A New Perspective
September 15th, 2008
Today was an epic adventure that began at my grandparents’ apartment. Mom had a dentist appointment and also needed to work a few hours, and since I had an appointment too, she just dropped me off at my grandparents’ in order to save gas. Grandpa was the same as usual, generally unsociable but still offering small conversation whenever he peeked out from the bedroom. Similarly, Nana didn’t change much from the last time I visited her either and is still the kind and caring person I have always remembered her to be. I also got to see my uncle, Wayne, who has seen better days and also become much more of a wise ass than I remember him being, but then again we rarely see each other, so it could be a total lack of observation on my original part. Nana, uncle Wayne and I spent most of the time talking and looking over old, old photographs of people I rarely see. I also beat Nana in a game of Skip-Bo, muahaha! I’ve still got it!
Soon afterward, mom came to pick me up for my appointment, which I have been rather vague about in this post; it was for contacts. I have anticipated this moment for years and used to badger my parents about it all the time, but it was only until recently that they were within my grasp. I managed to get in as soon as I entered, yay for slow days; and oh man, if there is any word, any word at all that can possibly describe my first encounter with contacts, it would be frustrating. I literally sat there for an hour trying to get those bastards in my eyeballs and I’m lucky that the lady who was observing me had so much patience. Both she and mom gave me demonstrations on how to put them in, and when I finally got them both in, another lady came over and said that I had to take them out. Apparently they’re not allowed to let clients leave the store until they’ve demonstrated that they can both put them in and take them out. You can imagine my irritation.
Fortunately, taking them out is far easier than putting them in, and then the eye doctor was able to see me. That was lucky too, because my vision seems to be a little bit blurry. The doctor said it was because my eyes aren’t “perfectly round” (this had me, my mom and the poor lady that was stuck observing me laughing our heads off) and also because I’m not used to them. My glasses seem so much sharper though…
I had to stand still as soon as I left the eye place because it was all so much to take in. I have worn glasses for ten years; I had forgotten what it felt like to have the wind sweep across my face without a shield, what it felt like to see everything without weight on my face. It all felt like I was seeing and experiencing everything for the first time, even the common noise of an automobile passing by seemed new, and I was so moved by the experience that I almost started crying. I’m glad I didn’t though, because my eyes were still really watery after all the poking I did to them and my complexion really couldn’t afford anymore blotches.
Mom and I went to the grocery store afterward, since we needed to buy something for dinner and she didn’t want to spend anymore money at Taco Bell for awhile (blast their delicious chalupas!) and I came too so that I could marvel at boxes depicting food with my newly found sense of sight. We found something relatively easy to make and, just as we were heading out, I spotted Chris, who graduated high school the year before I did. This is the kid who introduced me to Hellsing, DN Angel and Petshop of Horrors, so you can imagine my initial excitement. Our reunion went something like this:
Me: Chris?
Chris: Amber?
Us: *hug!*
Me: How are you?
Chris: Good, you?!
Me: I’m fine!
Chris: I work in a soup kitchen now, so I’m greasy.
Me: Ohhh.
Chris: Well, have a good one!
Me: You too!
*parting of ways*
It was really kind of sad, because I thought of asking him for contact details and decided it was better not to in a split second. I wish I could remember the reasoning behind that decision, but maybe it was better this way. After all, if we didn’t have anything more to say then, what would I possibly want to talk to him about later?
So then mom and I locate and head towards the car, and she comments that the interaction between Chris and I was extremely awkward. Just as we’re about to get in the car, some random guy with a pot belly and a beard calls, “HEY! HOW ARE THE CONTACTS?!” from behind us and I replied “FINE!” before asking mom, “How does he know about the contacts?” I originally deduced that he had been in the waiting room and witnessed the fail that was my first experience with contacts, but it turns out that he works with my dad. “Well, that was awkward,” I mimicked, and we both laughed as mom pulled into the highway.
Today was a good day.
