It was a lot of fun to have read the various stories that have been shared here regarding our love/hate relationship with our eyeglasses. Each story being as unique as the eyewear chosen in developing that relationship. Whether you love them or hate them, the fact is, just about every one of us during our lifetime will need them; be it either to help us see things clearly in the distance (Myopia/Hyperopia), which usually occurs when we are younger, or to help us see things clearly close up (Presbyopia), which usually occurs when we are older. I now find myself in that latter group. Presbyopia affects us older people when we no longer have the ability to see things clearly close up, due to the loss of elasticity of the lens in our eye, (that’s the focusing mechanism of our eye). This is normal as we become older and can be easily corrected with a pair of reading glasses. I knew for some time that day would eventually arrive for me. When it did, I went and ordered for myself a pair of reading glasses. When they arrived a few day latter, I had them fitted to me. They worked great. I was now able to see everything up close clearly. Glasses off… a blur, glasses on… perfect. Again, glasses off… a blur, glasses on… perfect. Even the smallest of print. Amazing. However, this was not the first time that I’ve been amazed at how eyeglasses work. In truth, they have always amazed me and at times have seemed almost magical. They certainly did to me as a young boy returning back to school after my summer vacation. That’s when I noticed my friend Kevin, who was sitting next to me, was wearing eyeglasses. I asked him about them. He said his mother had brought him to see the eye doctor during the summer and was told that he should start wearing them as soon as possible. Kevin said he had a “hard time seeing things far away” and his eyeglasses made everything “really clear”. I was intrigued. I asked him if I could try them on; he said yes, so I did. Needless to say, I couldn’t see anything at all. Everywhere I looked and everything I looked at was out of focus. It was a mystery to me how Kevin could see out of those eyeglasses and I couldn’t… Was it magic? Little did I know then how that encounter would eventually lead me down the path towards becoming an optician, and as a result, change my life. As an optician, I see the “magic” working every day, and though I now know the source of the “magic”; it still amazes me. It amazes me when I witness it working in helping a child, whose vision was so poor, to now be able to see the faces of their mother and father for the first time. It amazes me when I see it working to help a young women, whose vision was so affected by a stroke, correct her double vision and enhance her quality of life. It amazes me when I watch it working to help an elderly man, whose sight was so diminished due to the development of cataracts, to now be able to read again for the first time in years. Over time, I’ve taken part in a number of situations similar to the ones mentioned above, and have seen first hand how the “magic” has improved people’s lives. Including my own. I guess it’s pretty obvious how I feel about eyeglasses. Even though that relationship may have developed from a different perspective than most people; nevertheless, they still have had a tremendous influence on my life. Which makes me think back to that great Lovin’ Spoonful song from the 1960’s, when John Sebastian (an eyeglasses wearer himself), asked for all of us to ponder the question; “Do You Believe In Magic”. I’d be willing to bet that for many of us who have ever needed the “magic” to help us read a book, watch a movie, drive a car, participate in sports, play a musical instrument, as well as a host of other activities which adds value to our lives each day; that answer would be a resounding…YES WE DO!