In Praise of Glasses

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In February 1995, a very important discovery was made as I rode home with my mom for dinner.

Trees have leaves. And you can see them. Like, from far away.

I had just been outfitted with my first pair of glasses and it was love. (Yeah, the “first sight” kind. Har Har.)

I didn’t need to wear them everyday and I didn’t until I went to college, but those glasses were my gateway drug to the world of what is the best accessory ever created. If they love you as much as you love them*, they will fill your life with the blessings of clear sight and that just-finished-attending-a-foreign-film look. We are smarty-pants and we are proud. Or at least we simply appreciate the idea of looking like we’ve read a book.

*And let’s face it: glasses don’t love everyone. But please allow those of us who can’t shouldn’t wear jeggings the small elite pleasure of wearing our glasses well.

Anne, you know I love you, but NO. Source: Jezebel.com

My glasses are my constant companion. No matter how much more my eyesight deteriorates, I could never bring myself to get Lasik and eliminate the need for them in my life. I don’t really do earrings and necklaces so my glasses are my foremost accessory. And that’s fine by me because the idea of putting contacts in my eyes makes me wretch.

No, really.

When I got married, I finally broke down and tried to get contacts so, you know, I could SEE and all. As much as it pains me to say it, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include my red glasses as part of my bridal ensemble on the big day. For shame. Before the optometrist could officially dispense the Disks of Torture to me, I was required to demonstrate that I could put them in and take them out on my own. I tried, to no avail. Putting those things in my eyes just made me feel nauseous and seasick. So I went home and “practiced” for Round Two by trying to touch my eyeballs. I returned the next day and had no luck again, nearly ralphing in the garbage can. Day Three came and I was determined to show those contacts who was boss.

But yeah, I couldn’t get them in. No surprise there. My body was literally rejecting the contacts. Glasses had chosen me and I had reached the point where I couldn’t opt out of that designation. No worries; I instead purchases a pair of Vera Wang frames that I wore to the reception on my big day. It is my thought that every lady should don something Vera Wang for her wedding day, and I would highly suggest glasses if a dress costing the same as a Miata is not in the budget.

My wedding day frames that enabled me to adorably smash wedding cake into my husband's face

It kills me when the Stacy Londons of the world accuse those among us who wear glasses as “hiding” behind our big clonky frames. Sometimes we just need the safety that big clonky frames can give us. And I mean “safety” in a very literal sense. Half the time Adam Savage doesn’t even put on goggles when he dips his hand in boiling lead on Mythbusters because he’s already wearing his giant military-esque glasses. I suppose you could make a claim that stilettos could also be wielded in such a way to actually protect your body in a pinch, but that’s a bit of a stretch. “Fierce” is a word misappropriated by the most vulnerable sitting duck fashionistas among us. In the real world, it’s a giant pair of glasses – not a pair of Christian Louboutins – that are going to keep the weirdos from approaching you on the subway. They are so afraid that you’ll insist that they attend a poetry slam with you or have to listen to your diatribe against the Establishment that they keep their distance.

When the baby arrives in a couple or so weeks, she won’t be able to see anything for awhile. Babies’ eyesight is really poor at the beginning of their lives and they can only really see maybe eight inches. But that’s OK. Once she ages a bit, I can’t wait to schlepp her to the optometrist and get an assessment of her eyesight.

Because, you know, babies with glasses way out-cute all other babies. Is it wrong that I want my baby to be as blind as me?

I dare you to say that's not adorable. Source: neatorama.com

I didn’t think so.

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422 thoughts on “In Praise of Glasses”

  1. I like glasses. They are sexy in a kind of naughty librarian kind of way. (No idea where that came from.)

    Ps. My new server moved my site a few days early, so I am up and live on my new host. I think you can still get there by clicking on my name.

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      • The question though, Rob, would be this: Is it that she’s not paying attention — or just not seeing all the comments!

        I guess it depends if she’s hiding behind the clunky Vera Wangs or not…

        ;)

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        • I don’t know. But what I do know is that if the secret to getting freshly pressed was to have a baby, I would have had a sex change a long time ago…and not moved to my own host. Then again, I guess having a sex change still wouldn’t help with the having a kid part. Crikey, I’m so confused.

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          • Haha! And yes, I believe the word for what you are, then, is “screwed.” But you used the word “crikey” which also makes you funny!

            Alas, I marked my blog as “Mature” when i started blogging so my children couldn’t randomly happen upon it. Because I swear. A lot. So that took me out of the Freshly Pressed running long ago! ;)

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          • Oh Rob, I love the trajectory that this discussion is going in :) I didn’t know about FP until I got back from the pediatrician with Miss C. I nearly fell over when I saw my inbox. When it rains, it pours!

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            • Well, it’s a definitely a funny story you can tell Miss C when she gets older. Hope you all are doing well and getting at least a miniscule amount of sleep.

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  2. Glasses make people look smart. I wore them for a very long time!

    And if you’re looking for a new site to show some hate to (or just general confusion), be sure to check out Klout! It makes no sense to me at all, which means it MUST be awesome!

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  3. I’ve had mine since second grade! I think I look really strange without them, and I have horrid allergies anyway, so there’s no way I can wear contacts. I also can’t wear larger frames because my prescription is so strong. Every time I go to check them, I’m steered away from the things I think are cute because they wouldn’t work with my eyes. :(

    Your wedding glasses are/were super cute.

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    • I look really weird too without mine too. When I taught kindergarten I would occasionally take my glasses off and my kiddos would laugh hysterically.

      I love them too. I rarely wear them, though. They are my “dressy” glasses.

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  5. I got glasses in fourth grade and I thought they made me look smart. I remember writing a note to my friend saying I thought I would look like Andrea on 90210. Yeah, well, I found those giant turquoise frames in a drawer at my parents house a few years ago and I can tell you I must have really been blind because those things were NOT Beverley Hills.

    I also switched to contacts in sixth grade and never looked back. My current glasses are a prescription from 2000 and wicked bad. I should probably look into updating those since I will probably have to rock them for nighttime feedings and the whatnot.

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    • Andrea would have certainly been the one to emulate. She never seemed to fit with the rest of the characters on that show because she was actually kind of normal, despite the fact that she looked like she was 42. And it was the 90s; turquoise seems like it could have worked.

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      • Thanks to both of you for sharing this. I TOTALLY can’t deal with eye touching of my own or anyone else’s! Any crime or medical show with some kind of eye injury turns my guts immediately.

        I’ve been wearing glasses since I was three and I would feel very lost and unsafe without them. Great post! :)

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  7. Okay, I loved this. I’ve always had decent eyesight, but I’ve always thought glasses were supercool. Maybe its bc I’m a comedian. I blame woody Allen and janeane garafalo. Anthology, just last yr I was standing w some friends of mine and one of them said, yeah, that ferris wheel down there…and I said what ferris wheel. And he handed me his glasses to say, hey put these on. And I did and I said holy shit, a ferris wheel! Now I wear glasses. They are dolces, not to label drop but to prove I have lady parts. And I’m so mad at drafts London for saying that. I normally love her…

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    • Dude! Woody Allen and his glasses have brought so much joy to my life that I can’t even express it. I love it that his glasses haven’t changed in like 45 years. (And if the childhood flashback scenes in Annie Hall are to be trusted, we can adjust that figure to 65 years.)

      I am also not above name-dropping when it comes to my frames since they are pretty much the only designer items I own.

