrible against my black hair. :(

 
At February 15, 2006 at 6:34:00 AM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

Stacey: It looks like you and I are in the same boat :)

 
At February 16, 2006 at 7:23:00 AM EST, Blogger yitz said...

It looks like most or all of you guys have been in America too long, the "youth culture" - yeah, I know, it's worldwide, even here in our Holy Land.

My wife had an "auntie" [she wasn't a real aunt, but after the Holocaust in Poland, close friends of one's parents became the aunts & uncles]. She once told my wife, "If I wouldn't be an old lady, I'd have to die a young lady." In other words, guys and gals, count your blessings! She was into her 90s before she was niftar.

And remember that our Sages say that as we age, if we are steeped in Torah, our mind becomes more settled [daatam m'yusheves aleihem].

And in a Torah-true Jewish society, it's the elders who are revered, not the youngsters.

My aging? Of course it's there. I graduated from the nearsighted eyeglasses I've had since a kid, to multi-focals. But I'm enjoying it :))

best to all...from Yerushalayim

 
At February 16, 2006 at 7:43:00 AM EST, Blogger A Simple Jew said...

I always appreciate your comments, Yitz. Thanks as always ;)

 

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