The Day That I Decided To Help Myself, Help My Self

It’s been years since I could see anything up close without readers. I did the whole “arm out, back in, back out” trombone thing for years before I broke down and bought my first pair. I was too stubborn to admit that I needed ‘granny glasses’ as I internally called them. I even went through a stage of just ‘quickly borrowing’ whoever had a pair on that was within reach. This sometimes extended to very shocked and confused but equally kind and forgiving strangers.

When I finally broke down and bought a pair ($9.99 at my local grocery), I couldn’t believe how beautiful life was again! I could read! I could see my phone! No more calling wrong numbers or texting people things like, “Elephant home shoot.” (auto correct’s noble attempt to decipher what I thought was, “I’ll be home soon.”)

Then about two months ago, I had trouble reading again. My phone quickly became the enemy and many texts went unanswered. I would wash my glasses and things would be a little bit better but never totally sharp. A new, fuzzy fog seemed to impair my vision. It was obviously time to see a professional. Back to the grocery I went.

Turns out that my vision hadn’t gotten any worse. I picked up the same exact magnification as my last pair, put them on, read my phone and I heard the angels singing! The same beautiful angels I heard when I put on my first pair of readers.

It was then, in that moment, that I turned my new laser-sharp focus upon the old pair that I had removed from the top of my head. The very ones that had become more of a semi-permanent headband than actual functioning glasses. How had I seen anything out of these things? Heavy scratches covered the center of each lens and spider-ed out to the edges. I could see hairspray stuck in the corners from where I thought I had cleaned them so thoroughly.

It dawned on me….I needed readers to see my readers!

How long had I walked around with my battered lenses, blaming it on my advancing age or even worse on my deceased grandmother’s genetics….,**waving clenched fists at sky** ”Why? Why do I have to be like you in EVERY way??” (Sorry Gram!)

So, as I was walking up to the cashier with my two pairs of shiny readers, I had an epiphany. We ourselves can sometimes be the one thing that blocks our own path (or even the view to the path!!) to a better life. We ourselves hold the power to make the necessary changes in our lives that will bring us to that better place. Sometimes the change is easy – a new pair of glasses. Sometimes the change is more challenging – changing our lifestyle to be healthier or to lose weight or to exercise or to drink less alcohol or to quit smoking or to end a bad relationship…the list is endless.

Wait, there’s more! I was thinking about how sometimes we need additional tools to help us find our way. For me today it was glasses. Maybe tomorrow it’s a therapist or a friend’s loving ear, or a visit to an actual eye doctor…, whatever it is, we all need to utilize the tools at our disposal to make our lives the best they can be. We owe it to those around us who love us. We owe it to ourselves.

For now, my days of nonsensical texts are gone (mostly) and all the elephants in my neighborhood are safe. One thing is for sure though…, the next time things in my life start to get fuzzy, I will most certainly help myself to help my self.