On Sun, 7 Sep 1997, Karl Alexis McKinnon wrote:

> On Sun, 7 Sep 1997, Moira wrote:
> > But why do you distrust contact lenses? Is it the plastics?
>
> 1.) The facism of beauty.  The cliche of the mousy little girl who becomes
> a bioling sexpot has done a bit to add a touch of the erotic to glass, but
> contact lenses are still part of the Tyrany of the Beautiful People.

Hmmm....Karl, speaking as someone with severe astigmatism in both eyes and
so nearsighted I can't see beyond the end of my nose, I would be literally
out of touch with the world without my contacts.

I've worn glasses since 1st grade, and hated them.  When I finally got
contacts when I was 19, I felt like a whole new visual world had opened up
for me.  Contacts gave me crystal clear, 20-20 vision and peripheral
vision glasses never gave me.  I nearly wept with joy at the discovery.
They also improved my vision to a point where the script had to be
weakened!

> 2.) Massochism is painful.  I've never been able to understand how people
> put those things on their EYES.  Every instinct and reflex realed against
> it when I tried.

True, to a point.  I had to get past the touching the eye reflex, and for
about a month I blinked and teared constantly.  I have never had the
option of soft lenses, due to the heavy duty prescription I need, but gas
permeable lenses have added greatly to my comfort level, and not impaired
my vision.

 > > 3.)the facism of beauty (again).  80% of the human
population has
> brown eyes.  Those who would sell color contacts want you to believe that
> brown in a boring, ugly color

Hmmm....again, I have green eyes, which gas perms do not enhance; nor am I
likely to wear color enhancers, as my eyes are not best served by soft
lenses.  Contacts are a lifesaver to me; even now, 20 some years after
first getting them, I'm most humbly grateful for the sight I have wioth
them.

4.  I'm gonna add one here....economics.  The first pair I owned, I kept
for 9 YEARS.  They cost 100.00. Glasses can run up to $300.00-$500.00 a
pair, and most need replaced or the prescription changed every 2-3 years.

The second pair was bought because I wanted new ones, not because the old
ones were no longer usable!  Hard lenses can be ground, polished, and made
like new, if your eyes don't change.  I now wear gas perms, which are
thinner and a bit more fragile; I've had to replace single lenses twice,
due to cracks caused by my own carelessness. The cost is still around the
$100. mark per pair, and my vision is much better than glasses ever gave
me.

So...speaking only for myself, this girl loves her contacts, would not
have the same quality of life without them, and would not go back to
wearing glasses full time unless forced--and I do like the way glasses
look...I just don't see as well with them as contacts.

Jackie