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Friday, September 08, 2006

The changing face of Bone

I have an appointment with an optometrist today. Looks like there'll be no black market contact lenses for me. For at least a year anyway.

My main reason for wanting to go is so that I can get a new pair of glasses. As I've mentioned before, the ones I have now are too big for my small face. And have come to be affectionately called my Harry Potter glasses. I only wear them around the house.

I got my first pair of glasses in ninth grade. A horrid pair of yellow-gold colored frames. This was also the year I earned the Elvis nickname, due to my haircut and curled lip smile. At least I think that's why they called me Elvis. It was a tough year.

I stopped wearing them after a year or so. They laid in my car and eventually got broken. After that, I gradually forgot about my bad vision. Except when I was driving at night.

I was in my early twenties before I went back to the eye doctor. This time I got glasses and contacts. And have worn them ever since.

It's amazing how great peer pressure can be when you're young. Seemed like no one wanted to have glasses in high school. I'd like to say I didn't give in to peer pressure. And on many things, I didn't. But I never wanted to stand out too much.

In seventh grade, which was the last year of our middle school, I won the highest average award. Which was the seventh grade equivalent of valedictorian. My parents were so proud, but I was so embarrassed.

By the time I graduated high school, I had slipped to sixth in the class. Still in the top ten, but not showing out. Yet somehow, good grades had suddenly become the in thing, and everyone was bragging about their ranking.

We'd have an awards ceremony at the end of every year. And one of the awards given out was for perfect attendance for the year. I specifically remember asking a teacher one spring if I'd missed any days. She said I hadn't, so I checked out for half a day just so I wouldn't be recognized for perfect attendance.

There was also the Scholars Bowl team, which was the school quiz bowl team that competed against other schools in the area. I quit in tenth or eleventh grade because I thought it was too nerdy.

Then came college. I tanked freshman year, skipping classes, and ended up with a 2.7. But after that, something changed. I began to excel. I tried. And began to stand out. Except now, I enjoyed it.

I've never been comfortable in the spotlight, and never will be. But I was no longer intentionally trying to avoid it. And in things I was passionate about, I even became a bit of a perfectionist.

I'm not sure how this turned into a post about the evolution of Bone. Oh yes, the glasses. It's just funny how at 15, I thought wearing glasses was the worst thing in the world. And now, I'd almost prefer to wear them.

I've been wanting to get a stylish pair for sometime now, so that I don't have to wear contacts all the time. I've just been putting it off. Tuesday, I finally called and made an appointment. I will have a girl along to help me pick out my frames.

No more black market contacts. And no more Harry Potter. Besides, that look really wasn't working with the facial hair.

In other news, I also got my first-ever laser pointer yesterday. Companies send us pens all the time to try and get us to order them with our business name on them. The one they sent yesterday has a laser pointer in the end. People around the office love me more than ever now. Oh yeah. I think I might win Employee of the Month. If we had such an award.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

"Leave the sad guitar in its hardshell case. Leave the worried look on your lover's face. Let the orange embers in the fireplace remain..."

19 comments:

  1. And you'll post a pic with the new glasses, right? :)

    I had to wear glasses in kindergarden. It was awful. And those bad 80s glasses that took up half my face in high school. Contacts were awful. And then in my late 20s, I stopped wearing them, too. Somehow, my vision corrected itself, and now it's 20/20. Hmmmmm.

    Though the doc says that now that I'm getting "older" my vision will go the other way. Crap. Reading glasses. I'll have to stop reading. :)

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  2. Smart move, always take a girl "shopping" with you.

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  3. Go for the Harry Caray glasses, revive the trend. :)

    Taking a woman with you is a great idea. That's what I did.

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  4. Can't wait to see the new glasses. It is on my list of things to do.....but I am sooooo picky it takes forever for me to find frames. Hugs and have a great weekend!

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  5. I want a laser pointer!!!

    I think you should take a picture of you with your Harry Potter glasses on... you know we'd all get a kick out of it... take one for the team, Bone...

    I wish I would have tried harder in high school. When I hear stories of others who did so well, it makes me severely regret taking those years for granted.

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  6. employee of the month. ha. ;) as a girl who has worn glasses since she was 5, i feel your pain. but now as an adult, i prefer my glasses. i use them as an accessory to my personality. have fun picking out new frames. we want a pic!

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  7. Carmen: Yes, I suppose I'll have to :) I'm not sure if I'll get them today or if they have to order them.

    Groovie: Yes, it's a lesson I've learned well over the years.

