I, Francis, was a 13 years old girl while the first waves of puberty shook my and my parents life. We had a hard time together, I could not help myselfe, but I was so nasty to them, that today I am very embarrassed about many of the things I had said and done to my parents in these months. This was the reason, why my parents decided to send me on a summertrip on my own, they seemed to need a rest from my aggressions. I had the choice between going to a camp of pathfinders in the mountains or on a sailingship on the dutch coast. I decided to go on the ship. After I arrived there travelling by train, I was welcomed by the captain of the boat and the youthleader of the organisation that offered the trip. I was the first one of the group that arrived and it would be another day till the trip started. So I had the choice which cabin I wanted to sleep in on the boat. I liked a small cabin with a round little window just close to the entry of the sleeping deck and went in to deposit my gear. I was surprised to find out that it wasn’t cleaned yet. “Oh, sorry our cleaning staff is coming later, this still is in the state as the previous group had left the boat.” The captain said. So I helped myselfe and took care of cleaning up the little cabin, because I had the desire to rest after the long travel. I pulled out the bedsheets and when depositing them in front of my cabin something hard fell on the floor. I wondered what it was and found a black glassescase. Inside was a pair of glasses and a little card with some numbers on it. My predecessor must have lost this when leaving. I wondered why she or he did not realise the loss and have a second look, he sure would need his glasses. I deposited the case on a shelf above the bed. After finishing the cleanup, I lay myselfe down and dozed a bit. I woke up, because the boat made a sudden move up and down, later I found out, that this was caused by a big pack of food and drinks for our trip, that was delivered by a crane. Initiated by the move the glasses case fell on me from the shelf. With half closed eyes and still half dozing I catched it and held it, so it woulnt fall into some hidden fold again. I kept on dozing for a while with the case in my hand. Waking up completely I looked at the case that had accompanied my little rest and thought I should maybe take a closer look at the glasses inside. I had no expierience with glasses myselfe but since a couple of months, as my body and mind started to change from child to grownup I envied girls in my class and school a bit that had to wear glasses. Most of them looked to me more mature and more attractive with them on. I took the glasses out, and made a closer inspection, they were of dark red plastic, with round parts on the cheekside and edgy parts on top and they seemed to be glasses for a femine person. The optical glass itselfe had a sparkling impression and looking through them from an aslant ankle transparent rings inside the glass were visible. Things seen through the glasses from my distant view seemed to be minified and bendt. I had the wish to put them on and find out how it feels to wear glasses with prescription lenses, but hesitated. Would it be okay to try on someones glasses without asking? I planned to give the glasses to the captain next time I met him, so he could take care to give them back to the girl that owned them. So I put them back in their case, but when deposting the case again , I had a strange urge to take them back in my hands. I opened it and took the glasses out again and without thinking anymore I unfolded the temples and put the glasses on. I moved them a bit to get good seated until I thought they sit in the right place. Looking through them out of my little window over the sunlit harbour I saw that everything looked smaller and very much out of focus. Looking through the glasses was like having a second little window just in front of my eyes, that changed the view I had. In a strange way I had the impression to be very attractive with the glasses on and liked the feeling they gave to me, though not having an idea how I look with them on. While peering through the lenses and wondering about the optical effect they caused, the captain called from the topdeck down to me: “Hey Francis, I am leaving the ship for an hour, you’ll be on your own, okay?” “ no problem” I replied. I still felt very elated by the sensation of wearing real prescription glasses and wanted to continue wearing them though not seeing good at all. With the glasses on I got up, I left the cabin and found out, that my orientation has worsened with the optical effects and limitations of the glasses. I groped to the stairway and went on the topdeck. Coming out in the bright sun, it took short time until I had the feeling of having a bit better focus in the bright light. With glasses on I inspected the ship. My ability to walk and move with glasses on was quite handicapped. I had long looks around and was fascinated on how the glasses changed my vision. I felt my eyes working hard, a sensation I havent had before in my life, it seemed as if they tried to get better focus and for short moments the focusing seemed to get better. While walking over the ship my ability to walk and move with glasses got a bit better and the moments of better focus seemed to come more often and longer. A thought came into my mind: maybe my eyes and brain are able to adjust to the glasses , if I would just leave them on for a longer time. How could I manage that? Well, when arriving on the ship, I had been wearing sunglasses, so if I would just keep the glasses on, the captain and the youthleader would think, that I am a glasswearing girl. They maybe wouldn’t have suspicious thoughts if I wear glasses through the whole trip. Same with my soon arriving companions, they didn’t know me before this trip. But if my eyes would not adjust? That would be embarrassing. my heart was pounding, I was so excited by the idea that grew inside of me. And what would happen to my eyesight if I force myselfe to see through glasses? My thoughts were raising, I saw myselfe coming back to school with glasses on. Whow, what a surprise to my glassmates. But would I look mature and attractive like the others?. I went to the boats bathroom and looked in the mirror. Though not seeing really