I'm now officially a four-eyes, something I never imagined I'd be. When I was in high school I never believed the day would come when I would be squinting to read road signs or not be able to watch the television without the characters onscreen having a fuzzy outline around them. I just always assumed I'd have great eyesight. We're such boneheads when we're young.

I really didn't think I was as bad as all that until one weekend I decided to go to New Hampshire to visit my best friend Sue. I was fine until I crossed the state line, then it was like I'd entered another time zone. A zone in which none of the signs were readable and everything seemed blurry and out of focus. I was unable to read any of the road signs until I was right on top of them, and by then it was too late. I'd missed my turnoff. I was confused as to why I could see fine in Maine and not well at all in the next state. Geez...I answered myself, maybe it's because you don't have to read or see that well in Maine because you've lived there your entire life and know your way around. It was kind of scary, though. How was I going to find my way to my friend's house if I couldn't read the road signs?

I flipped open my cell and called Sue. She'd been expecting my call, said she would've been disappointed if I hadn't gotten lost (she knows me too well). She got me back on track and I thought I was doing really well, until I realized I'd gone further than the mile I was only supposed to go, to get to my next turn. I pushed Sue's number again, "how'd you get way down there? That's heading towards Manchester, the complete opposite of where you're supposed to be going."

I explained my lack of clear-eyed vision to her.

Sue was annoyed, "whaddya mean you can't read the signs? They're like ten feet tall with bright white letters on 'em. How could you NOT read them?"

"I don't know. Just tell me how to get turned around, so I can get to your house."

I followed her directions and thought I was on my way, until I veered right into an intersection rather than left. Sue was more than annoyed when I called her yet again. "Are you kidding me? Seriously, you can't read the signs?"

"Not until I'm right on top of them."

"Are you ****** (insert swear word of your own choosing) crazy? What are you doing driving when can't even see! I could just strangle you!"

"I hope you don't, we've got a lot of catching up to do and it'll be tough for me to do that with your hands around my neck."

Sue's scolding and my own realization of how poor my eyesight had become was what prompted me into going for my eye exam. The exam proved that I couldn't see at a distance and that I definitely needed glasses.

It's weird though, most people see glasses as a sign of their 'oldness' but to be honest, I was just relieved to be able to see clearly again. It's pretty hard to know where your going if you can't read the signs.
(c)djc2008



CollisionCourse

Check out my new blog with my novel-in-progress!
Every week I'll be posting another chapter (as long as there's interest). Tell me what you think...