Taken for Granted

Last week, my glasses broke; the arm snapped off completely, and I was unable to mend it successfully.

You see, without my glasses, I can’t see any further than a few feet in front of me. Not being able to see is a huge detriment, and I get headaches from it.

Temporarily losing my glasses made me realise that there are many things that I take for granted.

If I was born a few hundred years earlier, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford glasses, given that they would likely be rare and expensive. I can’t imagine what my quality of life would look like without them.

I wouldn’t be able to appreciate a beautiful view, and I struggle to interpret facial features when they look all fuzzy. I definitely wouldn’t be able to read street signs without crossing the street to look at them.

Not having a functional pair of glasses has also had another significant effect on me this week; I cannot run. I feel very queasy when I don’t wear them, and I get a headache. My broken pair only just stick to my face because I used Blu-tack to stick it on to my face; any vigorous movement causes them to fall off.

If I lived in a time without glasses, maybe I’d be used to it and wouldn’t feel queasy. As is, it’s effectively preventing me from using one of my most effective coping strategies.

So I realise that I’m taking both running an seeing properly for granted. I’ll make sure to remember that whenever I’m dreading a run in the future, or looking at a beautiful view. Some people can’t do either, so I feel very fortunate.