Seeing the World Through Two New Eyes

Last weekend the girls and I went shopping with mom.

As we walked in to the store, I noticed they had a sign for "Free Eye Exams Today".

Going through the open enrollment process, for benefits, at work and trying to decide if I should get vision or not, I sat down in the chair for my Free Exam.

The nice lady sat across from me and asked that I look into a big gray machine. "Okay, this exam is for reading," she said. "Can you read line 6 for me?"

"Ummmm, no." I tell her

"How about line 5?"

"Nope, not really."

"Okay, what about line 4?"

Line 4 I can read and I spout off the letters, as if I should get a gold star or a cookie or something as a consolation prize for being able to see them.

"Well, that's 20/50. You should be wearing reading glasses," She says.

"Yes, I do" I reply, sheepishly.

"How old are you?" she asks.

Quickly doing the math in my head, "37" I mumble respond.

"Uh-hu!" she chides, "You know, the closer you get to forty..."

YES, YES, I KNOW!! My inner voice screams.

I wish everyone would stop reminding me that I'm creeping up on barreling down on 40. I'm trying to tiptoe into it so that maybe my body won't notice when I hit the big four-o. Sheesh!

Haven't they ever turned forty before? Don't they remember what it was like?

What is it about forty anyway? When people find out your close to forty, they look at you differently, with an understanding, pitying look in their eyes. It's like a magic number or something - like the amount of miles you hit in your car before things start breaking down and needing repair.

I've still got a few miles left on these tires, folks. Don't start trading me in for a new model just yet.

But my eyes....well, seems like they may need an upgrade.

She replaces the reading exam with the distance exam and asks if I can read line 7, to which I simply laugh.

"Okay, what about line 6?"

"I don't know; am I supposed to see two sixes?" I ask

"No" She says and asks, "how about line 5?"

"I see two fives too."

"Line 4?"

Yes! I can read line four and I read the letters off to her once more.

"Again, that's 20/50. You need to make an appointment for an eye doctor, quickly" she tells me in her motherly, I wouldn't ride in a car with you, voice.

Guess that decides it for the benefits, huh?

Today I got my glasses and now I'm seeing the world through two new eyes.

Wow! Things look crisper!

But how about me?? How do I look with these foreign objects on my face??

(Just ignore all of those chins, m'kay? Thanks!)

(Oh yeah, and we've only been here three weeks so please ignore the boxes too. Thanks alot! :)

Introduction

She came home after a long day at work. She sat down in her comfortable, brown recliner and surveyed the room around her.

The clothes that she had washed and folded were still neatly piled on the couch, never having grown the legs that her children must believe that all clean clothes sprout. I mean, how else do they get put away, where they belong??

The junk that had gathered on the love seat throughout the week still remained. And Sam, her dachshund, had hurdled over the pile to climb his way to the top, where he was now resting peacefully.

Everything was jut as they had left it: the tired, old, worn out - but nonetheless comfortable - furniture was still in its assigned place and the photos on the walls were the same; yet, something felt different....something was off...

Clearly, this was her home: the place she came back to every day, the place where she loved and was loved in return, the place where memories of the past lingered in the air and new ones were being made every day.

As she turned on her computer and began to tell the world - or all the tens of people who read the things she writes - about her day, she realized what was different...

It was... her ADDRESS! Her address had changed.

Not only that, but she had gotten a new identity too. To herself, her friends and family - those who new her before the plastic surgery - she sounded and looked the same. But to the rest of the world....

To the rest of the world she looked like Shelly.

Welcome to my NEW - and hopefully improved - blog. I hope the tens of readers that I had, prior to the makeover, were able to find their way over to my new place.

Whether you're a first time visitor or you knew from "the good ol' days", take your shoes off and relax a while. Pull up a chair - doesn't matter what it looks like, as long as it's comfortable - and make yourself at home. With any luck, you will enjoy my stories enough to want to come back - but don't forget the address, because I'm not changing it again :)

Blogging - In the Beginning

Hello all!

I hope everyone is doing well. I have a friend who sent me a link to her blog page and I loved it so much I thought I would give it a try myself (Thanks Tina! - like you said, all great idea's have to come from somewhere. ;).

I have always liked the idea of sharing thoughts, feelings, ideas, and current events with family and friends through a web page. I have gone so far as to actually create a couple, but nothing that I ever maintained on a regular basis....(okay so I know I have a history of unfinished projects, but it's never too late to change - right?!?!)


I used to have a web page for the kids and I loved it; however, I felt it was too limited (I wanted more!). Another friend introduced me to myspace - It's alright but not really my thing. However, I really enjoyed the blogging part of it. That being said, it seems that this may be more up my alley.

Anyway, I'm going to give it a try so be sure to save us to your favorites....
Now that I have a computer that I don't have to wait 2 days to open a page, I honestly believe that this will be something I will enjoy and maintain.