reading

When I was a kid, my life calendar was all about the next holiday and not having to go to school.

It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to go to school but that I didn’t want to have to get up so dang early. (They could have made school start at ten instead of eight and I’d’ve been a happy camper.) The getting up early, though, wouldn’t have been such a problem except that it interfered with staying up late the night before. So why does a kid need to stay up so late — it’s all about the books.

Yep, this girl’s a reader. My life calendar these days is measured in books instead of days and weeks.

And holidays? They’re just one more opportunity for a family squabble, so who needs ’em!

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t holed up somewhere reading a book. It drove my grandmother bonkers. She hated to see me inside reading when my brother and sisters and cousins were out playing. She used to make me watch afternoon soap operas with her to keep me from reading but I’d have an open book across my lap, sneaking peeks and distracting her when I needed to turn the page. (I’m pretty sure she knew I was doing it but, as long as I kept up with the soaps’ story lines, she let me get a way with it.) Granny loved her soaps. Wonder what she’d have thought about blogging.

Back to topic …

I read while waiting in the drive-up line and I read while waiting at red lights, too. (I get a lot of beeps from the cars behind me.)

I read while I should be watching what I’m cooking on the stove. (I’ve developed a real affinity for charred food.)

I read while I’m watching TV and, yes, I’ve even been known to read while I’m blogging.

It’s a sickness, this book thing, and there is no cure.

Yikes!

What is your passion? What keeps you going day after day, year in and year out? What’s the big thing on your life calendar?

It’s my eyes. Yep, them eyes up there in the pic, they’ve got ’em — cataracts!

Turns out my peepers have had them for a long time but now they’re to the point that surgery is needed. Hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that.

On the one hand, it would be nice to be able to see better and, let’s face it, if my vision gets much worse I won’t be able to get contacts to correct it anymore. I mean that thin little disc of plastic can only do so much. And, the only other option is glasses that are thicker than Coke bottles.

On the other hand — cutting into my eyeballs — scary.

What to do?

To add to my dilemma, there are even more decisions to make. For example, which kind of lens implant do I get? I have trouble deciding which book to read. How am I ever going to decide which lens implant I need?

Help!

I know. Let’s take a poll! What do you think I should do?

Okay, here’s the options:

Option 1: Single focus lenses that will allow me to see distance but I’ll still need glasses for reading.

Option 2: Single focus lenses that correct a different problem for each eye. (I’m far-sighted in one and near-sighted in the other.) I tried this route with my first contacts. It worked but was a bit weird to get used to.

Option 3: Multi-focal lenses, what I have now, that correct both vision problems and I may or may not need glasses to read really, really fine print. (Does anybody read that stuff anyway?) I’ve had multi-focal contacts for about three years and love ’em. No problem getting used to them either.

Can’t guarantee I’ll actually do what the poll says I should do. I mean we do still have free will on this planet and, besides, I hardly ever do what anyone else says.

Anyway, thanks for participating — if you did.

If you didn’t, please do.

I mean, haven’t you ever wanted a chance to shape the future of another human being’s eyeballs?

Gives you the willies doesn’t it?

Me too.