In first grade I could barely see the blackboard, and got my first pair of glasses the summer after first grade.
Background info: I'm the third of six children, and we were all desperately nearsighted. The optometrist would simply see all of us in one day, because we filled up his schedule. Sigh. All six of us.
Anyway, when I was 16, very many years ago, a bit more than fifty years ago now, I got contact lenses. Back then, there were only hard contacts. Let me tell you, those contacts completely transformed my vision. Unlike glasses, where the best correction was through the center of the lens, contacts allowed me to see quite will in every direction my eyes could travel. I'd find myself looking at people out of the corner of my eye and saying, "I can see you!" because I could. It was fabulous.
Some years later I discovered the wonders of soft contact lenses. Equally excellent vision correction, but without the limitations of hard contacts, meaning my eyes didn't get as tired from wearing the lenses. Life was wonderful.
Meanwhile, I'd usually had glasses as a back up. Although I hated wearing glasses, because they had to be REALLY thick because I was so incredibly nearsighted. And then, in the mid-90's, around the time I was old enough to need bifocals, I got glasses that I couldn't see through. Oops, said the optometrist. I should have ordered a slab-off in the prescription, meaning two different lenses needed to be fused together for my prescription. So I paid some $400 for glasses I couldn't use. That was the very last time I bothered with glasses. I figured I'd manage with the contact lenses into the future.
Here's the best part. About five years ago (I'm currently 68 years old) I started having vision problems that turned out to be cataracts. The best thing that ever happened to me. I had cataract surgery a good 5 or more years than is common. Oh, my fucking god! The best thing that ever happened to my eyes. I wake up in the morning and look across my bedroom and I can read my clock. Wow! Okay, so I still use reading glasses, but that's trivial compared to my ability to see.
The point of this story is to reaffirm that glasses are hideously expensive. Contact lenses, not so much. And the very first time your eye doctor says it's time to consider cataract surgery, go for it.
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