It was an early evening on the streets of Lisbon, Portugal in November 2001 when I had to get honest that it was time to buy a pair of reading eyeglasses.
I was looking at a Lonely Planet travel guidebook for Portugal, trying to find an affordable hotel for the night and having a difficult time as my wife stood by my side.
Playing with the distance of the book and squinting my eyes were to no avail – the lighting was poor, the print too small, and my 46-year young middle-aged man eyes were screaming at the challenge and giving me a rite of passage and a middle-age man moment of truth.
The rock bottom moment that was the straw breaking the camel’s back was when a young woman from Australia about age 22 - who along with her male friend from South Africa were accompanying my wife and me from Seville, Spain to Lisbon - realized that I was having a difficult time.
In a random act of kindness, she politely grabbed the guidebook from me and with the easiest of ease read to me what I was unable to do on my own.
It was at the split second that I had to get rigorously honest and admit to myself that it was time to get some help. When I returned home about one week later, I purchased my first pair of over-the-counter reading eyeglasses, some 1.00’s as I call them, that I still use to this day.
Well lately I find myself in the same situation as that early evening in Lisbon over 7 years ago, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for a pair of 1.25’s.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum
I was looking at a Lonely Planet travel guidebook for Portugal, trying to find an affordable hotel for the night and having a difficult time as my wife stood by my side.
Playing with the distance of the book and squinting my eyes were to no avail – the lighting was poor, the print too small, and my 46-year young middle-aged man eyes were screaming at the challenge and giving me a rite of passage and a middle-age man moment of truth.
The rock bottom moment that was the straw breaking the camel’s back was when a young woman from Australia about age 22 - who along with her male friend from South Africa were accompanying my wife and me from Seville, Spain to Lisbon - realized that I was having a difficult time.
In a random act of kindness, she politely grabbed the guidebook from me and with the easiest of ease read to me what I was unable to do on my own.
It was at the split second that I had to get rigorously honest and admit to myself that it was time to get some help. When I returned home about one week later, I purchased my first pair of over-the-counter reading eyeglasses, some 1.00’s as I call them, that I still use to this day.
Well lately I find myself in the same situation as that early evening in Lisbon over 7 years ago, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time for a pair of 1.25’s.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum
1 comment:
Can you spell "bifocals"?
That's what I'm probably looking forward to next time I visit the eye doctor.
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