To See or Not to See

As Shakespeare said: 

To see or not to see

(or something like that) 

The week before I moved from Florida to North Carolina, I had my eyes checked and prescription updated.  Because it was convenient (and they had a sale on) I went to JC Penny’s and bought my glasses.  In the course of unpacking here in North Carolina, I set my glasses down and inadvertently picked up a pile of bubble wrap (and my glasses) and threw it away.  I went back to Penny’s where a rude optician said he could look in the computer and replicate what I had done in St. Petersburg (at full price of course).  When my new-new glasses arrived, they were in the wrong frame.  The grumpy optician said he would re-order the glasses and that I could keep the mistake until the replacement arrived.  (I never gave him back the mistake; he was just utterly rude.)

Some time passed by and I came to realize that my vision was again changing.  This time I went to Vision Works.  The glasses came in and I couldn’t see worth a damn.  I returned to the store wherein they told me that they were built to the script.  I went back to the doctor who agreed that they were the right prescription.  He rechecked my eyes and confirmed that I should be able to see fine.  I, in desperation, wrote the corporate headquarters and surprisingly received a phone call from the president of the company.  He asked me to again revisit the store on a particular date.  There a corporate optometrist took my glasses into the back and came out announcing that the frames contained two different lenses, both cut to the correct prescription, but due to the variance of their shape, that is the reason I was having trouble seeing.  I got new glasses and a total refund.

Time again passed and I decided to shun the drive all the way to Asheville and attempt my new glasses in my quaint adopted hometown of Waynesville.  I got a new prescription, had the glasses made at Walmart Vision Center, and guess what, I couldn’t see.  Back to the store, back to the doctor, the script was wrong, another new pair glasses (this is getting old -- hey, watch it -- I meant the routine).

The next script was pretty much uneventful, but that was the time that I realized I needed one pair of bi-focals to drive and a different pair to see the computer.  A real pain-in-the-butt switching glasses all the time, but at least they were right the first time.

Well a week-and-a-half ago, I went and had a new script made.  I dutifully waited the seven days for the glasses to be made.  I picked them up, and you guessed it, I can’t see.  Back to the store, back to the doctor, another script mistake, and my new lenses should be in by the end of next week.  What was that quote from Matthew 5:29?  Nah, I think I’ll wait for the newest replacement before I go plucking anything out.

David Kent