Growing up, I never saw myself wearing glasses because I thought it was an “old man thing” to need them. All of the men in my family wear glasses, including my older brother, who used to say, “Saurav, all of our cousins, grandfathers, fathers, and uncles wear glasses, including me. Make sure you NEVER end up wearing one!” So, it kind of became my aim to NEVER end up wearing glasses.
Unfortunately, my heredity said no. I was actually prescribed glasses at a young age, but I never really wore them because of the old-man rhetoric. On top of that, I didn’t think I looked good with them on, no matter the type of frames. My eyesight wasn’t terrible, but it was getting worse year by year. By grade 8, I was already finding it a bit difficult to read some of the things written on the blackboard. By grade 10, I knew my eyesight was bad, but I tried to stay ignorant about it. My philosophy had shifted from the old-man rhetoric to “wearing glasses makes vision worse due to dependence.” To some extent, I still believe this, but now I’ve accepted the fact that I am dependent on them and will continue to be.
I’m not a big fan of prescription glasses, so I use contacts instead. Although I wouldn’t say they’re a better choice—since they get dry, irritate the eyes, need to be cleaned thoroughly before use, can’t be worn to bed, and can’t be worn for too long—it’s just a bigger hassle than glasses. Technically, you could wear dirty glasses, but it’s impossible to put in a dirty contact lens. They’re more fragile and need more care—in other words, high maintenance. But it’s the price I pay for not wanting to wear glasses for appearance’s sake, and I’m okay with it. Unless I find glasses that actually look good on me, I’ll probably continue using contacts.