When I first started dancing, I learned that I couldn’t see well enough to spot, yet my glasses would go flying off if I tried practicing turns while wearing them. For the first time in my life I was going to get contacts. The whole concept of sticking my finger in my eyes seemed wrong on so many levels and really creeped me out, but dancing was worth it. So I did it.
The first morning I put in my contacts, and then I started to apply my makeup. I stopped cold.
Damn! When did I get so old?!?!?!?
The soft focus my eyes had given me was stripped away. This was fluorescent-lighting-while-bathing-suit-shopping bad. I aged five years by popping those things in my eyes! Dang! Where did the wrinkles come from? Is that a grey hair?!?!? What the hell is going on with my brows?!?!?!?
I was in a funk for a couple weeks after that.
Gradually I got used to it and again accepted the way I looked.
Then I stopped dancing … and wearing contacts. My astigmatism made it so my vision wasn’t quite good enough to do my day job even wearing the contacts, so back to glasses I went. As I revealed during my recounting of my horrible (yet funny) driver’s license renewal story, I now need to wear glasses to legally drive my car. Despite that fact, my vision is still good enough that I can get ready in the morning without wearing them. Yup, the soft focus came back (a bit stronger this time) and I looked GOOD.
As I was walking through some ideas on Yom Kippur (does anyone else need movement to think better?), I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Unfortunately I was wearing glasses, because that was the only way I’d have been able to see …. wattle!
(Thank you, CBC for a wonderful article on Turkeys, their wishbones and wattles and this picture.)
OMG!!!! So much worse than some wrinkles around the eyes and the occasional grey hair! I had to sit down. Deep breaths.
I thought about it good and hard. I either needed to accept that I am starting to show my age (Heaven knows when it started!) and accept the aging process or accept the fact that I was going to do some interventions to feel more confident about my looks. I needed to pick and not simply sit around unhappy with how I look. That was not an acceptable solution.
The thought of needles is even scarier than sticking my finger in my eye, especially for temporary results. And I have seen too many plastic surgery mistakes to even think of doing anything more permanent! Nope, I will have character.
If only I could give everyone else the built in soft focus lenses that I have!
Grown Up, Now What? 
Love that you titled this “Blessings” of age and had to laugh at the discoveries you found in the mirror. I’ve had many of those moments. My dad (who just turned 80) always says about aging, “It beats the alternative.”
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Nature wouldn’t have given us the built in soft-focus if we didn’t need it! Your dad is a very smart man. Getting older is definitely the better alternative.
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Hi Tammy
There is a McDonald’s where I meet my Dad for coffee during the week. The washroom there has a mirror in which I look absolutely gorgeous! I don’t know if it’s the colors or the lighting but I pay that mirror a visit whenever I want to feel good about myself, and I’ve resolved that when we finally complete the renovations in our house – the bathrooms – that I will incorporate these colors and the soft lighting that makes me feel so good about myself!
I think that’s the only intervention I want to do. After all, even if they don’t have soft focus, I can’t see what other people see when they look at me! As long as they’re smiling and usually if I am – they are too!
🙂
Lori
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I obviously need to go into more McDonald’s bathrooms!!!!! Maybe I can try my swimsuits on in there! 🙂
Thank you so much for brightening my day!
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This is hilarious and my favorite part is the bathing suit shopping comment — that the worst!? I know all too well about the soft focus, since I have always needed glasses to legally drive. And I do prefer my contacts to my glasses b/c of the sharpness, alas, since moving to CA the dryness doesn’t allow me to do that most days. So, soft focus it is — even with glasses. Cheers to aging gracefully, smart lady! Heaven knows so many women don’t know what that means.
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So glad I have a kindred spirit. Doesn’t it feel like we are in the minority for not injecting toxins into our face or planning to go under the knife?
Also, if a single store set up a changing room with flattering lights, most women would pay more for their bathing suits to try them on there!
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