Jimmie.
A rewrite of the first story, I wrote, on this site, in Sept.2013.
My husband Peter, and I, June, live in a medium sized house, with a large back yard. We have a nice family, Amy is the oldest, then Jimmie and Carol, who is the youngest.. Peter, is a baseball fan, loves to play the game, and spend a lot of time with Jimmie, and the girls, catching and throwing the ball, and teaching them the game. He has been showing Jimmie, and the girls, how to hold the bat, and how to swing the bat, so hopefully, they all will become a good baseball or softball player. When Jimmie was 5 years old, he started to play T ball, and he played well.
Jimmie, this fall will be going into grade 3, and this past summer, was the best player on his baseball team, and is already talking about the next baseball season. Because all three of our children are in school now, I have time, to visit with the neighbors sometimes. To day I had coffee with Betty, next door, she has 2 girls about the same age as our children. Betty, has nice dark hair, a pleasant personality, and she wears glasses, and I think, is a very attractive looking woman. We were talking about our kids, when Betty told me that her oldest daughter Ashley, who is in the same class as Jimmie, has an eye exam next week. Why does she need an eye exam? The girls have regular eye exams, I am sure, Amy is myopic, and needs to wear glasses, like I am, I have noticed her squinting, and some other signs of poor vision. Than she explained to me, what is is like to be myopic, and also that a large number of her family are myopic, and that they all wear glasses,. We are sure, myopia is hereditary, and I would not be surprised, that both my girls will end up, wearing glasses. I now have some idea, what myopia is, and why people need to wear glasses. There are no people with myopia, in our family that I know of, and I am quite sure there are none in Peter’s family, that makes me feel better, I don’t want our children having to wear glasses.
A couple of weeks later, Jimmie, told us, that Amy, who lives next door, is wearing glasses now. There are now 5 girls, and 4 boys in our class, that wear glasses. The teacher, who wears glasses, explained to us, why some of our classmates, have to wear glasses. that it can happen, to any one of us, because when you are growing, and your eyes grow, can cause your vision to change, and because of that you have to wear glasses, to see properly.
The girls, both are excellent students, and have good marks, Jimmie is not doing as well, but I am not surprised, he is always playing sports, and dreaming about baseball, and this winter has grown quit a bit taller, and I think, he is now tall for his age. Well they are all healthy, that is important.
Spring is finally here, and as soon as the backyard was dry enough, the ball playing started, Jimmy, and the girls had a great time, playing catch, and to practice their hitting. Now, they cannot wait, to start playing with their teams, and have a good time with their friends.
When Peter, played with Jimmie, he noticed, that his reaction, to a ball coming his way was slower than it should be. He wondered, if it was, because it was early in the season, he would have to wait and see. Amy, seemed to have some trouble as Jimmie, it really bothered him, both had grown, quite a bit since last season, and he wondered, if that had slowed down their reactions, because they are bigger now. Well he figured, time will tell.
Both Jimmie and Amy, are not playing as well, as we were expecting. They are not hitting as well, and both have been charged with errors, neither had an error all last season. Both my husband and I, are wondering what is happening?
We had a period of rainy days, and the kids are not playing ball, when it rains. Amy and Jimmie, Carol and I were invited, by our neighbor Betty, to come over to play some games with the girls. Both, Amy and Jimmie, were very surprised, when they saw, that Kelley was wearing glasses . When did you start to wear glasses? Well, I picked the glasses up yesterday, I am myopic, like the rest of the family. I still cannot believe, how much better I can see now, everything I look at, is so nice and clear, and no fuzzy vision when I look at far away objects, I love my new glasses. Amy said, I cannot believe glasses can do all that. You don’t believe me, well here try my glasses,. So Kelley, let Amy try the glasses. When Amy put the glasses on, looked around, then walked to the window and looked outside, and slowly said, I can see everything perfectly clear, I can’t believe it, then took the glasses off, and then put them on again, mom, I think, I need to wear glasses, I like to be able to see this good. Then Amy told Jimmie to try the glasses, and when Jimmie put the glasses on, said, Amy, you are right, the glasses are like magic, the way they improve your vision. I was stunned, my children need to wear glasses? Betty, said well it looks like they both need to wear glasses, that might be the reason, they are not playing as well this season, their vision is not as good as it was before. Ashley, who now is wearing her second pair of glasses, with a stronger prescription, brought out her first pair of glasses, for Amy and Jimmie to try. Then Amy said, mom why don’t you try the glasses? When I put them on and looked around noticed everything I looked at seemed to appear more clear and bright, but I am sure that is my imagination. When Amy, tried Ashley’s glasses, experienced the same vision improvement, that she had experienced when wearing Kelley s glasses. Both Jimmie, and Amy, asked me to make arrangements for an eye exam, they want to wear glasses, so they can see better. Amy, did not want to take Ashley’s old glasses off, she loved her improved vision. Betty told her she could have the glasses, till she got her own, so Amy wore the glasses going home.
When my husband came home, and saw Amy wearing the glasses, became very upset, what are you doing wearing glasses? So, I told my husband the whole story, and why Amy was wearing the glasses. All he said was, I never expected anything like that, but you might be right, poor vision, is most likely the reason, they do not play as well, we better have their eyes examined. I phoned Betty, to ask her, for the name of the Doctor, they use, after she gave me the name, and suggested, I perhaps, should have an eye exam to, since I never had one, so I can find out, what goes on during an eye exam. So, I made arrangements, for an eye exam, for all three children, and myself.
The day of the eye exam, both Amy, and Jimmie were excited, about getting glasses. After their exams were completed, and they were told to wear glasses, I suggested to them, that with the assistance from the optician, to select a frame that they like, while I had my eye exam. Carol, after her exam was told, that her vision was fine. An eye exam, sure was an eye opener for me. I had no idea, that by shining a bright light into your eye, they could notice certain diseases, you might have, and also if you need to wear glasses. I found when looking through the machine, that looked like an oversized pair of glasses, was very interesting, a couple of clicks, and the letters were nice and clear. I nearly, fainted, when the optometrist told me, that I am myopic like the children, and should be wearing glasses, I remembered when I tried Ashley’s glasses they seemed to improve my vision, but that I was sure it had been my imagination, now I know, it was not. When, I tried frames, which I thought might look good on me, could not believe, how nice I could look wearing glasses,.
All of us, were very excited, when we went to pick up our glasses. Jimmie and Amy, kept taking their glasses off, and on, and could not believe, how much better they could see now. I was surprised, by the improvement in my vision, I had never realized, that my vision was not perfect. Looking at myself wearing glasses, liked my new look.
As soon as we got home, the children went playing ball, in the backyard, they are so happy with their improved vision. When my husband came home, was happy, that Amy and Jimmie were now playing ball, and looked like they are back, to be as good as they were, because of their improved vision.
At the next few ball games, both Jimmie, and Amy, are playing better, than ever. I now realize, how important, good vision is, and the importance of regular eye exams. Me, wearing glasses, was the best thing that ever happened to me, now I understand the trouble, our children had playing ball, with poor vision, and also realize the importance of regular eye exams. Funny, it all started, on a rainy afternoon, when we visited our neighbor Betty, and Kelley bragging about her new glasses, and then Amy and Jimmie trying her glasses, that we all discovered, we should be wearing glasses.
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