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  8. Okay, I loved this. I’ve always had decent eyesight, but I’ve always thought glasses were supercool. Maybe its bc I’m a comedian. I blame woody Allen and janeane garafalo. Anyway, just last yr I was standing w some friends of mine and one of them said, yeah, that ferris wheel down there…and I said what ferris wheel. And he handed me his glasses to say, hey put these on. And I did and I said holy shit, a ferris wheel! Now I wear glasses. They are dolces, not to label drop but to prove I have lady parts. And I’m so mad at stacy London for saying that. I normally love her…

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  11. Zennioptical.com I probably have 18 pairs of glasses now and I started collecting them when Em was little. My tendency to pass out ANC crush my glasses had me on the hung for cheaper frames. They’re great. You just need your pupillary distance. And then you won’t break those purty frames. :)

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  12. I rock the glasses myself. I am planning on the eye surgery, but it is because I want to be able to see in the middle of the night. I am super paranoid someone will break into my house.

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  13. The first time I tried to put in contacts (in grade 12), it took 40 minutes. But I hated glasses so much that I kept at it. Contacts were better, but still inconvenient for things like camping … or being able to see during labour …

    I got PRK in 2008 and have never looked back :) yay for being able to see during labour.

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  16. And they say love is blind! No, wait, I have more…don’t blindly reject Lasik surgery…hang on, I’m still going…I just can’t see you without glasses…oh, I could do this all day!

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  17. My dad persevered with contacts for about six months and then finally went back to glasses. What a nightmare…the contacts themselves, sanitizing, neutralizing, all that nonsense, plus the expense and the hassle when you run out of solution late at night. Seriously stupid things, contact lenses.
    As for eye-touching, well, people are always touching my eyes. When I get thrown across the room you can hear them banging against the wall. So maybe I need some Mythbuster-style goggles.
    Oh yeah, and you might get to go shopping for new glasses after having your spawn because pregnancy sometimes affects eyesight…what fun ;)

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  18. I think glasses add a bit of mystery, elegance, and a sense of intelligence to the wearer. There is no way I could use contacts either!! I freak out over all things eyeball related. Ugh!! It is so awful for me when pink eye rages through our house (it has happened twice). Having to put medicated drops in my kids eyes as well as my own is the worst!

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    • Pink eye IS the worst! It ran its course through my freshman dorm in college and the entire time I was so glad I didn’t wear contacts because it would have been such an uncomfortable hassle.

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  19. Great post! I love glasses. But I’m thankful that I don’t need them because a.) my face is asymmetrical (in my mind) and I’m certain symmetry stretched across my face would highlight this flaw, and b.) I’m a pinhead and look like a housefly in any frames not made for a child.

    Those Vera Wang frames are the cat’s pajamas! I could just eat ‘me up!

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    • I once had a pair of glasses that I am pretty sure I bent the instant I took them home, because for the entire time I had them I always felt like they made my head tilt in an asymmetrical way. No one ever seemed to notice, but I could always tell and it drove me bananas!

      I love those frames too, but I am pretty sure my favorites of all time are the green DKNY frames I have now. They rock my face off.

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  20. I got my first glasses in 6th grade and also had that moment of realizing that trees have leaves. My special talent was picking out the most unflattering set of glasses and than having to live with them for a year until next eye exam. The ugly glasses never broke, even when stomped on. I’m another LASIK missionary – I love that I can wake up and SEE the clock.

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    • That WOULD be nice. Also these days since I get up nearly five times per night to go to the bathroom, it would be nice to not have to search for my glasses every time. But at least I look cool when I use the toilet.

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  21. I’m like you. I always always always wanted to wear glasses…. but have a perfect eyesight. I have fake ones, but it just doesn’t feel right to wear them, because I don’t need them. I am now desperate that I will go from not wearing any glass at all to presbyopia when I grow old. When this happens I will seriously indulge in proper glasses and pretend I actually need them, not just put them on to read the restaurant’s menu….

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  22. I love my glasses too :) I’ve had them since 1st or 2nd grade. And I was always fittingly the class bookworm ;) I will say glasses were also a great protection against boys, LoL. I think glasses intimidate them – nerd power! Oh and we had all 3 of our kiddos’ eyes tested, no luck. Oh well, saving money!

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  23. My friends think it is weird how I love my glasses :P I don’t exactly need them all the time (touchwood) but I still like wearing them.
    Which reminds me…I need a new frame (current one looks years old…because it is years old :P lazy me).

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  24. I read this posting cover to cover. Well written, honest and insightful….almost poetry in that phrase. As a young man those who wore glasses were looked down upon with a negative slant. I cannot agree with you more about not getting the various surgical operations today for better sight without glasses. The horror stories are many from these surgeries. I personally have several close friends who regret having these forms of surgery. As for me, at 70, I am proud and thankful for the gift of my glasses. After all, it is one of the trade marks of Superman……my Hero!

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  27. Great post! I really enjoyed reading it :)
    I like glasses too…. So long as they’re not on my face!! There, they just look ugly (or maybe thats me!). I’m glad that i can wear contacts without any trouble. Though I do wish I had your self- confidence when it came to wearing glasses!!

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  28. I can SOOO relate!! Although I think i may go over to the darkside and opt for laser surgery instead. I should probably be shot for even contemplating this!

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  29. I’m blessed with clear eyesight and I am really happy about it! But really, I’ve been dying to don those extremely witty and sexy looking glasses just to add more character to my already geeky outfits. If I could get myself one, I’d go for Vera Wang’s or DKNY’s

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  30. In Sweden “everybody” wears glasses. We think it’s cool, and even people with perfect eyesight wears them, :). A child would never be bullied for wearing glasses in here. The only time I think it’s a bit annoying is when it’s raining, not to mentioning snowing.

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  31. My best friend doesn’t look like herself without her glasses. I notice EVERYONE who have nice teeth or is wearing a distinct pair of glasses. Good post!

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  33. I am near my 30s (ouch that sounds i am so old) and i am wearing glasses from the age of 2. Still No matter what people say or how kids used to make fun of me (me and the others who had glasses too) at school I can be honest and say that glasses is a part of my life. Think of it as the third useful Hand i need (ouch thats sounds nasty jeez) And there is/was ofcource a period that i really hate them like when its raining and you are outside and you cant see a thing because of the water and all? You get my point!

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  35. I got glasses full-time when I was 19 and it was amazing how other peoples’ perception of my changed. It was like I was born to wear glasses, I looked right, I looked sophisticated – I got much better service in shops, for example.

    I do wear contacts occasionally (being Australian, sun glare is a fairly big issue, and prescription sunglasses are way too expensive) but I don’t think I would ever have surgery. My eyes aren’t bad enough, and my fiance loves my glasses so much I don’t think he’d ever forgive me (and yes, I’ll be wearing them on my wedding day).

    Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

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  40. Fun blog post! I remember when I was told I should be able to read the menu at Burger King before I reached the counter…too bad clunky frames weren’t “in” when I first got mine…

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  42. I’d like to thank my gorgeous yellow glasses for allowing me to read this brilliant post. I too remember the magical moment I realised trees had branches and branches had twigs and twigs had leaves. Glasses truly are great :)

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  45. I started wearing glasses when I was 9, but they look terrible on me :( perhaps I just haven’t found the right frame yet…
    So I started wearing contacts, and they actually don’t hurt my eyes. But I would love to be able to “hide” behind a sexy pair of frames.

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  46. I’m an ophthalmic tech, yeah the one who does all the pre-doc torture AND coaches you to poke your finger in your eye for contacts lenses . . . anyway, I am also a professed glasses junkie (or as some friends have put it, glasses whore). I like to see, comfortably and look cute too. I love the versatility of frames. And no, we don’t hide behind them; we let them work for us! Jewelry for the face.

    Great, great post. Thanks!

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  48. I’m nearing 40 and it takes longer and longer for my eyes to adjust in the morning. I read all day and my eyes just can’t handle it. I need someone like you to help me with frames when the time comes. You have great taste! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

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    • Thank you! I am a firm advocate for all the glasses-wearing people in the world. Best advice I can give is try on A LOT of frames before you select the ones your like. I usually try on 25-30.

