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Eyeglasses are a funny thing. They can change both the way one looks and the way one looks at the world. They are meant to help one see better; but better than what? Seeing better is relative to how well one can see without glasses, or how well one used to see before getting glasses. On rare occasions when I put on my glasses several things happen. First they probably make me look older than I really am. Or, perhaps just more serious than I am normally known to be. Next, they help me to both read fine print (I wear bifocals) and to see a long distance better. I know this because since I rarely ever wear them I have a good point of reference to judge from. When I finally do break them out of the case to wear this is what I find: dirty lenses in a large round frame; but with a bifocal of just the right magnification. I put them on, take a good look at what I need clarified, and then put them away until I may need them again.

When I do wear my glasses I am always reminded just how much dirt there is in the air as the lenses are always coated with a thick layer of dust. You see if your lenses are dirty, as mine frequently are, the image will be clouded, maybe even distorted. And the dirtier the lenses become, the more out of focus one’s surroundings will appear. If they get dirty enough one could find oneself trapped in a dismal world without even realizing it due to not having a clear point of reference. This is where trouble lies: not having a known point of reference. This can be a problem when one becomes accustomed to dirty surroundings or an environment that contains a lot of undesirable elements.

A good cleaning can help some here, but there are still other problems. For instance, how large are the frames? You see with narrow frames one could potentially loose their peripheral vision causing everything that is not directly in front of you to become blurred and distorted. This could be a dangerous situation to be in – very dangerous - as so many things in life are not directly in front of most people. Something may be on a line that is somewhat skewed and may only become obvious when faced head on. Facing an object head on is normally the only way to get a clear image.

The next problem: are the lenses strong enough? This is similar to using the right tool for the right job. One would probably not use a hammer and chisel to tear up a road. A jack hammer would be much more efficient and allow one to complete the task, before growing weary and wanting to quit a job half done. The opposite of this is of course if the lenses are too strong. This would lead to a distorted image and could even lead to one feeling ill. Therefore the correct amount of magnification is critical - not too much and not too little should give one a clear image.

The last problem, and probably the most important, lies in the wearing of glasses themselves. You see even with the best of circumstances, anything viewed through a pair of glasses will appear dimmed; it will look darker than it really is. You see even if all else is correct allowing the lenses to produce a sharp image; they will also darken the same image somewhat, requiring more light to produce the desired results. Take for instance a zoom lens on a camera. A higher magnification requires a wider aperture to get a proper exposure. Therefore one should occasionally remove their glasses and view life occurrences as they really are – unmagnified and without any external influence to cloud one’s perception.

Glasses are meant to help one see better; to improve one’s vision. But, good intentions may often be miss-guided. They may lead one down a wrong path and even to false conclusions, or in the worst cases, lead to a dependence on others for information as one can not see for oneself. So should one wear their glasses faithfully or not at all? The best solution seems to be to wear them intelligently. In other words, keep them clean so as not to be blinded by dirt; look at the whole picture and avoid tunnel vision; make sure that your prescription is correct so that the image is not skewed; and last, although it’s easy to be lulled into believing that your glasses will always improve your vision, don’t be afraid to remove them occasionally and look at things as they really are. Because, eyeglasses are a funny thing.