Do you remember me?
I was the only one in the class with glasses. And they were thick. Thick, thick glasses. I mean verging on coke bottle bottoms.
Coke bottle bottoms in cat eye glass frames.
Sure. I laughed when you called me four eyes because, after all, I was still astonishingly adorable...
But my heart wept from the cruelty of childish torment.
My nose wept (well, it would have it could have) from the deep craters left from the weight of the glasses.
Sniff.
Sniff.
But I endured.
I got contact lenses shortly after those traumatic years and rarely had to endure the taunts and ridicule of other children whose eyes worked more efficiently than mine.
Sniff.
Sniff.
As the years passed, I made it a point to wear my contacts as much as possible.
Even as lense material become less bulky and painful in weight, my glasses remained kinda/sorta obnoxiously thick.
But I endured in the dark little corner of the universe where people with bad vision exist.
Sniff.
Sniff.
Until a few weeks ago!
I went to order new glasses!
And after the eye exam doctor/person guy tormented me a bit by saying glasses of my strength usually came with a free seeing eye dog, (seriously? Is this politically correct? Geez!) he tormented me a bit more telling me there were new materials on the market and I would be really surprised how much thinner the new lenses would be.
I thought he was toying with me.
I tried not to get my hopes up.
I picked out some cute purple frames. With rhinestones.
And waited for the call that my glasses were in.
On the way to pick them up, I kept telling Mr. Jenny, "I'm excited but I don't want to be excited. They are still going to look stupid and freaky. Stupid and freaky purple glasses with rhinestones. What was I thinking?"
Mr. Jenny kept trying to reassure me that I never looked stupid and freaky, with our without purple glasses with rhinestones, but I know he was just saying that...
...because...
...he knows I know where he lives and stuff...
But when the girl who works for the eye exam doctor/person guy brought out my glasses, I involuntarily let out one of those shocked and surprised/semi-screams you do in public sometimes when you are shocked and surprised!
I give you proof...that there are still miracles in the world. Please try not to let out one of those shocked and surprised/semi-screams unless you are alone. People seem to stare when you do that around them...
Ta Da!
See?
My old lenses that were 7/16" at the thickest point are now a slim, svelte 4/16" (Yes, I know that is not a proper fraction but I am using it to illustrate my point...sigh...)
And someone wearing 4/16" thick glasses in purple rhinestone frames can hardly qualify as a freak, right?
I just need to fire up my old Facebook account so I can find all those mean little kids that tormented me years and years ago.
Once they see my new glasses, they are going to feel all kinds of guilt and remorse for tormenting me so much.
Purple.
Rhinestones.
4/16"!
Geez. I am officially now one of the cool kids from my kindergarden class!
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49 comments:
I love the new frames! And wohoo for thin lenses =D My prescription isn't that strong but I usually get the slightly thinner lenses so my glasses weigh less on my face!
I got my first glasses in second grade, and a whole new world opened up to me!
I also got contacts when I was 12.
And I got the high index glasses like you have a couple of years ago. Aren't they wonderful??
=)
Woohoo!!! The new purple glasses with rhinestones are beautiful Miss Jenny and I bet ya look simply stunnin' in 'em!
God bless and have a super great week cool kid!!! :o)
Oh Jenny, you are officially one of the cool kids now, with your slim purple rhinestone glasses. Your post is touching and I am glad you are on a happy path today. Strut your stuff, girl, in your purple glasses.
I thought you had a photo of me in the beginning of your post...I had those same type of glasses! So where is the photo with you in the new ones????? :)
That picture is priceless! :) We all have our own version of it; at least all of us babyboomers - and I think we all look cute and adorable.
I'm so happy for you with your new glasses. You go Girl!
Now, I've got to ask my husband about the thickness of his eye glasses. He would love to thin his as much as possible, too.
It has only been in recent years that I have had to have glasses to read, but my little sister was like you. She struggled with coke bottle thick lenses, for years, until she got contacts. Finally, a few years ago, she had laser correction. That has been a great investment... even better than her boob job!
Oh what a tease you are Jenny Matlock!! Where's the picture with the new glasses on, Eh?
I love those! Smart with a touch of glamour. Just perfect! :-)
I bet you are going to look great in them.
it looks more black on my screen but it's cute!
this reminds me I should renew my glasses.
have a happy & sunny spring!