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  49. When I was a little kid, a trip to the eye doctor was bitter sweet. That’s because I had 20/20 vision, but got no glasses like my brothers. Little did I know what that meant, like good vision. Lots of little kids see the glasses and not the good eye sight symbolism.

    My glasses are always on, and work well. I have few complaints. I have Verilux comforts, and my Rx is distance/reading.

    I tried contact lenses, but when I moved to bi-focal contacts, the best formula was Bausch and Lomb, which also caused my upper lids to develop papilla, something the eye professionals don’t like to see. Contacts were out from that point on, and great savings followed $350.00 /year for bi-focal contacts.

    Thanks for talking about glasses.

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    • I love that you wanted to wear glasses like your brothers and didn’t understand that not wearing them reflected well on your eyesight. Kids are hilarious.

      Thanks for commenting.

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  50. I love my glasses! I’ve been resisting contacts (I used to have them in high school for sports) but I bought some really distinctive glasses that have become part of my look. I rock that sexy librarian look daily :)

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  51. Congratualtions on getting “pressed”.

    Got cat’s eye frames in grade 2 (I’m a little older than you). Now I’m wearing readers on top of my contacts! Ah, the joys of aging!

    But what I really wanted to share was reading Dorothy Parker’s famous line, “Men don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.” made me set out to totally discount it!

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    • Love love love cats eye frames. I had a pair once and was even allowed to wear them when I was an extra in the film Walk the Line. I was so glad too because a lot of other extras were told they couldn’t wear their more modern glasses and remain on-screen.

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  52. As a fellow glasses wearer and contacts rejecter, I totally love this post. In high school, I thought I looked like a geek and worried what everyone thought. Now that I’m older, I know I look like a geek, and I love it.

    Congrats on FP. i was there over the weekend with my post on terrible baby names and it was a wild ride. Enjoy it, you deserve it!

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    • Thanks! Our baby actually arrived only last Saturday so it’s been crazy around here. Thank God my mother in law, a fellow blogger, is here helping me balance the baby and handling the comments from being FP’d.

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  53. I adore my glasses! I’ve worn glasses since I was 9 years old. My school nurse told me I needed glasses when I was 7 but I never gave my parents the note and walked around not seeing clearly for over a year. It wasn’t until my teacher moved me to the back of the class and I couldn’t see the blackboard that I thought maybe I should get those glasses the nurse mentioned. But now I’ve been wearing glasses for so long, I can’t imagine life without them. I love trying out new frames. I tried contacts too but we didn’t agree. :)

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  54. I have been wearing glasses since 2007. The current is already my third. Sure it has its inconveniences: that of having to wipe my glasses from time to time especially when I try to drink something hot or that moment after getting off an air-conditioned bus and the mist forms and clouds on my lens. Shortsightedness does suck. It gets worse over time, but that’s one fact I have already come to terms with. Glasses are already part of my life. I can see the world better with them on.

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    • My person favorite is when I am draining hot pasta or opening up a hot dishwasher. Kind of annoying. But I agree, not too bad considering how they help me do everything.

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  57. I can see without my glasses. But I still prefer wearing them. I’ve tried contacts and always go back to the glasses for the reasons you describe. I was thrilled when my doctor told me i’d never be a candidate for Lasik. I love my glasses. I look better in them.

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  58. I have been wearing glasses since I was 5 as well, when the optometrist and the doctor both concluded that I might have been born with astigmatism. I have been through the thick chunky frames and the light metallic frames, back to the black classy frames. I wear my glasses to do sports, compete in competitions, to school, and everywhere else.

    There are just so much sentiments with the little ones.

    P.S. Before today, I thought I was the only girl without any accessories! Now I found safety in number. Totally with you in this post!

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  59. Hooray! I’m so excited to see you up here! Congratulations! Now you can be up late enjoying your new fan base while you’re up a zillion times in the night ;)

    I loved this post. Already read it but I read it again :)

    Happy Freshly Pressed Day, my friend!

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  60. Glasses rock. What doesn’t rock? Contact lenses. What good is bad eye sight if nobody can see how smart you are because of it? And the thought of touching my eyeball every day…AH!

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  61. OMG…okay #1 congrats on your wee baby #2 congrats on freshly pressed and #3 congrats on making this new reader to your blog squee with the fact that someone else thinks like I do.

    I love glasses. I don’t have them – I don’t even need reading glasses – but I love to look of them. The many, many looks. My hubby wears them (part of his adorable nerdy charm) and yes, babies with glasses are cute but I also adore puppies in glasses. Since I don’t have a baby yet my dog has to deal with my “dress up days” where I put glasses and fun shirts on her for no reason but that it’s cute and she’ll let me. (Don’t worry she gets lots of cookies for her trouble) My whole family wears glasses so does the hubby’s so really, this babybean has no chance unless he gets all the genetic issues BUT glasses like I did. And then wears them anyways because they are SO FASHIONABLE. So many styles and frames and …. well, you already know. Thanks for the pick me up this morning! :)

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  62. Awesome post, and thank you for glamorizing my livelihood. I’m an optometrist (and I wear glasses, go fig) and I can tell you that you are not alone when it comes to not being able to wear contacts. All they do is lead to more problems anyway.

    You may already be aware of this (you probably are), but once your little one hits the 6 month mark, some optometrists participate in a problem called InfantSee that offers free eye exams for rugrats. There’s not much we can do when they’re that young, but it’s a good way to rule out any gross abnormalities, and it’s free!

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    • You are my hero! Optometrists are by far my favorite kinds of doctors :) (I’m partial to anesthesiologists too, having just delivered a baby, but I have more of an history with your cohorts).

      I never knew about getting her eyes checked at the six month mark until several people commented letting me know about this. I will certainly be taking her in! Thanks.

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  65. I totally embraced some fierce glasses recently, and I have been getting so much attention! Some guy told me I look like Lois Lane, which is the best compliment that I’ve ever received. So hey, if you’re going to wear glasses, own it!

    Thanks for a great post. Glasses wearers unite!

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    • That is a nice complement! Someone once told me when I was in college that with my glasses I looked like the Bee Girl from a Blind Melon video. Yeah, THANKS. Nowadays I get more comments that my glasses make me look like Tina Fey. And I prefer that to a pudgy nine-year-old.

      Thanks for your comment!

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  67. Ha, I love the baby in glasses photo. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my own. Kids can tease and everyone wants to fit in, so I didn’t wear them, even though I was blind as a bat. But now everyone loves my glasses, and I wear them everyday.

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  68. Hi … I wanted you to know that there is one more alternative before you and that this … no glasses at all. I am saying this from my own experience that I once wore glasses and when I believed I didn’t need them my eyesight got so sharp that at 57 I now can read the finest print in the teeniest of letterings. Do buy my mastermind you will bless yourself in countless other ways.

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    • Hmmm maybe :) I think I’d be a little nervous to drive without my glasses in the interim time it would take for my eyesight to naturally correct itself, though. Thanks for commenting!

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      • Dear it was not a comment … it was advice … something you might have been charged for if you went to a counsellor. Just buy my mastermind … you have to pay for my book to receive the knowledge within. Free stuff only gets you so far and then no more .. to see actual results you need to pay for advice…. period.

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  69. When I saw this on the WordPress homepage, I said, “YES! Finally, someone who feels the same way I do about my glasses!” I have noticed that on What Not to Wear, and even on other types of makeovers, they ALWAYS make the person remove their glasses. That makes me mad! Some people are just glasses wearers and they should instead help the makeover recipient choose more attractive frames and focus on helping women do their eye makeup correctly to look good behind the glasses.

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    • Yes! THANK YOU! Glasses can be very flattering, people just need to put a little energy into finding the ones that are right for them. They don’t automatically read “I’m giving up on the way I look” or “I don’t care” like these fashionistas might contend.

