Since nearly the beginning of time, I've worn glasses. It's such a part of my identity that I can't even remember a time when I didn't wear them. I do however, remember the day I tried on my first pair.
Me, being oh so cool and stubborn, forced my mum to buy me a Super Mario glasses case and pink tortoise shell glasses. Probably the worst combo ever. Much of my childhood was spent with poor fashion choices, either by my own fault or my mother's (no judgement Mum, we were learning together). There was the time I decided to have a fringe that took up most of my face, or the time I wore a giant baby soother around my neck for "style" and I'll never forget my various "Spice Girl outfits" that I hocked from Bootlegger - huge mistakes.
These poor choices, accompanied by hideous face accessories made me go through about a ten year awkward phase. When people hear I never had acne, they usually envy me...until I show them any photo between the ages 9-15. I embrace it now though, sitting atop my jewelled 26 year-old diva chair. The struggle just helped me form this incredible personality to fit inside my now well-formed external along with a healthy dose of modesty.
Anyway, back to the glasses. I can clearly remember the next day going to school and sharing my update with the class for morning routine, pumping up the fact that in a week's time I would be getting THE coolest glasses ever. They were not. And they continued to not be until I turned 15 (a series of poor choices as my prescription increased - trading in pink tortoise shell for thin wire-rimmed square scary spice glasses) and got contact lenses. A whole new world opened up to me that day. The day my eyes and most of my face was liberated from ugly. It was a momentous shift, as I also decided on the exact same day that I would no longer rock my greasy split bangs, but would tie my hair back exposing my entire face. It was the first time in years that skin above my nose felt the warmth of the direct sun. It was a great day.
Now, I only wear glasses for about two hours a day total. Maybe an hour and a half before bed and 30 minutes when I wake up. I enjoy the style of my glasses, however my prescription is so strong that no matter which frame I select, you will almost always see the thick magnifying glass poking out from behind them. Yesterday, however was doomsday. My eyes were sore from not getting enough sleep the night before so I had to wear glasses to work. Which again, was like wearing glasses to school as a kid. In fact, it was glasses to school, period.
All of the children stared at me like I was the Phantom of the Opera, removing my white mask revealing a hideously deformed burn face. They literally stopped dead in their tracks with wide-open mouths. I don't know what it is about glasses, but when a non-wearer puts them on, it's like the face morphs into another, completely unrecognisable human. I don't understand it. They are literally transparent...you can see my eyes through them. Why is it so throwing? After the kids got used to it (3 hours of giggles) they finally started to let the compliments flow (what I live for).
The best was a five year old boy saying in front of everyone "you look cute with your glasses on." I nearly blushed.
Sometimes you carry an insecurity around with you your entire life, until you are in front of wee ones. They will either make you laugh at it by pointing it out directly, or they will make you see it in a way you never have before. For me, I became cute and I can handle that. Next stop, rocking the bush bangs to school. See what past emotional scars I can heal then. But for now, it's back to contacts, not just because I have conquered my previous fear, but because my glasses' prescription is about four weaker than my contacts and I was bumping into things. Healing time's over, practicality rules.
