The Come-Back, Day 8. Glasses, Masks, and Queues.

Despite my firmest intentions of not going out as often as before, I had to go out this morning. And I'm starting to think that if we can get along without stuff, I won't mind at all.

After waking up late again this morning (I'm going to have to set the alarm, the morning sun on my face isn't doing its job.), I went walking. I am now up to an hour, though today it took a little longer because I was tired for some reason. After I showered, it was almost eleven. I figured I had enough time to go to Boiro to quickly get the three or four things I hadn't bought on Saturday, stop at the pharmacy to pick up my allergy pills (not a good idea to go around with a runny nose these days), and be home in time to make lunch for one o'clock. 

Uh uh, nope. Everyone wants to go on errands in the morning. That means that, with diminished capacity in every store, lines form outside on the sidewalk with people waiting their turn to enter. I stood in line at the supermarket. I stood in line at the hardware store. I stood in line at another hardware store where there were fewer people. I stood in line again at the first hardware store because the second one didn't have what I wanted. 

At some point in the standing in line, my glasses started to fog up. I felt invisible behind both mask and fogged glasses. I was holding my breath from time to time to see what I was doing. I got angry. I tore the glasses off my nose and stuck them in my bag. So then I was blind as a bat, but without the fog, at least. My myopia and astigmatism have been growing over the years. At this moment, my right eye needs a new glass lens, though my left is stable. I will also soon need progressives, because I can't read with my glasses on. I have to push them down my nose to read labels when I'm shopping, and take them off to read books.

Still, I was comfortable in my inability to see clearly further away than two feet. So comfortable, that when I got in my car and tore off my mask, I felt like when I stretch out after first getting into bed, blissfully comfortable and placid. It was only when I had started the car and left the parking space that I realized I was seeing blurs instead of buildings, pedestrians, and cars. But I got home without bumping into anything, nor being stopped by the traffic cops, who would have scrutinized my license and then asked me why I was not wearing the glasses mentioned on it. 

I got home barely in time to make lunch, but I didn't get everything I needed this morning. This afternoon I have a class, and someone is coming by, so I'll have to go out tomorrow. Again. Whether or not I will go blindly, I suppose will depend on the mask. Today's was one of the new cloth ones. Tomorrow I might wear a surgical one that was buried in a box in our store room. Perhaps, since it has a metal strip, my breath won't escape along the top edge to kiss my glasses. Or, I might wander blindly tomorrow, as well. 

Life continues.

Spec, Glass, Reflection, Lens, Vision

Comments

  1. Can you wear the visors? Even get them. I prefer them for foggy glasses as well as not feeling claustrophobic.

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    Replies
    1. I've seen them on sale (for twenty euros!), but, since masks will soon be obligatory, I won't bother. I'll just try to keep my wanderings down this year.

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