focused, I liked what I saw. My soft teenage features seemed to look more accentuated, ‘the glasses make me look older’ I thought, they seemed to fit perfect in my face. Coming back on deck, I felt serene and full of expectations. I hadn’t made up my mind yet if I should really fulfill my plan, I thought about what my parents would say,when they find out what I was doing. But why not, I was on rebellion against them anyway. I would just say, that the glasses were a gift from a girl I met on the boat. What could they do? My vision through the lenses had improved a bit after wearing the glasses now for about one hour. I could not see clear at all, but the feeling of having absolutly no focus was gone. What I saw, was smaller, bend to the side of the rims, but recognizable. I was so occupied with my new enthusiasm that I didn’t register, that the captain and the youthleader, her name was Jane, had entered the ship and came up to me. My heart bumped heavy as I realized that they saw me wearing glasses. Now there was no way back I thought. As they approached me i said hello to them with a smiling face though feeling to be in a tense situation. Would they see, that I wear the prescription glasses that belonged to a girl that was on the previous trip? How stupid and careless I was. I started to sweat. But no, not at all, they talked to me in a friendly way, asked if I was fine and invited me to cook dinner with them. No word about the glasses. They really must be thinking, that I had been wearing prescription sunglasses and now changed to my clear glasses. Standing in the kitchen and preparing our meal together I had bad problems to see things perfect. The vision in close distance was worse than looking at far away objects. I regreted my stupid idea to wear glasses throughout this 3 weeks lasting trip, but it was too late, how could I explain this situation to anybody if I suddenly stopped wearing the glasses? After dinner I went back on deck and sat at the front end of the boat looking into the colourful eveningsky. I saw much better than in the kitchen and my desperate thoughts calmed down. So my vision through “my”glasses had improved again a bit. I was able to enjoy my new life as a glasswearing girl again. I thought, that it needed just a bit more time, the progress in adapting was there , why should it not get better the next days. But there was another problem. What should I do, when we sail in bright sunlight, I had no prescription sunglasses. Maybe I could find a shop next morning- the schedule was to leave in the afternoon after everybody had arrived- that had cheap prescription sunglasses. I had no expierience but was planning to try. After sunset, the captain and Jane invited me to play cards with them. Down in the community cabin we sat at the table and played. It was worse again than outside, but better than through cooking and eating. My eyes must have made another progress in adaption. We had a lot of fun playing, but I started to feel my eyes getting strained and like heated up a bit. So after an hour of playing I went to bed and tried to read. This was almost impossible with the glasses on. So I took them off, placed them on a safe place and with many thoughts about my future as a glasswearing girl I fell asleep. I woke up early and had a headache, my eyes felt overexerted and I was worried about what this day would bring. I went to the ships bathroom and looked in the mirror. I instantly had the wish to put the glasses back on. My impression was that I would look so much better. I went back to the cabin, put the glasses on and was disappointed to find out, that my vision was as bad with them on, as in the first hour of wearing them the day before. Would I have to do this tenacious adjusting every day now? I went on the deck, it was early morning, the sun came just over the horizon, I was all by myselfe and while looking around my view came back into the focus that I had reached the day before. I enjoyed looking around through my little windows and started to feel serene again. The glasses were like a soft drug that I wouldn’t like to miss in my further life. After having breakfast with Jane and captain – my ability to see closer things had improved again- I asked if it would be okay to leave them for a little walk through town. Walking with glasses through town was challenging. I had to learn about the new dimensions with glasses, I found out that I had to make more moves with the head to check my surroundings and the picture through my small windows was disturbed by every step I made. So I almost walked past the optical shop without getting aware that it was there. They had an advertising for prescription sunglasses made in one hour and for low prices. I hesitated, I didn’t really know how to behave in this shop. But then a tennant of the shop that was standing in the door spoke to me , said hello and asked if I needed prescription sunglasses. I smiled unsecure at her and said “ Oh yes I just thought about it” “ Do you know your prescription ?” “No not really” I answered. “ Don’t you have a prescription card in Your glasses case?” I remembered the little card inside the case, and took my rucksack down, where I had the glasses case. I took it out and showed her “Oh Yes, That’s fine” she said,” shall we make you pair of sunglasses with these?” “ I was reliefed ”Yes that would be nice, how long does it take?” “about 35 Minutes, is that ok?” So I got in and chosed a frame similar to the one I had without prescriptionglasses. The tennant told me to come back in about half an hour. I left the shop and sat down on a bench at the seaside to wait. I felt the glasses in my face and the power they had when looking over the harbour. In the one moment they gave me a sensation of pleasure in the next I felt afraid of what would happen to my eyesight. My adaption to the optical power was making progress I was in good hope it would come to a point, where my sight becomes perfect with these glasses. But whats next? Would I become really dependent on the glasses? After collecting the sunglasses in the shop I kept on walking through town. As the sun was getting very bright now, I changed to the prescriptionsunglasses that I just had bought. The longer I walked, the more I got used to the challenge of the lenses. I felt