Eyesight

I was talking to someone about eyesight today. I have always been mystified by the fact that most of us become affected by the big P-presbyopia. It seems that most people suffer from this, but I was wondering about those who don't. Just about everyone I have ever known ends up wearing glasses. Both of my parents started wearing glasses I think when they were in their 50's. They didn't wear glasses before that. If memory serves it was the same for my grandparents.

I, on the other hand, have been wearing glasses since I was in 3rd grade. I have astigmatism in both eyes and am nearsighted(myopia) in one eye and farsighted (hyperopia) in the other. The astigmatism is the worst of all three. I have had every kind of glasses there are and they all press on my temples and end up giving me headaches. I wear sunglasses all year round because of light sensitivity, but I tend to put them on and take them off a zillion times (no exaggeration). I started wearing contacts and those also got on my nerves. About 15 years ago I started wearing one contact. It worked for me for awhile. For the last 10 or so years I have worn nothing.

When I went to get my drivers license renewed a couple of years ago I ran into some problems so I had to go and get glasses. The optometrist told me that since I have not been wearing anything for so long my eyes have somehow overcompensated for each other. She went into vision medicalese, but I thought COOL!!!. I stil l had to get glasses to pass the eye test at the horrid DMV, and I have to wear glasses to drive, which I don't do that often.

Now the OLD AGE eyes are bothering me. I know that I am going to have to bite the bullet and deal with this, but I am dreading it. I have loved being glasses/contact free for all of these years.

Have I damaged my eyes because I have been free of optical aids all of these years. Who knows? I was hoping (fantasizing) that because I have all of the other things wrong with my eyes I would escape the big P, but of course not.

"The ear tends to be lazy, craves the familiar and is shocked by the unexpected; the eye, on the other hand, tends to be impatient, craves the novel and is bored by repetition." W.H. Auden