Very stylish, Miss Jenny! Oh the pain of those early school years...I can recall being slapped with the "four eyes" nickname too.
But how innocent that sounds compared to what goes on in the schools these days...
Yea for the new glasses! But I was kinda hoping for a picture of how cool you look in them. My kindergarten glasses were half like yours and half plain glass~yep one freaky magnified giant eye through coke bottle lens and one normal one.
I'm actually smitten with the adorableness of that sweet kid at the top! ;)
I was one of those kids that can't see far..so the teasing was endless.
I finally got contact in my thirties!
The new pair of glasses look great Jenny!
Smidge jealous of the purple with rhinestones. But I will forgive you if you have Mr. Jenny take a photo and you post it. Because I bet you rock them.
I also need a dog to guide me around. My eyesight is horrible and only wear my glasses when nobody is looking :). Love your glasses, you ARE cool:). Hugs
Jenny you were adorable then and I bet even more so now! I love the new purple/rhinestone glasses! Wow mine are just plain old brown...well I think so I'd have to look in a mirror with them on since without them I can't see much of anything...its just not fair! I think we as your loyal fans deserve a photo of you in these super cute frames...you go girl!! Hugs, LInda
I think those cat eye frames were adorable! And your new specs are pretty snazzy too! It's time for me to go glass shopping- it's been two years and my eyes are getting worse every day.
Aw you stylin' babe! I sure hope everything is crystal clear in your line of sight. Take it from an almost ready for the seeing eye dog kind of gal...the difference between 7/16 and 4/15 is amazing. Some people just don't get it do they. Yay for Jenny! Sparkle away dear friend...sparkle away!~Ames
Oh my goodness you were just a little doll, glasses and all! I never wore glasses, but I had friends who did, and even simple glasses did get some kids to just be mean, (they'd find anything really) but knowing just how sweet you are today....you must have ruled somewhere on the playground of naughty ones, cuz you sure rose high above it all- and hey you deserve to treat yourself right!!!
I LOVE your new glasses....and mostly, I love that you knew you were adorable even when the other kids were mean to you. :)
Enjoy your new glasses, I know you will.
I wrote about eyes/glasses/contacts today too.
XOXOXO
Hello? Photo of model, please?
My eyes were great in grade school --- it's NOW that I can't see a darn thing without them! Those are sure "cool" glasses -- when are you going to model for us?
kids can be so cruel. sorry.
but now you're cool! and
where are they?????
They are hip and stylish! Now a current photo of you in them, please! You were too adorable in K/G!
Ok Jenny we want a picture of you in those adorable glasses!!
I can so relate to your story as I have had to wear glasses since 4 grade. When I graduated I bought my first pair of contacts but about 15 years ago had to stop wearing contacts because my eyes were too dry- :(
bee blessed
mary
Here I was the other night, telling The Mister of the trials and tribulations of thick lenses. I even took off my glasses to show him my shame - then realized that they aren't thick at all anymore!
Yay for progress!
I'll be replacing my five-year-old glasses in the next couple of weeks...maybe I should join you and get something with some pizzazz!
I was hoping to see a picture of you wearing those glasses. The vision in my left eye is so bad I can not read the big E without my glasses. I first got glasses in 5th grade. I would not wear them unless I needed to see the board. I don't think I really started wearing glasses until I was 24 or 25 (although I certainly needed to. I only wore them while driving) I really wish I could afford lasik
You are my sister!! I was the twin with bad eyesight. I cried when I had to get glasses at 8 years old and my sister had 20/20. I was determined to wear contacts and by 12, I had saved up enough money babysitting to buy my very own pair. Even now, without contacts or glasses on, I feel like I am one dog short of a pair of seeing eye dogs. I'm loving the rhinestones and the thinness of the lenses. Yay!!!!!
I think you were ADORABLE then as you are now.
Your retro pic caught my eye because I TOO was that girl with the thick lenses and cat eye glasses! But in our nerdiness grew our creative wit we have now (ah, there I go waxing poetic).
I found you through moonlight hollow's blog and look forward to reading your posts.
Give me a visit some time at thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com.
Hey sweetie, I can't wait to see them on you. Nothing could make you more beautiful than you are, but I'd sure like to see them.
