Seeing Clearly

I always had issues growing up. Mostly around seeing things.

In class, I’d have trouble paying attention to the chalkboard because the letters felt too small. None of the other kids seemed to have trouble though, so I figured I just needed to squint harder like them. When I’m out and about in public, I tend to trip or stumble on the ground or not notice light poles until they were right in my face. No one else seemed to have trouble with this though, so I assumed I just needed to pay more attention like them. At parties, I’d have a hard time seeing people’s faces, so I’d awkwardly act like I maybe knew them until they were close enough for me to see. No one else seemed to have trouble with this though, so I assumed I just needed to pay more attention to the people around me, and maybe I simply don’t care enough about them to recognize them quickly.

Some people with vision issues have similar difficulties, but I’m not blind. I’m not like them. I’ve gotten incredibly far in life by pushing myself to try harder, to think harder, to ask myself why I neglect the people around me if I really care about them.

I had a vision test done recently, and it turns out I need glasses. No one told me until now. No one around me wears glasses. No one told me you’re not supposed to feel like you’re struggling to see all the time.

Obviously, this isn’t actually about glasses. It doesn’t have to be about anything specific. We’ve all felt this way about something.