Old and blind

I got a foretaste of my old woman life today. Laura and I had our eye exams this morning, and I guess last time we went they didn’t do the pupil dilation. Because I had certainly forgotten how horrendous a process it is. I immediately thought I would be blind forever. Once the burning stopped and I began to regain my distance vision, I decided I might eventually recover my eyesight, but it was touch and go there for a while. The doctor’s staff unleashed me driving onto the unsuspecting world after watching me write a check purely by touch and memory. Laura and I were going afterwards to lunch at Chick-fil-a, and I had a coupon for a free something-or-the-other—but I had to give it to Laura to read. She couldn’t read it at first either, which gave me a little more hope. Finally she held the card out at arm’s length just like a little old lady herself and read it off. I’m sure the folks at Chick-fil-a enjoyed our ultra hip plastic eye-doctor sunglasses.

Essentially I have to conclude from today that blindness would—well, let’s just say put a major crimp in my lifestyle. I spent the afternoon at work making phone calls and squinting at library books to try to see the due date since I couldn’t focus on the computer screen to grade my papers. Eventually the dilation began to wear off and I did manage to get through most of another class’s exams, but it was not a particularly productive day. I’m making two quilts for Christmas presents, and I spent tonight peering at my needle trying to see which end really had the eye for the thread. I hope that Laura and Will are looking forward to taking care of me in my old blind woman stage of life, because obviously I will be unable to function alone. Although, come to think of it, Chris will no doubt outlive me with his perfect eyesight intact (except for the lima bean, a story for another night), so I guess he gets to torment me in our old age together. We’ll see. I hope.