New Eyes

I recently paid a visit to a local optometrist to discuss upgrading my reading glasses to a pair that would be more useful during the day. An upgrade for my, uh, downgraded eyes. While my change in eyesight has been frustrating, I’m not complaining much because needing progressives at my age isn't a bad thing; I’ve had a good run of 20/20 vision. I used to be able to look east and see what the folks in Saskatchewan were up to. It was great while it lasted. During my appointment at the clinic, the optometrist and I bantered a bit about vision and life's realities.

“You’re taking this well,” said the eye Doctor as we ended the exam.

He explained, as he typed up my prescription, that some patients leave frustrated and angry. Early in his career, he used to take it personally.

“It’s completely understandable when you look at it from the perspective that their anger is a symptom of some grief.” He then printed off a fairly mild prescription for progressive lenses.

“Now, I want to warn you, it’s going to feel weird for the first couple of weeks, so go easy on yourself. You are going to need to adjust to the glasses, but trust the process.” And with that, he gave me a firm handshake and wished me well.

Transitions are frustrating and can bring anger or grief. Change disorients, and it takes time to adjust to new ways of seeing the world. It’s important to give grace to those adapting to change. Dismissing someone in a tantrum is easy, but understanding their grief is necessary for peace.

For the rest of us struggling to adapt to change, give yourself some grace and remember it’s better to be someone adjusting in order to recover their vision than someone who stubbornly runs into things, blames the environment, and can’t read. Don’t be that guy.

Thanks for reading, my friend!