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    • Thank you! I can’t take credit for the baby pic, though, but if you want to see a REALLY cute baby (ie, mine) check out my latest post.

      Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

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  71. I’ve worn glasses since I was around 5 or 6. That was almost 50 years ago. I’ve tried contacts 5 different times, and failed each and every time. The last time I scratched both corneas and said “never again.” I don’t mind glasses. Perhaps it’s because I’ve worn them for so long that I don’t even think about it anymore. They are truly a part of me — especially since I cannot function without them!

    Oh, and I actually used to be a librarian.

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  72. I’m glad glasses are “cool” now, but I’m also starting to get sick of people wearing the overly trendy frames “just cause.” As a glasses wearer, it’s getting old. :P

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  74. Thanks for this post. I often feel insecure about my glasses, but as you said, I should be wearing them with pride! Maybe next time I go to my eye doctor, instead of ordering more contacts, I’ll order a really cute pair of new glasses… :)

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    • Go for it! The best thing about many optometrist shops is that you can get a great deal when buying multiple pairs. BTW I love the glasses you’re wearing in your Gravitar.

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  75. I always wear my glasses on job interviews since I apparently look “smart” with them, and get a lot more callbacks. Without my glasses, I guess I still look like a college student. With them, suddenly I can handle RESPONSIBILITY.

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  76. Pingback: post-link… « the organized hearth witch

  77. True story: I could use glasses, but I’m just too stubborn to get them. I lose sunglasses on a monthly basis, so what’s the point, right?

    Congratulations on getting Freshly Pressed! You deserve it! Great post

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  78. Team Glasses! I just tried contacts for the first time this year and I miss my glasses already. I think I’ll just get glasses next year to be honest. At least I can say I tried. I remember when I got my new script for glasses (hadn’t in 2-3 years) I came home and told my hubby “Did you know that there’s little “St/Ave/Rd” and “NE/SE/SW” on all the street signs?! He looked at me like I had just lost it.

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  79. It’s nice to see another glasses booster in the world. Without glasses, the first impression I give is that of a mere hulking thug, while with them I come across as a much more polished and slightly intellectual hulking thug, which is much nearer the image I want to project.

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  80. Love this! I proudly wear my glasses, and my 11 yr old son, who started wearing glasses last year, is convinced that his red specs make him look “really handsome” (they do!).

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  81. I have always thought glasses were the cutest thing ever, almost got one in 2nd grade but my mother had better plans of pumping more Vitamin A into my system.
    Looking forward to my first pair in a couple of weeks.:D

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  82. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 10 years old. At first I felt nerdy and awkward, but then again what 10 year old doesn’t? As I got older and realized what an accessory glasses were I was in heaven! I always look forward to new specs!

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  83. I too am a big fan of glasses. I don’t need them but occasionally wear a pair of nonprescription frames. I also snag my friends specs when they come over to my place. Its a sickness :)

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  84. I like that comment about the glasses being sexy in a librarian kind of way.
    That goes without saying how glasses once meant negativity and how now its a trend. Even if young kids now don’t need glasses they buy them for the look. I for one own a pair of sexy seeing glasses its quite blurry but it’s HOT.

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    • It sure is! I used to teach kids in Korea and some of them really got into their glasses and had several pairs. They were much less expensive there so they could have one of every color of the rainbow if they so chose. Thanks for commenting!

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  85. I really enjoyed reading this! I also wear glasses, and even if I do not feel the same way as you do about them, I must admit I felt a little pride of my chunky red frames. I’m ditching the contacts today. Just today though :)

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  87. I’ve been blessed by the gods with vision beyond normal human abilities and don’t really have the face for glasses anyway. But whenever my wife wears hers (she doesn’t need them often; perhaps unfortunately) I am totally stunned. Hair back; modest clothing and wham!, a pair of cute glasses just turned my wife into the sexy librarian all intelligent gentleman yearn for.

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  88. Enjoyed your post!
    I’m totally with you on the issue of contacts. My eye dr. has been trying for several years to get me to wear them, but I always tell him “No thanks”. I can barely stand eye drops — no way am I going to do contacts. Besides… I love wearing glasses! They’re fun and can be very cute. :)

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  89. I too love my glasses, and I wouldn’t trade them for contacts. (I had a really bad experience with contacts too, but mine didn’t involve wretching. Just feeling wretched and being unable to see.)

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  90. You must have been eavesdropping on my life this week because after my daughter (she’s 7) told me I looked like a nerd in my glasses, this came along as a “Grab your spectacles and hold them in the air proudly!” moment! I love your vision of the trees for the “first” time. I had the exact same thing! Then I loved seeing all the sharp sparkly lights that night!

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  91. There is a company called “Lenscrafters” that has a commercial featuring a sexy, flirty model addressing the camera as a “naughty librarian”. “The “Naughty Librarian” and other looks, available at Lenscrafters” is the tagline for the commercial.
    Your wonderful post is another reminder of the appeal of glasses.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  92. I think glasses look great… on everyone except me. Two years ago I got a nice designer pair that I thought I’d feel confident enough to wear oh-I-don’t-know in PUBLIC maybe. Nope. I look like Mr. Potato Head in glasses. I envy those who look great in them.
    :o)

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  93. Sometimes I hate my glasses.
    Reading this makes me glad I’m one of the blind. :D
    Nicely written, and yes, totally agree with the babies being adorable with glasses. Whenever I meet young cousins of mine, I always keep putting my glasses on them and clicking photos. :P

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  95. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was like 3 years old. I used to wear my contacts all the time, but since I’ve switched back to glasses it’s made my life so much easier! The only issue is that I don’t have sun glasses so when its bright out and I’m driving I put my contact in. I’m working on getting a pair of prescription sunglasses though :)

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    • When I was a cheap college student, giant sunglasses were still in style so I just bought a massive pair from Nine West and wore them over my normal frames. Can’t say I wasn’t resourceful.

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  98. I had a pair of glasses in Jr. High- they were so big, my fiends called me ‘buggles’ – I cannot believe I just wrote that out loud. So I threw them in the garbage and convinced myself I could see just fine, until I turned 40 this year. – After he saw my prescription strength, my eye doctor was slightly flabbergasted that I had waited so long. Long story short- I can see in 3-D – I can’t believe how in depth the world really is. At first, I stood and starred at leaves on trees for an unnatural amount of time- I’m sure I looked like I had never seen a tree before. Well, I really hadn’t. I love my glasses!

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    • That first moment when you can differentiate detail with glasses is amazing. That vivid memory was what inspired me to write this post. Glad it struck a cord with you.

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  100. You know? It’s funny. I got glasses when I was about 6 years old and I hated them. I was blind as a bat so I had to wear them all the time. As a teenager, I got contacts and didn’t look back. Much later in life, I got Lasik and that took care of that.

    Except that I sort of missed the glasses. (That came as a surprise to me!)

    Nowadays, I wear non-prescription glasses for the computer; all sorts of sunglasses and sports glasses just because; and last but not least, Lasik is all very good but I realized that although not completely necessary, prescription glasses for watching tv and reading were rather nice.

    Even more surprising, I realized that I enjoy my glasses more than I did when I was a kid.

    Then again, it’s nice not to need them all the time and I totally enjoy being able to spot stuff that it’s more than one foot away.

    But glasses are incredibly cool.

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  101. I’m going to be the lone voice of dissent.

    I think. Lotta comments up there…

    Anyway, I’ve had my glasses since grade 5. I’m in my mid-30s now. Yes, that first few days after a new prescription are pretty glorious, being able to see the leaves on the trees is something I’ve noticed as well, and hey, that’s pretty cool.