    BigMan: The trend? lol Was that ever the trend?

    RedNeckGirl: I'm pretty indecisive myself. But maybe with someone helping, it won't take more than an hour or two.

    Blondie: Take one for the team? LOL Uh, no thanks. Very few people have ever seen me in Harry Potter mode. And I'd like to keep it that way.

    Laser pointers are fun! I guess they were all the rage, what, ten years ago? I'm bringing 'em back, baby!

    Ms. Sizzle: As you should! I think those little dark framed glasses can be quite hot on girls.

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  8. Besides tremendously enjoying your writing, you make me think of topics to discuss on our blog! Oh my, getting me started on glasses............yep, I see a glasses/contacts blog in my near future!

    hugs,
    circe

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  9. College was more of a "finding Dorothy" experience. It was a chance to listen to my heart without the noise of my past. My Physics professor wasn't amused with this explanation of why my grade was in the nether regions of "F" dom. I wish I had spent more time on class, but I'm not sorry I took the time to plant my feet.

    I had those awful brown plastic jobbies when I was 7. In high school, I got really cool green plastic ones. In the nineties, switched to green metal. My favorites are still the square gold ones five years ago, but as my eyes worsened. I now have a nice pair I'm really happy with, but the other ones made me look more "artsy" and professional. These just make me look like a uberfrump mom who needs the convenience of the magnetic clip-on shades. That's what I get for being in the 97th percentile of bad astigmatism. Maybe next time I can get those frames that come from Malaysia, so I can mock Jake Jarmel.

    The chairman looks like Harry Potter. He has the round black glasses.

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  10. I have a request: A picture of you in your Harry Potter glasses. Please. I'm asking nicely. And you know how hard it is for me to be nice.

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  11. Oh, I posted my 100th today. You guessed it..a hundred things about me.

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  12. I had friends that knew their class ranking, new their IQ, etc. I had and still have no clue...about alot of things. But I don't know my ranking when I graduated from high school and I still don't know my IQ. I don't really care. I never really tried in school I didn't really care. Now I care a whole lot and drive myself crazy about getting good grades.

    I've been fortunate not to have to wear glasses yet. I'm working on it though. I've noticed my arms aren't long enough anymore to read any fine print. yikes!

    Have a super duper weekend....Go Irish! Roll Tide!

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  13. Wore glasses since second grade. My best friend got contacts at twelve. Took her father two years to convince my father who would then walk up to girls wearing glasses and their parents and ask why the girl didn't have contact lenses as it makes such a difference.

    It was very embarrassing, and I later had to teach him why walking up to a woman who had her slip showing wasn't a good thing

    Love Bone as the nerd. It's too cool

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  14. Circe: Bone has been known to occasionally cure writer's block :)

    Dorothy: I was hoping your friend Dwayne down at J&T Optical would cut me a deal. But I mentioned you, and, nothing.

    Will check out your hundred things when I get back from the Bama game today.

    HB: That's two requests for a picture of the Harry Potter glasses. I don't like where this is going :)

    Carnealian: Again, read my comment above. Glasses on a girl can be quite attractive.

    Pia: I like to think I was versatile. I hid my nerd-dom fairly well.

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  15. DH got the laser surgery a few years back. We're all very pleased with the results. When he first had it done we were all so used to him with his glasses that it was odd to see him without but now we're used to it and he looks great. His vision is now 20/20 in one eye and 20/25 in the other... well worth it.
    Now it looks like Darly will be needing glasses...poor kid. Can't escape genetics.

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  16. Take someone with you to pick out the glasses.

    I think I need a new pair. I have some i'm supposed to be wearing when I work on the computer, but its such a hassle because I get so many interruptions and I cant look away (and see anything) with them on. They are for computer work only...

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  17. I want a laser pen!

    I also want lasik. I've worn glasses and/or contacts since I was in second grade. I can't see more than 5 inches in front of my face without them. I've had enough of waking up and squinting at the alarm clock before realizing I'm late!

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  18. Can't wait to see pictures. Will try to post some of my own when I'm not quite so drunk. Pain pills are wonderful things but numbing to my brain ;)

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  19. Renee: I'm a little freaked out by someone having a laser in the vicinity of my eyeball. Especially since I've seen how shaky my own hand is with my new laser pointer pen :)

    Kerry: I did. And I think I might wear mine often. I'm nearsighted. But can read fine with my glasses on.

    Lass: Just get one of those alarm clocks with the big huge numbers, and put it right next to your bed :) That's what I do.

    Jennifer: Pain pills are wonderful.

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