When I was 16, I went for the obligatory eye checkup, and came home with a brand new pair of eyeglasses, which,in various guises, I wore for the next 47 years. I even got bifocals at the appropriate point, you know, the ones with the lines that cannot be seen?

Then Lenscrafters entered my life two years ago. Feeling the financial pinch, I decided to get cheaper glasses, and boy, am I glad that I did. I got a pair of bifocals from them, and my vision took on a new life. It seems that when I went to read with the new glasses, I couldn't. I had to take them off to read. So I asked the eye doc to take a look at them and see if they were the right prescription. They were, he said, but...they had such a small area for the bifocal part as to make its use difficult. The cheapest bifocals he had ever seen, he said.

So I took them back and Lenscrafters proffered their apologies and actually said they would re-do the eyeglasses with the fancy Varilux lenses which I had previously liked. A free $200 upgrade, I was told. But when I got them reading was still hard.

So back to the doctor. I pointed out that I read just fine without glasses. He said that he had never said I needed them, just thought I wanted them.

And, now I hardly wear glasses except to drive. My prescription actually got better. So when I lost my wallet this week, I went to DMV and asked if I could take the eye test again. Sure, she said. Well, I passed. For the first time in 47 years I can legally drive without glasses. Watch out,seniors!

I don't think this situation is unusual. Our vision changes as we age. Eventually, we are likely to need two prescriptions. Therefore, RK for "older" folks MIGHT eliminate one Rx or the other but not both. Sometimes we can choose to see OK with our far vision but need reading glasses to read. By that I mean with such as RK. Or, vice versa.

Personally, I have been prescribed tri-focals. That sounds very intense but I can see my computer without any vision aid and I am now typing without glasses. A couple of years ago, I passed my FAA exam for near and far vision without using glasses. That was so even though I then had an Rx for tri-focals. My conclusion is that vision is like hair; one might have a bad hair day and also have a bad vision day and the next day might be entirely different. My opthamologist was not especially appreciative of this remark during my last eye exam but his nurse spoke up and said, of course.

Naturally, I do not fly without being able to see well.

Best regards,

RA1

Same happened to me. I stopped needing distance glasses about ten years ago, after needing them to pass driver exams since my college days. It saves money as they were sort of pricey and I get by fine with drug store reading glasses.

Truth be told, I drove to San Diego yesterday. In the daytime, I wear RX sunglasses anyway, but at night I wore the glasses. I went to a play at the Old Globe, and even though a small theater in the round, I still put my glasses on. There was a really cute guy sitting on the other side of the theater and I wanted to see him!