    But I HATE my glasses. Loathe, despise, abhor, resent, etc. I’m unable to wear contact lenses, so that’s out. If I could afford Lasik, I’d have had it by now. As it is I can barely afford new prescriptions when they come along – heck before places like Clearly Contacts finally came along, I couldn’t afford them and had to bum money off my parents whenever the time came to spend yet another $700 on these stupid things. I am sick of being enslaved to a plastic thing on my face that I either have to wear, or I’m blind. I’m sick of taking them off when I’m sleepy at night and realizing in the morning that I didn’t put them in their usual place, and spending ten or twenty minutes growing more and more desperate and tearing the bedsheets off only to find they were only a few inches away from where I usually put them. I’m sick of going swimming with friends and having to wear my glasses into the pool, even, in order to tell which people are my friends and which are strangers. I’m sick of cleaning them all. the. damn. time. because even a single speck gets irritating to stare at all day. I’m sick of worrying about what happens if I break them or lose them, I’m sick of worrying when I realize that I am once again squinting to read road signs, and in short – I would LOVE to get rid of my glasses once and for all.

    So, anyone with good eyesight that is envious of people with glasses – want to trade? :P

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    • Bless you heart! I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time with them. I agree that they can indeed get expensive and that the minor annoyances associated with them can build up to be a major nuisance that has the ability to drive you crazy. I guess my post is pretty annoying for you to read, as it is decidedly one-sided and not a completely fair assessment of all the downsides of glasses, which there are many. Thanks for commenting, though. :)

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      • It’s absolutely not annoying, and I’m very sorry if it came off that way – different strokes, etc etc – I just wanted to throw in my two cents.

        But me being me, I ended up throwing in my two dollars… and then adding a couple more pennies just to make sure everybody was clear on my feelings on the matter. ;)

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  102. I LOVE my glasses and I wouldn’t trade them in for contacts ever! Like you I can’t put things in my eyes without feeling every sick. Glasses choose me and I chose them back! I love great in them too :)

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  104. I’ve been told i have 20/20 vision, but these days i’m not so sure. I’m avoiding my trip to the optometrist, but i might go now thanks to your post. There are some trendy lookin’ eye peices out there ;).

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  105. Hiding? Rather than walking into a wall? O-o-o-o-okay …

    Besides, I’m 46 — Lasik ain’t gonna cut it at this point. I’m going to either need my current set of normal glasses as a middle-aged nearsighted dweeb, or else I’m going to need half-moons or bifocals for farsightedness. I’d rather just be nearsighted and middle-aged — I’d rather take glasses off to see close than put them on to see far away.

    Also, there’s just the whole SHIT NO YOU CAN’T AIM LASERS AT MY EYES thing …

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  106. I don’t see glasses as being jewelry. For me, they are a needed inconvenience. I would gladly select Lasik, but I am not in the category yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  109. I love my glasses and my eyeballs are too precious to be sticking my fingers in them to use lenses or have lasers burn bits off them!

    My eldest has worn glasses since he was 7 and due to his early sight problems I have been taking my other three kids to the opticians since they were small. They all browse the frames before their appointments and pick the ones they love but so far all of them have come out of the test disappointed that they still don’t need glasses!

    I’m not hiding behind my half frame lightweight glasses, I’m using them so I can see where I am going and find my friends when I meet up with them in public spaces.

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  110. This is definitely one badass article just in support of glasses! Totally love it and I totally recommend it to so many if I could! :p I’ve had to wear glasses since third grade. I am now 22, though despite-I could not see myself without glasses-I feel rather almost ‘naked’ without the glasses kind of touching on the security feeling there it makes me feel insecure when I don’t have my glasses on! Also so many others look good with glasses I think-glasses are a great accessory when you don’t wear many necklaces and whatnot! I thought about trying contacts though with my prescription I cannot use contacts because-nor can I use very large frames but I love the frames that I have and those Vera Wang frames look so chic so great! Thanks for posting this lovely and quite ‘badass’ article on glasses woohoo to glasses :) and yay for everyone who wears glasses!

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  113. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 10 I beleive – ofcourse I hated them and tried to avoid wearing them. After getting older and wanting not to walk into walls I started wearing them all the time. I now only take them off when I want to make the kids disappear.

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  114. I thought I was all set with mine because I got contacts…however not the case. The other night in a drunken stuper I left them somewhere. Next morning they were no were to be found and I searched everywhere. Wearing contacts literally ALL day is rough and made it hard to get work and class work done later in the day. Eventually a few days later they ended up being on my roommates dresser somehow…

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  115. I’ve been wearing glasses since first grade (I’m 20 now) and once I got contacts, I refused to wear them for the longest time because I thought I looked too weird without my glasses on. But now, I wear my contacts too often so my eyes end up getting all dried out and bleh. But, a word of advice: don’t be scared of contacts! At first, it seems impossible to think that you can comfortably wear them, but once you get past the strange feeling of putting them in your eye, I swear, they will change your life, plus make swimming a whole lot easier. :)

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    • In all honesty I really wish I had the option if wearing contacts, I’m just too lazy to concert a lot of energy to getting over my phobia of them. maybe someday, tho. It would make swimming easier.

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  117. Love your writing style. I made my first foray into glasses wearing this past year. I only need to wear them while driving, reading things at a great distance, etc. But I feel like I completely different person when I put them on. Smarter, more distinguished, older, more protected. Now I can decide which Rian I’d like to be on any given day. It’s good to have choices! Congrats on FP.

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    • Thank you. I really like your blog too. I have similar thoughts about my several pairs of glasses; choosing which knew I will wear for the day really sets the tone.

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  118. I started wearing glasses when I was ten months old. Not wearing them during the day feels weird. I love my glasses, and it’s so great to watch them get funkier as the years go by and I’m more confident with myself.

    So, essentially… rock on!

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  119. I don’t wear my glasses all the time (though I probably should), when I do I am always amazed how much clearer things are…”woah, I can see!” Great post!

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  120. I love this! I’ve worn glasses since I was 10. I dabbled in contacts in high school and college (who didn’t do some “dabbling” in high school and college), but I learned quickly that they made my eyes bloodshot after a couple of hours, and they itched, and I look way better in glasses anyway.

    And then a year after my daughter was born, I learned she needed glasses. And I was devastated (and totally ashamed to be so upset). But she rocks her glasses like nobodies business – she has 3 different pair to choose from now at 5 years old. I wish you’d chosen a picture of a baby in real baby glasses, though, not one wearing adult specs, to show just how awesome our young kids do look in their glasses.

    Congrats on the birth of your own baby, too!

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    • Thank you! I do agree about the pic I chose. Don’t love it and I definitely would have selected a better one had I known so many people were going to read this. Plus now that my baby is here (born on Saturday) all babies look so foreign to me compared to her.

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  122. Having worn my glasses non-stop for fifty five years I totally understand your dilemma. I wish your baby perfect eyesight without the need for any corrective appliances of any type. Good luck!

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  123. I’ve needed corrective lenses since I was twelve, and I’ve got no problems using contact lenses, but my favourite way to change up my look whenever I feel like a self-makeover is to switch from glasses to contacts or vice-versa. Luckily, my prescription hasn’t changed much in the past decade so I haven’t had any problems keeping a set of each current.

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  125. i think glasses look amazing on most people, not on me. They make me uncomfortable, I hate the feel of them on my face, so I am a contact lense girl through and though. I wish I had a love for glasses, they are so stylish and lovely on other people, but definitely not on me! : ) Good luck with the arrival of your little one, such exciting times ahead, enjoy every minute x

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  126. I swear I can’t stand glasses or contacts. I remember buying expensive contacts once.
    The sales person said that moisture can pass through them and blah blah blah, worst contacts I have ever worn (threw the out so fast can’t remember the brand now). I have also heard you can repair your sight to some degree by palming one eye at a time and reading Adult Snellen Charts.
    Think I might might try it. …keep you posted … and congrats :)
    Cheers

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  128. I LOVE this post. I was one of those adorable babies who had very thick glasses strapped to her head at just 14 months of age. I’ve never had a day when I did not have to wear my glasses. It took me a while, but now I love them… all 3 pairs. I now see them as a necessary, but fun accessory.

