Eyeglasses Next

Five years ago, on a March school break trip to Halifax with Oliver, I went eyeglasses shopping, ending up at Gaudet Optical where I ordered the blue round eyeglasses I’ve been wearing for the past five years.

Those glasses have served me well: that they were a bold departure from the blend-into-the-background eyeglasses that I’d worn theretofore gave me a kick of self-confidence during a time when I sorely needed all that I could muster (and left me in the novel situation of receiving compliments from random strangers, which also didn’t hurt). Wearing them also threw down a sort of creative gauntlet: if I could unabashedly get away with wearing those glasses, what else could I do!?

This spring, though, it was time for a change: optician Greg Matheson, here in Charlottetown, had been generously keeping the blue eyeglasses in good repair, but, with a new prescription in hand, and realizing that I was one careless accident away from being left unable to function, I dropped into Matheson Eyewear a few weeks ago to see what they might have that would suit.

I had been strongly considering fading back into the background and finding an unremarkable pair of black or brown glasses when Greg brought out a pair of jaunty bright bright bright orange ones, arrived just that morning from Vanni in Torino, Italy. He was smiling. “I thought of you when these came in,” he said.

A bridge too far, I thought immediately.

But then I tried them on.

And they grew on me.

But, no.

I tried on some other frames.

Black. Blue. Green. Normal.

But my gaze kept turning back to the outlandishly orange.

Eventually I held my breath and blurted out “I’ll take them!”

Measurements were taken, payment made, timelines established. On the way home I was hit with waves of “have I completely lost my mind?!”

Two weeks passed.

The finished pair of eyeglasses was ready today, and I stopped in to pick them up.

I love them.

Welcome to eyeglasses next.

Comments

Pc's picture
Pc on April 27, 2021 - 21:29 Permalink

They look great on you!

Ton Zijlstra's picture
Ton Zijlstra on April 28, 2021 - 04:07 Permalink

Looking good! I like the hexagonal top half with the more rounded lower half. Btw, the Italian site says it's 'matt orange' not 'bright bright bright orange', so it's a more introverted orange anyway ;) (or maybe Vanni wanted the product description to alliterate nicely and 'metallic grey / matt orange' worked out better)

Rob's picture
Rob on April 28, 2021 - 09:47 Permalink

As I read your description I braced myself for the photo, but turns out you oversold the boldness. These are certainly unique, but not outlandish. They are very nice actually, and look great on you.

Joan's picture
Joan on April 28, 2021 - 10:50 Permalink

I love these! They suit you perfectly.
I reverted to boring, blend-in frames a year ago and now you're inspiring me to be bold again. "If not now, when?" as the clerk at Matheson's once said to me.

Judith's picture
Judith on April 28, 2021 - 15:47 Permalink

These look great on you! Good for you for taking a risk and having some fun!

Signe Andersen's picture
Signe Andersen on April 28, 2021 - 16:53 Permalink

They really suit you! Even better than the blues!

Juliane 's picture
Juliane on April 28, 2021 - 19:12 Permalink

so good!! Great choice.

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on May 4, 2021 - 13:44 Permalink

I got my first compliment in the wild on my new glasses. It never gets old.