I’m not saying my parents were bad but they relied on school vision exams. The first time I remember having trouble was in the 6th grade which was the last year in elementary school at that time. You pointed which way the E went and I couldn’t see the last one. I guessed and got it right. They wrote down 20/20 right and 20/30 left. In the 8th grade which was junior high we had another vision test this time reading letters. I got to a certain point and couldn’t read it. They told me to take my time and I managed to read enough that they didn’t send me for an exam. I did not see what they wrote down that year which was probably 74. Before that in the summer of 73 I told my Mom I thought I needed glasses. We were getting ready to go camping and she said I would get an exam after we came back. The problem was my Grandmother on one side and my Grandfather on the other were very ill and both would pass away by October. The high school which started at that time with 10th grade never had an eye exam. I though sure the driver’s license exam would get me but neither the permit exam or the one for my license got me. Finally in 82 at age 22 I went to the eye doctor and got glasses. I never wore them except sometimes driving at night by myself. They were cheap price and I got what I paid for and they fell apart. I did have astigmatism so even if I had once good distance vision which at one time I though I did I probably need glasses for that. In 86 at the age of 26 I got glasses I actually wore. I was amazed at the difference driving at night and at sporting events. I wore them any time I went out but not at home. Note I’m myopic. I started wearing them all the time about 10 years later. I wish I had done some different things. Pushed my Mom more to get an exam, told them I couldn’t see the E or stuck with not seeing the letters. I almost wish my vision had been bad enough I couldn’t see the board or pass the driver’s license exam. I probably lived in a slight blur for at least 12 years.
https://vision-and-spex.com/growing-up-with-bad-sorta-vision-t1230.html