January 18, 2025

Eye Exam

On seeing.

One line of my optometrist’s eye chart spelled out F-A-R-T. Do you think he did that on purpose?

I never feel the slow march of time more than when I’m at an eye exam. Always starting out ever the optimist—I think my prescription is working out fine!—only to discover I am actually not seeing as well as I once thought.

When I first got glasses, I felt sort of cheated. Suddenly, there were individual leaves on the trees—not just blobby green treetops like a toddler’s drawing. What else had I been missing?

I guess I appreciate the yearly opportunity to recalibrate.

Now, can you tell me, is it better?

Or worse?