A school vision screening at the end of his freshman year in 78 15 year old Mark was told he needed glasses. Mark was not surprised by this and with planning on taking drivers education during the first semester of his sophomore year had planned to ask his parents for an eye exam. Mark got his glasses which had the popular at the time photochromic lenses. Photochromic lenses had several quirks about them. First they were actual glass lenses so if a prescription was too strong they were not feasible. Second was they never went completely clear. Third was with the school pictures of the day the flash made them look like a child or teenager was wearing sunglasses which can be confirmed by looking at high school yearbooks from that era.. Mark who was told he was borderline on passing his permit exam did pass without glasses barely. The problems started early in Mark’s sophomore year when the school pictures were taken. Mark unlike many teenagers of the era with a minor prescription wore his glasses all the time so he had the usual flash effect of the time. Mark’s parents especially his Mom were not happy with the picture. For his junior picture Mark after a prescription change took his glasses off but neither he nor his parents thought it looked right. Mark who had gotten his drivers license after the first semester of his sophomore year but this time was restricted to glasses. Mark’s parents both hard working but they so not afford to get him a car so he started working at Burger Queen after school and on weekends buying a car and paying the insurance. After another prescription change before his senior year of high school Mark and his parents looked for a solution of the glasses changing in his picture which would be taken in the summer before his senior year. Mark who had taken vocational training in high school related to heating and air conditioning found a solution by chance. While walking thru a flea market Mark found a pair of fake glasses exactly like his frames for $2.00. Mark bought the glasses and both he and his parents were happy with the idea. Mark’s senior pictures turned out great. Mark after graduation went to work in his chosen field making good money and even for a time continued working at Burger Queen on some nights when they needed help and his schedule permits. By 84 Mark was married with a one year old Son Mark Jr. who would later decide to go by his middle name of James not Jim or Jimmy. Mark got away from the photochromic shortly after high school due to the weight of the lenses. Mark’s vision was now stable but in 95 at age 11 James needed glasses. James wanted the transition lenses but Mark didn’t know what they were. The Optician who in the US only fits glasses after the exam explained the changing effects of them. Mark from his days with photochromic was skeptical but the Optician with over forty years experience and semi retired explained they were completely different from the 70’s. Both Mark and James ordered the transition glasses with the cost offset by his wife a nurse insurance. As James grew he went thru the usual prescription changes. James did at the request of his high school basketball did get contacts but only wore them for practices and games where he did not play very much. James who could have went to college but he decided to follow Mark into the heating and cooling business as 4 more years of school didn’t appeal to him. Today James is married with a 13 year old Son and an 11 year old Daughter both wearing glasses with transition lenses although the girl has hinted at contacts. The Son Mark’s and his spouses first Grandchild does not play sports and has no interest in contacts.
https://vision-and-spex.com/mark-s-school-picture-dilema-t1291.html