I can see clearly now

Today I got my first pair of multifocals. All my life I have struggled with astigmatism, one eye that sees far and one eye that sees close by. I have always had glasses but battled with using two pairs for a start, and it got even worse once computers came on the scene and there was then a middle distance to cope with. For years and years I have only used my distance glasses for driving, due to the inconvenience of having to swop for the close pair, and most of the time I have just managed without. It's not that I can't see; I just can't see the details.

A whole new world has appeared before me, now that I have just one pair and can adjust my viewing with a droop of the eye, so to speak. Suddenly everything is in focus - I can see the individual leaves on the grass and the plants, the weave of the carpet I am standing on, a thousand more stars than I did before. I can see the tennis ball on the TV screen, instead of squinting to try and follow the game. I can read the score on the bottom line. I can see the temperature on the weather report (if I ever bother to turn to the news channel - doesn't really happen).

I can identify the birds in the trees and spot an unusual stone on the ground. I never knew there was so much detail I was missing out on. I can see wrinkles and laugh lines, read labels on the back of tins and packets (an absolute essential - I had to resort to using a magnifying glass over the last few months).

When I go to the mall I expect to be able to identify people I know from a distance, rather than having to bump into them before recognition kicks in. I haven't tried driving yet, but I have no doubt my poor night vision will be vastly improved, to the benefit of all concerned.

I just spotted the large rain spider that dropped off the ceiling onto a pile of canvases in the corner. I wasn't quick enough to catch him, so will keep mum about his presence, otherwise there'll be panic in the house. It's going to be really interesting when I start painting. I'll see my work in a whole new light and may be quite horrified at the gaps! Also beneficial to all concerned.

But the biggest discovery of all is what a poor housekeeper I am. Without the benefit of focused vision, I have never really seen how much dust there is on the cupboards, or the amount of general dirt that accumulates in a house full of animals. There will certainly be an improvement on the home front, although my ambitions still do not lie in becoming Housekeeper of the Year!

I've been told for years by my eye lady that I wouldn't be able to cope with multifocals, but a second opinion (at last) has opened up a whole new world for me, that I would never really have appreciated without the proper tools. I can only say that we should never accept any limitations in life and always look for a new solution.