To be clear this story is fantasy but I wonder if something like this really happened.
I was born July 1st 1965 in Southport Indiana about 5 miles south of Indianapolis. I had a great childhood for the times as an only child and both parents working blue collar jobs for good money. Due to my birthday I started 1st grade while still age 5 which I learned later many thought was too early. I easily passed first grade proving the skeptics wrong. I was not taken to an Optometrist with my parents relying on the school vision checks as many families did back then. In 4th grade I started complaining of headaches after reading for a long period of time. I talked to a friends Dad who was an MD and he suggested I ask my parents for an eye exam. When I did ask for the exam my parents dismissed it as eye strain. Neither parent at the time wore glasses.
The first time I struggled on the school vision screening was 7th grade but I did read enough not to be sent for an exam. I told this to my parents who said as long as you passed you don’t need glasses. If I had told the examiner I couldn’t read the last line I did I would have been sent for an exam. If I had known that I would have said I couldn’t read that line. One of my friends couldn’t read that line and had to get glasses. We didn’t have another vision screening until 10th grade and again I should have said I couldn’t read the last line I did. I again approached my parents saying I think I need glasses but they said as long as you passes you don’t need them. That was the last time we had a vision screening at school.
With my 16th birthday not coming until after my sophomore year it was decided I would take drivers ed. the summer after that. I knew a vision screening was required for my permit and I honestly thought I would fail it and finally get the glasses I know I need. To my surprise I passed the screening and got my permit. I did struggle with the vision screening and again brought this up to my parents but again they said you passed. I had always done well in school but got nervous on tests. In the classroom part of drivers ed. I made a B and if I made an A or B on the in car part I made another B on the in car part so I was relieved I seriously considered “throwing” the vision screening for my license but like most teenage boys back then I wanted my license. I barely passed the vision screening this time I was restricted to an outside rear view mirror which meant one eye could see 20/40 and one eye was worse. I went to my parents and as expected got the usual you passed answer. A funny thing happened while at the DMV. My parents were both with me and both smokers and my Dad offered me a cigarette saying it would calm my nerves. I had about 6 months before this started smoking socially and when nervous and thought I was doing a good job of hiding it from my parents. When at first I declined my Mom said look we know you have smoked at times. I asked how and my Mom said she say me but about the time I turned 15 her and my Dad talked it over and decided both being smokers would be ok with it. In fact I was told I didn’t have to hide it anymore as my Dad did from his parents even though they smoked.
I quickly found out after I got my license I didn’t like driving at night. About the only time I drove at dark was in the mornings to school on roads I knew well. I again went to my parents saying I think I need glasses and they said no you are just nervous. My junior year went on now with a pass for the smoking area at school (schools had that back then) which I only went to when nervous about an upcoming test. I finished the year and wasn’t taking any summer classes that year for a change.
During the summer between my junior and senior year I heard of an optical store in Indianapolis that didn’t check ID’s too close. I decided on Saturday right after turning 17 to drive up there being careful when I knew my parents who rarely went to Indy were going out of town. I had the usual long hair for teenage boys back then and I had grown a beard just because I could. My parents were completely ok with this as they believed in letting me express myself in that manner. I was still nervous about trying for an eye exam underage (I had the money from working as much as legally allowed and my birthday) when I ran into a friend and his Mom who had moved out of the area about 3 years before due to a job transfer. My friends Dad had just been transferred back to Indy and I found out the reason they were at the mall. My friend did not take try for his drivers license last year since his parents knew they would be moving back to Indiana. My friend and his family was staying with relatives until they found a place around Southport. Unknown to me my friend had signed up for school including drivers ed. and had failed his permit exam so he was there for an eye test and glasses. I said I would like one too but my parents refused and being only 17 I was afraid to try for one. My friends Mom asked if I could pay for it and I said yes. My friend and I shared the same birthday down to the year and his Mom said let me say you are fraternal twins. I did look older but said ok. I was told if asked if I had any ID on me to say no. I gave my friends Mom my money so it would look like she was paying for everything. I had my first “real” eye exam and was prescribed glasses with a prescription of -1.25R and -1.75L with Astigmatism. My friend was prescribed glasses with a prescription of -1.75R and 1.00L. When I asked about the headaches while reading I was told the Astigmatism could have been the cause even if my distance vision was still good which I’m fairly sure it was until I struggled in school. It was decided we would go get something to eat after getting our glasses the same day in just over an hour. It was decided after eating my friend and I with his Mom’s ok could go catch on the few years we had apart while she went home. It was only about 2 in the afternoon so I said we would be home by 8 or 9 that night at the latest. We had a good visit including a couple of games of Putt Putt and some arcade games at a mall. We were back in Southport around 6 that night and I was able to talk to my friends Dad. We had both worn our glasses the whole time but I talked to both of my friends parents about how to tell my parents. They offered to help but I said no I did this so it’s up to me.
When I get home around 8 that night my parents are still not home and the phone is ringing. It’s my Mom telling me they have decided to stay the night about a 100 miles away. I asked what am I going to do. I’m told you are 17 close to being an adult and you will be fine. Up until I had never stayed a night by myself. That gave me an idea on the glasses. On Sunday when my parents got home I came clean about everything on the glasses. I said remember you said I’m almost an adult and able to take care of myself. My parents then explained they knew I would have no choice but to get glasses someday but the reason was some of my cousins got glasses very young and were now in very strong prescriptions. My parents also said they had decided a month ago if I brought up the subject again I would have an eye exam scheduled. I then told them of my plans of wearing glasses full time which they were against but said it’s up to me.
That summer when senior pictures were taken I had proofs taken with and without glasses. Both my Mom and Dad thought the pictures with glasses looked butter which surprised me. I went on thru my senior year of high school wearing glasses and stayed friends with Damon who was the boy who moved back to the area. I wasn’t interested in college so I had taken vocational HVAC classes while in high school and went to work in that field that I continue today.
In the years after high school my distance prescription only increased to -1,75R and -2.00L. The only other change came at around age 45 when I had bifocals for one year and then progressive after that. I’ve been told I have the very start of cataracts but it’s not hurting my vision right now so they will just be monitored every year. My parents still alive after quitting smoking which I did as well couldn’t believe my vision never got no worse then it did. I do have the glasses restriction on my drivers license now and that started the first time I renewed. I lost touch with Damon again when he moved out of the are but when he came back for a visit I noticed he was wearing what seemed to be much stronger glasses. Come to find out Damon’s prescription is now up to a -5.00 in each eye and of course progressive.