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  130. I remember I cried in sixth grade when my optometrist told me I needed glasses. Now, however, I can’t imagine being without them! I recently had to give up my favorite frames because they were so old and brittle that they’d probably snap if I accidentally dropped them (I had them for nine years, haha). But now I’ve got cool purple frames, so I can’t complain.

    Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

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  131. I enjoyed reading your post and the comments. I remember being a teenager and struggling to read the board at school, my teacher just came out and said why don’t you just get some glasses! Those awkward teen years, I resisted until I realised that it was inevitable. Was it all that geeky reading I did, I pondered… In fact, my mum and brother have perfect vision, I just took after my dad (please let me inherit the good bits like how his skin has no wrinkles at 75 – have to wait and see). I tried contacts at uni, but hated the feeling of them. My boss got laser surgery done last year and laments on how amazing it is. To be honest, I’ve grown quite accustomed to mine, perhaps it’s a sign of age, or that I just like looking like a geek :-)

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    • So nice to see a familiar face! It has indeed been a crazy week. I was joking to my husband last month that if I ever got FP’d it would be like THE DAY I went into labor. Well we missed it by about four days, but still. Thanks for your support and general awesomeness!

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  133. I love glasses too and was horrified today when a good friend told me she had her eyes lazered …why oh why I ask. I never wear contacts (my eyes don’t want them either) and I love the fact that each new pair changes my face, sigh

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  135. Dayyuuummn! Glasses really useful for me. No matter what. I mean, glasses as style nor whatever I don’t care. But, why now there’s many peoples in the world using glasses just for fun (style)??

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  136. I wear contacts more frequently (it’s actually better for my allergies at certain times of the year) but I sometimes wear my glasses as a comfort thing. When I have to give presentations, I wear them. I feel like they give me a little something to randomly adjust when I’m nervous. They also make me look so smart that no one dares to ask questions!

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  138. Ok, this post was AMAZING! And I am not just saying that because I have been wearing glasses for most of my life–although, I’ll admit, I am a teensy bit biased! It’s strange, but I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with my eyes and glasses in general. I have an extremely strong and rare prescription, according to most of the optometrists I have seen throughout my life. An believe me, there have been a long string of them and they all say the exact same thing every time I go to see them: “Your eyes aren’t getting worse, they’re just CHANGING”. I’ve heard this line so many times, I just tell them to “be frank with me. Just tell me I’m going blind!”
    Anyway, sorry for the novel I left you. I just wanted to let you know that this post meant a lot to me and it actually resonates with me! Also, congrats on getting freshly pressed :).

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    • Awww, thanks for your kind comment. I’m glad I could write something that really resonated. That’s all I ever really want to do on my blog. Thanks for stopping in. :)

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  139. That’s way funny you want to baby to be blind. I always hoped my daughter wouldn’t inherit my nearsightedness… and so far she seems to be doing well. I went from glasses to contacts to lasik to glasses, because the lasik I had back in 2001 didn’t correct astigmatism. Sigh! Now I have glasses for night driving that I don’t mind putting on at all. Lost them after my last trip to the Caribbean and JUST found them today hiding in a compartment of the carry on I used. I’m off to a girl’s night out, which I can do confidently, thanks to my glasses :-).

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  141. It was great to read this and share it with my kids. My husband and I have decent vision, he claims to have 20/15, I don’t even know what that means. But I admit that mine isn’t the greatest although I don’t need a prescription.
    We had our annual trip to the eye doctor with the kids this past Friday. My daughter (11) has had glasses for a few years. She was diagnosed with Astigmatism and loves her glasses. She couldn’t wait to go and get a new pair!! The old one had taken a beating and she was overdue, but when she first got them a she wasn’t so happy. In fact, we had many conversations on how important it was to wear take care of them, so you can imagine our surprise when the tables turned and she started loving them. My son (9), on the other hand was told this time around that he too would need glasses. His left eye is worse than the right and needs them for most of the time, he was less than thrilled with the doctors words. I hope his mind changes over time just like our daughter’s.
    Congrats on the baby!! Glasses and babies together is an overload of cuteness in my book!!! Beautiful either way!!

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  143. I’ve been wearing glasses since i was 17 yrs of age. I think my eyes became bad becos of constantly staring at the CRT computer monitor. I’m 32 now and i guess i never had to wear contacts, glasses have been quite comfortable, i practically wear them all the time, and it hasn’t been that bad. Ever since the advent of LCDs ive been able to work on the computer with no worry’s about worsening my eyes. I eat good and exercise regularly.

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  145. Glad to read about someone else who is queased out by touching their own eyeballs. I can’t even do the exam for contacts, or part of a regular eye exam for that matter. Haven’t been dilated in years. Great post!

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  146. I HATED glasses when they gave them to me in the 7th grade, but once I got to college and actually needed to … see things… I started actually wearing them. Now I don’t know what I’d do without my glasses! And I definitely wore them on my wedding day too…. there was a brief moment where I pondered not wearing them at all, then I kicked myself in the butt and realized that was the most ridiculous thought I’d ever had! And babies are totally cute with glasses!

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  147. I LOVE this post! :D
    I got my glasses in second grade… I’ve been wearing them since! Now I have a tan line :P
    I am disgusted at the thought of touching my eye. It’s just weird. I’m never getting contacts. My entire family wears glasses, haha, like me. Like us.

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  148. ‘That’s not adorable’. There, I said it. :) I have glasses too and have had them for nearly two years now and I think they are brilliant! Apart from the obvious reasons, they provide me with an excuse to not pay attention. I should mention I am short sighted. So if someone really wants me to look at something that is a fair way off, all I have to do is say, I haven’t got my glasses on (I don’t always wear them) and they shut up about whatever it is.
    Also, walking in a busy public place with your mp3 turned up loud and no glasses on is the wierdest eperiance, but it also feels good.

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  151. What a great post, your positive attitude toward glasses as an accessory is really refreshing. Lots of people look great in glasses and there are so many neat frames nowadays. I was actually dissappointed after going to the eye doctor nd finding out I didn’t need them. But I’ve got my shades.

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  152. I agree! I love my glasses! I always have a few pairs on the go and always buy for them to “be seen” not to make the world forget that they are there. I do have contact lenses, but day to day, it’s my glasses that I reach for and I LOVE them! My eldest was fitted with glasses when she was four, and adores getting new frames….so much so, that my youngest (who is 5) is constantly questioning the optometrist when she says he doesn’t need glasses! The kid’s got glasses envy!
    Lovely read, thank you!

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  153. Sing it, sister! I’ve worn glasses and contacts over the years, but there’s something comforting about wearing my glasses. They’re so much more “me” than anything else.

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  154. I’m the same way. My wife wears contacts, I will stick with my glasses, thank you. Besides, aren’t authors supposed to be all intellectual with glasses hanging off of their nose? Or did I miss that memo… Hmm…

    inkedkisses.wordpress.com

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  155. Great post! I was actually delighted when I found out I needed glasses at age 18. I became more recognizable with them and hate the thought of opting for contacts. I’m just way too attached to my glasses to want to part with them, plus many of my friends and loved ones think I’m better looking with them than without. Plus, four eyes are better than two!

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  156. I read your post mainly because I wear glasses myself, except for photographs and special days. I felt so closer to you when you mentioned “hiding.” I hid myself behind glasses as a teenager. Today, I walk with pride and love being nerdy. It’s cool. Thank you for all the humor in your post. it made me smile :)

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  157. Thank for post this post. I just started wearing glasses like a week a go. It’s lot to get used but I am loving them. Now I’ve begin to be making fun of myself by saying “Did I do that?” from Steve Urkel.

