A few weeks ago a friend of mine lost his glasses at the beach. I remembered hearing about a company called
Warby Parker that did the whole one-for-one thing (like TOMS shoes) but with glasses instead. Plus, the style was right up his alley. Anyways, they have a free home try-on program so he gave it a try. Seeing him model all of his new glasses inspired me to give it a try as well so I went ahead and picked out a few pairs and waited for them to arrive in my mailbox. I have to say, I am so in love with all of the frames that I chose! The two pictures are of my favorite frames, though I think I'm going to go with the Sibley's for now. I still have to get an eye exam, but as soon as that's done these babies are going to be mine!
I think I was in 3rd grade when I first got glasses. Purple, wire-rimmed, and fabulous. My mom wore her glasses all the time, my dad and older sister each had reading pairs, and of course my grandparents had theirs. I was finally a part of this club.
During elementary school glasses were pretty cool, but by the time middle school came around most of my friends who had glasses hated them. Maybe it was resentment more than hatred. Anyhow, the time had come and they mostly moved on to contacts.
Not me though. I stuck with my glasses like an old friend. I loved being able to choose when I wanted to see the world. If I woke up in the morning and wasn't quite feeling it yet, I just wouldn't put my glasses on. I'd walk around in a haze, waiting until I felt like I could actually partake of its activities. I became pretty shy in middle school, a characteristic which remained with me throughout high school and my first two years of college. My glasses almost served as a kind of buffer between me and the rest of the world. I felt like no one could really look me in the eye, which I wanted for whatever reason.
Moving into college though I almost felt like I wanted to try contacts. After all, that seemed like the adult thing to do for some reason. I was changing and I didn't want to be who I had been. Everything around me was new and different and wonderful. College is when we start to discover who we are and begin to shape ourselves into who we will be. Maybe I wouldn't be the girl with glasses. Maybe I'd wear contacts and hide my lack of perfect vision.
It never happened though, and I think I'm glad about that. I don't think I could live without my glasses. Trying these new frames on has made me realize how much of my identity is wrapped up in a simple set of lenses.
I am a girl with glasses. I wear them to see the people I love. I wear them to read the books from which I learn. I wear them to write the stories in my heart.
They frame my world.