Love ya'
Meri
How much I can feel with you ! I had to wear glasses only at school, I was not too much shortsighted. But I had nightmares that I had to wear them all the time. Later I only wore them for driving and movies. Then permanently and followed all fashions ! (but we never had these for us "typical American" butterfly style frames )Since at least 10 years the frame is small and my glasses are sitting very discretely on my nose.
I never tried contact lenses. I was too afraid to put something in my eyes !
Love your new glasses, and I, too, have been amazed by the new thin lenses (I have no-line bifocals).
I, too, was one of those kids with glasses. Even my uncle said I was "mutt ugly." I've never forgotten that remark, and still avoid cameras whenever possible.
I have beautiful kids and grandkids. The ones who wear glasses are just as beautiful as the others.
Awww, I think you looked really cute in the cats eye glasses! Shame on those kids who made fun of you!
Your new glasses are lovely! Purple and rhinestones....what's not to love?! The frames are a different style, but the lenses look quite a bit like the lenses in my daughter's glasses. She had ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) as an infant. It was corrected with a laser treatment when she was a few months old. It saved her sight, but she still needs pretty strong glasses.
Morning Jenny,
So excited for you and your new glasses, they look green on my screen in the first 2 pics for some reason,
then they look black almost. Anyway,
they are cute, and now......we need to see a pic of them on you hon!
Kids can just be so mean.........my Mom was one of those picked on children,which made her not want to go to school, so she told us the stories and told us to never make fun of anyone, that it was just the worst thing you could do to a person, and I am so glad she told us cause it really made it stick with me, and to be a defender of those in that position. So sorry you had to go thru that, and you were adorable as a lil girl......
glasses and all.
Know you must be so proud and happy with your new glasses.
Thanks for sharing your story with us.
Love and Blessings hon, Nellie
I'm with you. I hated those thick, ugly lenses I used to have to wear. But now I'm wishing I'd gotten rhinestones with my new glasses, too ... :D . And you know you have to post a picture of you in your new glasses!
Always a joy to visit here, Jenny.
Blessings,
Catherine :)
While I am thankful that I don't have to wear glasses yet, I always love to try on frames when I go pick out new glasses with my daughter. I want to just get me a cute pair of readers with almost no magnification just because I think they are so cute. So don't lament your glasses, be happy that there are so many fun styles (and thinner!) that you can wear. It's like jewelry for your face!
http//paige.ericksonfamily.com
I think you look so darn sweet in that first picture, glasses and all!
Dana
oh Jenny, I had the coke bottle glasses with the tinted lenses...I look at my old pictures and CRINGE it was SO SO SO SO SO bad.
I think you looked cute in your glasses.Coming from a retired teachers perspective kids are often cruel and they will find something to tease about even if they have to look for it. I think you should look up those old rascals on FB and flaunt your new trendy glasses!
I only started having to wear glasses about three years ago, but they drive me up the wall. I only need them for 'reading' but it's amazing how often I need to read and, without them, I feel so disabled!
Your new frames and lenses look really smart!
Those frames a are gorgeous! I want some like them. And purple? Rhinestones? Painfully thick lenses? I think we were supposed to be twins. Seriously. I was told without my glasses I am legally blind. As in if I don't remember exactly where I put my glasses down, someone else has to find them for me. Twins. So glad you love your new frames. I sure do. Now model them for us, will ya?
Rhinestones Rock! So do you..xoxox
This is one of those posts that really makes me wish you lived next door!
I am due for an opthamology check up ...and new glasses. I probably wouldn't have to have new glasses if I hadn't swatted at a bee that was getting between my glasses and me. The glasses went flying across the parking lot, and got a bit scratched up! I love your new frames.
Good to see that you're able to get your new glasses. And yes, they really do look cool. I also have to say that those kids who "tormented" you in the past might've done that, because they themselves doesn't wear glasses. Kidding aside, have a good day. :D
Sam Times
Hi Jenny, Just came across this post. I was in 2nd grade when I got my first glasses and on my way to college before I got my first contacts. Now I love wearing the new lighter glasses especially since eyes dry out more as we age. Anyway, I loved your photo. (I think cat eye frames are coming back!!) I used it on my FB fan page with a link since I just posted a profile of another woman who started out in this same traumatic way as we did and got over it and went on to achieve great success, http://bit.ly/1iuF8K6. I don't think it was just us, I do think the world looked at us differently. And now glasses are fashionable. We were trend setters!! Thanks.
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