I have not blogged in a long time about my contacts.  We are still at odds with each other.   Because I need correction for both distance and reading, and because of my astigmatism, I opted for ‘monovision.’  Monovision describes using one eye for up close reading, and the other eye for distance.  It works great on the days I go to work.  With both contacts in, I have my right eye to see what’s ahead of me while I drive to work.  At work, I can see patients across the room as well as see and write on the charts before me with my left eye.  As soon as I get home from work, I take my contacts out.

If I just want to read or I am spending time in front of my computer, I get by with reading glasses.  It’s either that or, with my contacts in, I end up having to wink at what I’m reading because the distance vision in the right eye throws off what the left eye sees up close if I am trying to read for prolonged periods of time.  All day it’s a glasses on – glasses off – glasses on – glasses off kind of existence.

As I was sitting at my computer today, I stopped to lean over to pick up a dropped sheet of paper.  Gasp!  Oh my.  I didn’t realize how dirty my kitchen floor was.  I had my readers on, and I could see all kinds of crud.  I thought my house was looking fairly clean this morning – when I didn’t have my glasses on.  Darn those glasses!  They ruined everything.  It’s not the first time.  A glance in the mirror, and I think I look okay.  Put the glasses on and then look in the mirror and every wrinkle, pimple, and imperfection show up.

I think sometimes we look at things too closely.  There’s a quote I read by an unknown author that says this:  “Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see clearly.”  I couldn’t agree more.  This morning as I glanced at my kitchen floor as a whole, I didn’t see all the specks of dirt.  The floor looked fine.  Upon closer inspection and with glasses on my nose, it looked filthy!  It was fine until I took a closer look.

It made me wonder about all the other things I look at, and what it is I am really looking at and seeing.  Oh, believe me; I think that details DO matter.  But not all the time.  A truly clean house is imperative for when company comes to stay.  It’s only common courtesy to provide clean sheets and bathroom facilities.  Details matter to a fine-tuned recipe, for many crafts and fine arts, and for doing your taxes.  But there are some things that just don’t need the close scrutiny.  I don’t want to knit-pick my friends or my husband and point out all the flaws.  (Like I don’t have any!)  By stepping back and looking at the whole picture, I can see how my house is just fine for today, my husband is as wonderful as he can be (despite his snoring – oops – didn’t mean to point that out) and sometimes my friends say things that irritate me.  I am sure I do the same to them.  It’s the big picture that matter more sometimes.

Next time I see something I don’t like, I’m going to take my glasses off and take a second look.

Just Laurel