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  159. I am SO jazzed that I found this blogpost!

    I am a fellow glasses wearer and couldn’t be prouder at age 24! I do admit there was a few years while I was younger that I wouldn’t be caught dead in glasses since I already had braces and an awful dental thing called the “Herbst Appliance”, thus making me feel even more like the “nerdy” outcast. Nowadays, I proudly embrace the “nerd” stereotype with my stylish rectangular rimless glasses. I might try contacts again (I did when I was younger…wasn’t ready at the time) someday though.

    Thank you for such a lovely post and power to all that are Bespectacled!

    CarrieLynn

    http://clgmusings.wordpress.com/

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  161. Haha. I wish I had your attitude when I got glasses in third grade – I was devastated! I cried the whole way home from the doctor. But I did have that “did that building used to be there?!” moment of being able to see properly. Braces were soon to follow, and thus began my life of nerd-dom. It’s taken 20 years, but I’m finally starting to appreciate my glasses, and sort of enjoy how I look in them. But if someone offered me free (and guaranteed safe, with a doctor who can speak English ) laser eye surgery today, I’d take it. I’ve always wanted to fall asleep under the stars, and actually be able to see them, because I didn’t have to take my glasses off before bed! Anyways, nice post!

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    • Thank you! Great to see a familiar face. It has been insane. And of course it coincides with the arrival of Miss C. Thank god my mother in law, a fellow blogger and general awesome person, is here with me helping me with both. The upside is now I can go to the Korean restaurant in town and enjoy a cass to celebrate both.

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  164. Reading glasses at 18. First tri-focals at about 45. First contacts at 53. Contacts were almost a necessity for me by the time I got them. They’re multi-focal and for the first time in a very long time, I can see everything all around me. My peripheral vision was so bad, I was a hazard behind the wheel of a car, especially on the interstate. Next week, I have cataract surgery with multi-focal lens implants. It’s not that I mind wearing glasses but the next step up in my prescription would be coke bottle bottoms. I may be old, but I’m not ready for that! ;)

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  166. When I got my glasses, choosing the right frames was an agony. I finally settled on what I thought were “kicky” Ralph Lauren tortoiseshells, until everyone told me I eerily resembled Tina Fey. Given that the frames plus progressive lenses were more expensive than a newer laptop, I kept them anyway. There are times I also feel the glasses put a certain “barrier” betwixt me and others. The downside to this, is when giving my patented Withering Stare of Death and Dismemberment, my fiance` now laughingly informs me the effect is well blunted. As for the contacts, I am solidly with you – I’d be like Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, trying to put those Hell Disks in my eyes! Besides, to me there is nothing like going from a world of blur, to sliding my trusty glasses back on: I often squeal “Yeeeeahhh – ‘High Definition’!!!” ;D Cheers!

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  168. Your post was right up my alley. I’m a contact lens technician (please don’t hate me!) at an optometry clinic. Love your wedding day glasses!! To be honest, even though I can wear contacts, I wear glasses most of the time because they help me change up my look. I have 5 pairs (occupational hazard for me) so I match up to my outfit or my mood.

    Did you know that Pez (yes, the candy) has a line of eyeglasses for babies and kids?

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  170. also, babies can’t see pastel colors for a long time, so don’t bother painting his/her/their room a pretty pink or light green. be bold. blue, yellow, something.

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  171. As a future optometrist, I love this post. I also love your mentioning of your future child’s eye exam – vision is such a crucial part of development! There’s a good chance you could get your baby’s eyes examined for free, too, via a program by the American Optometric Association:

    http://www.infantsee.org/x3423.xml

    Hope it helps. Congratulations on Freshly Pressed and on your incoming bundle of happiness! Hope he (or she) is a myope as well :D

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  172. Wow. I loved the post and just got new glasses last week! I agree with another commenter that those makeover shows should stop making people remove glasses. Anyway, I just got two new pairs. Prescription sunglasses and regular glasses. I like the shades but the regular ones, not so much.Never pick out glasses when going through a bout of depression. Never. Though I’ve worn glasses off and on (literally) for years, I haven’t made peace with them. used contacts for a while, but they were a lot of work. Having some changes in prescription and visions changes because of medication my doctor said I need to wait for a couple of months before considering whether contacts would work for me again. I do some performing and just can’t get into wearing glasses on stage so now I just take them off and go with limited vision. I think if a person can afford it it is nice to have more than one pair, a conservative looking one and a fun one or colorful. I hope I’ll make peace with glasses and be able to wear contacts when I want to. Again, great post.

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  173. I always wanted glasses growing up, the ultimate in accessories. But then again, I also went through the phase where I really wanted a retainer. (That was not all it was cracked up to be when I finally needed one.) As for the glasses, I still don’t need them, but I still think I can (and will!) rock them should the time come.

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  175. GLASSES :) ! yay! when I had left elementary school a friend of mine and I bought “fake” glasses, they looked like the real thing but were actually sun-glasses… guess what? a year later we BOTH got the real thing and now are as blind as bats :)

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  176. I just got a paif of glasses made and cancelled my appointment for lasik today so I’m very happy to read this post. And I like my glasses as well, they hide my dark eye rings. I am doing all I can to prevent myopia on my baby though. Despite the fact that the picture with the baby glasses is almost irresistably cute.

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      • Of course she’s perfect :) By the way, my baby loves my glasses almost as much as I do given the frequency at which she grabs it off my face and plays with it. Yours may have equal love for your glasses without having to need a pair herself :)

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  180. Newborns enjoy the colors red, black and white for the first 18 months of life. Avoid yellows (makes a cranky baby) and pastels (makes them feel ill). Adults often make the mistake of painting nurserys pale colors like yellow, blue and pink! Baby does not like this. Better to leave the nursery white and accent with red and black. Makes for a smarter baby. Black and white mobiles and toys are super too. Baby will take notice!

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    • We didn’t do pastels for her nursery for the reasons you mentioned and as a matter of taste. Check my posts on her nursery if you’re interested! Thanks for commenting.

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  181. I wear glasses even though I don’t need them anymore. They have become a part of my wardrobe and I feel pretty much naked when i forget to wear them. I currently own around 20 pairs, many are by really obscure designers and have in more strange designs. I like watching people on my commute trying to work out *why* I would leave the house wearing them :) I don’t care what anyone else thinks, my glasses rock!

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  185. Grats on Fresh Press goodness!!! I love glasses. They are my boundary that keeps out the rest of the world. My signal to let someone know I’m not listening to them is to take off my glasses and stare at them in a blurry haze of confusion. It’s great. I have a comic on here called Mr. G, in which my glasses play a prominent role. There are also kids in it that say cute things, so what’s not to like? Please give it a look and have a laugh http://mistergkids.com/ :) Again, grats grats grats!!!

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  186. Haha! Love it!
    When I was the tender age of 11 and told I’d need glasses to see the blackboard from the back of the classroom, I was really very excited! The time came (about 13??) when suddenly they were so uncool but I was needing them more and more…then came the contact lens stage when I thought I was cool(!), but now I’m at the point where I’m self-aware and I know what works. I make my glasses work for me and whichever look I’m after – and boy do they look good!

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  188. I hated wearing glasses at school- so didn’t, when I decided to learn to drive, I bit the bullet and got glasses, and lo and behold my hayfever got better (the pollen took longer to get to my eyes!) As for contacts- no way I could put them in my eyes.

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    • Thanks! Good to see a familiar face around here :D To be honest tho I kind of want to take a cue from you and write a post entitled Dear Expletive WordPress thanking them for FPing me FOUR DAYS into parenthood. Fan-friggin-tastic timing. Oh well, you take what you get.

