Seeing Clearly

When I was in second grade, I got glasses. I'll never forget it. We had those flip down charts hanging from the chalkboards. It was my turn, and I couldn't read the word "surprise". I was so embarassed. I was a good reader, and was so shy.... it nearly killed me to not know the answer! Turns out, I couldn't see. Once I got my Strawberry Shortcake glasses, I was good to go. A few years later, I remember trying to break them on purpose... I wanted new glasses and contacts. I finally got contacts in fifth grade, after telling my dad I woudn't play basketball unless I got contacts. Looking back, I really was a geek. Yes, I know it was 1982, but yikes. I was a geek! I can't believe I'm even posting this picture. Proof of my geekiness I guess, and how far I've come (Am I still that funny looking? On second thought, don't answer that! I am the nerd on the right with the weird hair and nerdy shirt. Jenn is the gorgeous one on the left. Man, she was beautiful, even with those nerdy 1980's glasses! John is, obviously, the cute baby in the middle.)

This humuliating picture is also a source of comfort for Jake. As of a week ago, Jake has joined the ranks of near-sighted people across the world. He was complaining about sitting in the back of the classroom, not being able to see the board, and never getting called on. Not sure if he was just looking for attention or really couldn't see, his teacher and I decided to have his vision screened. They do this for free within the school system, and since he had just been to the eye doctor in August and passed with flying colors, I really didn't think he needed glasses. I was wrong. The screening proved he did have trouble seeing, and a follow up visit to the eye doctor confirmed that, just like me, Jake needed glasses in second grade.

Jake got his glasses last week Wednesday. It was fun to watch him compare what he could see without his glasses to what he could see so much better with them. We splurged and got him the so-called "indestructible" glasses...they are designed to twist and turn in all directions, perfect for a seven year old boy, right? Wrong.

On Thursday, Jake came home from school with his glasses in an envelope and a story about getting hit in the face with a softball. His glasses were in two pieces, split right down the middle of the nosepiece. I questioned the softball story, because he didn't have a black eye or any other evidence on his face. He quickly admitted that was a story he made up to make himself sound "tough". The truth was, he said, he was sitting in the library reading his Star Wars book and they just "popped" off his face in two pieces. I didn't believe that either, but two teachers and a classmate have confirmed it. So, I guess that's what happened.

Last night we went back to the Wal-Mart Vision Center, with the story about the glasses "popping" off his face. They bought it. They put the lenses in new frames, and we walked out of the store with brand new glasses. I wonder how many times we'll be back? And I wonder how many times they'll fix them for free?