Contacts Vs Glasses: Advantages and Disadvantages

While my mother was forced to wear glasses, my father's eyesight has always been 20/20. Four children later and only I was unfortunate enough to inherit my mother's genetics. Upon learning that I had an acute astigmatism in the third grade, glasses have proven a burden in multiple situations throughout my life. My next and only option at the time was contacts, which inevitably replaced my frames; however, they too have their disadvantages.

As a child with large glasses, school can be intimidating. My large, circle frames were traded for a smaller, rectangular set within only a year of my diagnosis. Sports were difficult to participate in; on multiple occasions my attention was elsewhere when the basketball was passed to me. You can imagine how that ended. Weather would constantly create difficulties as I transitioned from the cold outdoors into a heated indoors; the glasses would fog. Rain didn't prove any less merciful with an absence of windshield wipers. I would inevitably become the underdog in any fight if I lost control of my much needed lenses. And let's not forget the reputation most with glasses will receive; though this was not always the case. Unless I was to partake in girlish activities or never be an adventurous young man, the glasses would prove burdensome....and they did.

My senior year of high school would blossom me into a young man, as I was barely turning 16. My glasses were then traded for a pair of contacts that allowed me to indulge in more activities without fear of losing my eyes. These too held restrictions, though not as many. They were increasingly dry, and sleeping in them on multiple occasions caused them to stick to my pupils until handfuls of moisture released them. Water was once again my nemesis, as swimming with them can easily prove troublesome if they interfere with the H2O. On another note, they provided me with the self-esteem I was lacking for the past 8 years. Girls were much easier to talk to. Guys were easier to relate to. Life was much better than it had previously been and my newly discovered confidence circled me like a halo. Be careful as you sleep in them though.

To conclude, the purpose of this article is to recognize how important simple issues like these can affect young men in general. My mother didn't necessarily need contacts, as her hobbies and activities were simply less strenuous and physical. A young man, however, may feel limited with glasses. I did. My next step will hopefully prepare me financially for laser surgery, as I hear it has satisfying results.