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  190. Your post had me laughing with tears in my eyes! do you ever donate your old frames to charity so the economically challenged can see better and look better? When I was a kid I knew a few kids who would accidentally walk into things because their parents could only afford glasses so ugly that they refused to wear them!

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    • Glad you could get a laugh! I actually have never donated my old frames to the needy, mostly because I wear them down to the ground until they break to unsalvagability. However it is something I really want to do.

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  191. After nearly 10 years of glasses-wearing, I became a contacts-wearer. And while I must insist that my vision is definitely better when I’m wearing my contacts, I wear my glasses all the time when I’m at home. Sometimes I actually think I look better with them on–something I never would have admitted as a teenager! :D

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  193. THAT BABY IS ADORABLE! I’ve been an avid glasses wearer for nearly 20 years. I was a super cute 5 year old in skirts held up with suspenders and my specs…and I’m still a cutie in specs these days! Viva la spectacular spectacles! I’m going to have to check out Vera’s glasses selection as a result of this article…. ;o)

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  194. Thanks for a fun post, and congrats on being freshly pressed! I know several people who look way better in glasses. I wear them because they can’t get contacts right to correct my double vision – but an added benefit is that they cover up the bags under my eyes! I can live with that…

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  195. What a wonderful post! I’ve had this love/hate relationship with glasses since childhood, have had numerous lasik consultations over the last ten years and and wore contacts successfully over the last 25, but only for 3 years at a time before getting various eye irritations. I have lots of frames but wind up wearing only one or two at most.I finally “get” glasses as fashion + function. The trouble is the expense! It’s hard to believe that a set of glasses has to run hundreds of dollars. I know the cost in Costa Rica and Thailand are about 1/5 the cost of the average frames/lenses in the US. Thanks for listening.

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    • This is true about the cost. When I lived in Korea, I was in heaven bc the eye exam was free and designer brands tended to be a little less. Plus if they broke you could get them fixed on a holiday. I’m lucky tho because my script is pretty common and pretty inexpensive.

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  196. You and I have a similar experience with glasses. I got mine when I was four, and I just remember it being so strange. I mean, I could see! Now I wouldn’t trade in my glasses for contacts for the world. I’ve grown up with them. They are a part of my identity. I look so weird without them (but that might just be because I can’t actually see my face when they’re off).

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  198. Fun entry here!! Unfortunately, I’m not blind, far-sighted, nor near-sighted. But I LOVE WEARING GLASSES! (In my case, fake ones.) I agree that glasses makes me feel protected. Too bad, fake glasses have their own random prescription that’s nauseating and makes me want to puke.

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    • I never knew that! I always thought fake lenses just had dummy pieces of glass in them. You learn something new every day. I guess this is just another example of how beauty is pain.

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      • Thank you! The bangs do get to be a pain, though, because they grow so quickly! I have to get my fringe cut every few weeks, it seems.
        My look is nothing really, it just consists of wearing nothing but black lol, so I chose bold red glasses as a contrast (though I realise you can’t tell they’re red in the picture lol).

        Rae

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  200. Totally had the very epiphany moment when I put on glasses for the first time. The second time I got lenses replaced was even better! Stigamatism? who knew! not I but now I’m walking tall. love them to bits.

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  201. As much as I try to love them, glasses don’t love me which makes me very grateful for the contacts I thought I’d never be able to wear. Of course, since I lose 3 or 4 a year, I probably have much more invested in those little lenses than I would in some fun glasses. How do you win!

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    • LOL sometimes you just don’t! I have the same luck with earrings. Whenever I manage to get a pair I actually like, I end up dropping one down the drain or in the parking lot of the mall.

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  202. I’ll never forget when I was 9 years old and I got my first pair of pink glasses, I was so ashamed of them, I refused to wear them to class. I took them to school and hid them in my school bag – I could barely see anything. I did this for about 6 months and eventually put them on as I was so scared to be accepted! I was so happy that my friends never cared and loved me for who I was :))

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  203. i’ve worn glasses from since i was about two, but when i was in fifth grade i changed to contacts because i was embarrassed about wearing glasses. its great that you truly embrace them, i wish i did!

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    • I think it may have been different for me had I started wearing them at an earlier age, like yourself. But glasses entered my life right when I could appreciate them as something that really improved my life and made me look like the smarty-pants I wanted to be.

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    • Awww, it’s so good seeing a familiar face among the sea of comments! Things are going well. I’m not getting any real substantial rest but this whole Freshly Pressed thing has given me a good distraction when things get really hairy and I need a break from nursing and changing diapers.

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  205. I have had the same pair of glasses for 12 years. I LOVE my glasses. I consider them a part of me. I had no issue wearing them on my wedding day or the day I pushed our spawn out.

    I don’t know how many times a photographer has tried to get me to take my glasses off for a photo, and I have to say, “Hell no.”

    I really love this post!

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    • The Sonia Show! Can I just gush for a sec? LOVE your blog; it was the first one I ever subscribed to on WordPress and part of what attracted me to it initially was your banner with your glasses across the top. Loved following your pregnancy and now that I have a spawn of my own I love following your adventures as a parent!

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  206. Started donning the geeky glasses since I was in grade school. Even though I discovered that contacts were way better (and made you look a little glamorous, in my experience), I still wear them more often. I love the purple frames of what I am wearing right now. I think this is actually my 3rd frame. Wearing glasses is way more convenient that trying to poke my eyes just to stick the lens in. Although, steam and rain kinda equalize the pros and cons. :D

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  207. Congrats on Freshly Pressed! This is a great post to refer to if I ever have to get glasses. I feel like it may be inevitable because both of my parents do (my mother since the eighth grade, my dad since he was 40) but I’ve always had 20/15 or better vision, but hopefully if I have to I’ll get over the aversion to having things on my face. Only sunglasses I can wear are aviators (would aviator-shaped glasses look weird?) Great post!

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  208. I am a glasses wearer and can’t have lasik due to the way I scar. Anyway, this brings a whole new perspective to things. I think I may need a few new pairs of glasses!! Thanks!

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  211. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was ten. I hated them at first but now there are cool pairs! Can’t imagine not wearing glasses. I tried contacts too but ditched them when one rolled to the back of my eyeball. That is pain you will never forget.

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  213. I got my glasses when I was 9 (probably right before my 9th birthday). It was between 3rd and 4th grade year. My eyes went from great to I cant see 4 inches in front of my face. My grandad, who passed away in November (miss him), called me his little 4 eyes all summer. It was almost my nickname from him. When I got to school kids at school called me 4 eyes, my response to them was “no I have two eyes and a pair of glasses”. They did not know how to respond to that but because I did not run away crying they left me alone. In Jr. High and highschool I got the comment “You must be really smart”, of course I would ask, “why do you say that?” and then they would say because you are wearing glasses.” Of course my response to that was “Not necessarily, I wear glasses because my eyes suck.” My husband thinks it is funny that when I take my glasses off I can not see anything clearly (like Mr. Magoo) unless it is close to my face like 4 inches or less. I loved your comments about contacts. I had successfully put contacts in my eyes for about a week. The minute I put contacts in I would get an excrutiating headache. When I took them out, Wala, Headache gone. So after that I chose to let my football shaped eyes rest behind frames and I just go for funky frames when I get my glasses. I have to wear them why not make them cool.

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    • well..i guess contacts are always a problem..i still remember how i convinced my bro to get me a pair of contacts,thinking i ll get some relief of my glasses. spent hours trying to learn to put them on and off myself.
      it was too messy for me,putting ur hand literally into ur eyes..scary!!
      still i managed to put them on for a couple of days and then one evening as i was trying to take them off was surprised,rather shocked to find that i had dropped one of them somewhere.
      now very contented with my glasses!!

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