easy and passing by a newstand I decided to buy a magazine, sit on a nearby bench and try to read. My impression was, that my ability to see with glasses had improved again. I was excited, when I found out that I was able to read almost perfect now. I seemed to be on the right way. Our crew on the ship came together 12 girls and 2 boys, I would spend the following weeks with. After leaving the harbour the captain started a two hour instruction about the hows and wheres on the boat. On the first evening on sea, we had got to know each other very quick. I enjoyed every day of the trip, wearing glasses became more and more a great joy for me. The other girls and boys seemed to like my look and the matureness the glasses gave me. After 3 days it took only two minutes to adapt perfekt to “my” glasses and I had the impression to see all so much clearer than without glasses. I made friends with two of the girls, Anne and Sheila. Sheila was wearing glasses, but these seemed to be not as strong as mine. So one day she asked me, if we could change glasses. I agreed and after putting on her glasses I was surprised, that I could not see clear in the distance anymore and Sheila said: my god your glasses are much stronger than mine how much diopers do they have? I remembered, that the numbers on the little card were -5,0 and -4.75 and I told Sheila. “wow that’s more than double of my glasses I have -2.” We changed back and I felt a little worried by what Sheila just had said. “I don’t mind the strength, I am glad that I can see fine” I replied. I realised, that I was wearing “strong” glasses and compared the look of my glasses to those Sheila had and for the first time realised that the rings at the side of my glasses when looking from the side were more intense and the contour of the lenses was deeper. After 20 days we came back to the harbour where we started. By then I was completely used to wear “my” glasses, It felt natural to me to have them on and there were times, when I was so occupied by the tasks we had on the ship, I didn’t even have a thought about the optical device in front of my eyes. I loved to wear my glasses, they gave me confidence, the feeling of beeing mature and my vision was so perfect with them, that I felt, that I wanted to keep wearing them forever. They had become part of me. I pushed thoughts and harrasment about my parents possible reaction away. When arriving in the port, a clerk of the organisation that offered the boattrips came on board and asked the captain and us, if anybody had found a pair of glasses on the boat, that one young woman who was one of the youthleaders from the previous trip had lost. The glasses felt heavy on my nose when I said, “sorry no” like the others. I felt a bit guilty. Travelling home I met some nice people that I had good conversation with through the whole ride, we laughed a lot and time flew by, I was in high spirits and so I arrived at my home town without having a thought about what my mom and dad would say, if they see me wearing my- and now I really accounted them as mine - glasses, I was completely unaware of any trouble I could run into. Leaving the train I saw my mom looking along the platform. I waved her and she came up to me. We hugged and told each other how glad we were to see each other after that long time. I told about my adventures on the boat and the guys I travelled with and mom listened interested. But soon I saw, that there was a tense expression on moms face. It seemed to me as if she didn’t know what to say about something she was worried about. So I asked what worried her. She looked at my face and stuttered: “ Francis, why do you wear glasses, I just cant understand..” I wasn’t really prepared for that. So I looked back at her and asked if she thought the glasses suit me well. Unsecure she answered : “They look very good on you darling, but they seem to be quite strong..” I answered :” Oh don’t worry, I can see perfect with them on, a friend on the boat donated her spare pair to me because I had trouble seeing in the distance. They are perfect for me, don’t worry mom” She was still concerned, but changed to other subjects and we went to the tram to drive home. Dad was away on a conference for a couple of days, so mom suggested to go have supper in a restaurant and go to the cinemas afterwards. We spend a nice evening and mom got more and more relaxed. On our way home we laughed a lot together and after coming home she looked at me and said ”Francis I really enjoyed this evening with you, thank you. And I am quite used to see you wearing glasses now, they really seem to belong to you. But should we not go to an eyedoctor to get your eyes checked, maybe these glasses don’t have the right glasses for your eyes?” I smiled at her and said:” they feel perfect and my vision is excellent, look” I picked up a book and started reading while holding it as far away from my eyes as possible” I can read the smallest script from far away and” I looked around and saw the bookshelf 4 meters away ”please point at a book on the shelf and I read whats written on its back” She pointed at a book with smaller letters and I read the title and author on it. Mom was amazed and tried to read the same distant letters:”You see much better than me, I cant read this over this distance, maybe you are right Francis” The glasses were not mentioned anymore till dad came home. He welcomed me warmly and gave my face a good look :” Mom had told me on the phone that you are now wearing glasses, they look great on you and I am so proud that you accept the fact that you need glasses so brave.” Coming back to school with glasses I expected comments or surprise. But nobody dared to say a thing I got a lot of hidden looks and was it envy I saw in some of the girls faces? After two months of wearing the glasses constantly, I woke up one sunny sundaymorning and looked out of my window in the trees. They were out of focus, I got up and looked around my room everything looked blury. My heart bumped. This was new. I tried to read without glasses. I had to get my eyes very near to the text to be able to read it. I sat there for a while looking around and knew now I really needed glasses for the rest of my life. I felt serene and thought gratefully of the girl that had left her glasses on the boat.