When I was in my early 40′s, I suddenly realized my arms were no longer long enough to hold a book out so I could read it. It dawned on me that I would have to break down and buy some reading glasses. I didn’t even know where to find them so I asked a friend at work. She directed me to the pharmacy. I spent about 30 minutes figuring out which ones were the right strength and wound up buying some ugly little wire rimmed 1.25’s. I dropped them on a tile floor about two weeks later, so another friend suggested I buy a three-pack at Costco.
My basket of reading glasses
It didn’t take long for me to realize I needed a pair of glasses for every room, and more importantly, for every outfit! Fifteen years later, reading glasses are one of my wardrobe staples and I have them to match everything from jammies to formal wear. I keep them in a basket (pictured here), centrally located in a hallway so I always have a pair handy when not already on my head. Yes, sometimes I forget they are on the top of my head and I have been known to wear two pair on those occasions. I even keep a pair of readers just outside the shower so I can decipher the itty bitty fonts of directions on the back of the shampoo bottle. And now I have graduated to 2.00 or 2.25, depending on font size.
My pretty new Borghese readers
Recently, I was delighted to receive a free sample of some new Borghese readers from Icon Eyewear. And this time, by way of a product review for this blog, I’m also delighted to say they are fabulous – fashionable, light weight, crystal clear lenses and way cool frames with a kind of metal animal print on the sides. I wish I had them on the plane to Hawaii last year when I was reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” on my iPad – they are that hot! Speaking of planes, several years ago I left my reading glasses in an office after an out-of-town business appointment. I had some papers and a new book to read on the flight home, but when I sat down at the airport, I realized my glasses were not in my purse. I went back to some of the stores lining the terminals, but nobody carried reading glasses. Last week on a flight from Detroit to California, I found fashionable readers in almost every store! Apparently Boomer travelers like me are scooping up reading glasses in a big way.
What kinds of reading glasses do you love? Do you have more than one pair? Are you as impressed as I am that they are not only fashionable, like my new ones from Borghese, but they are available everywhere? I’d love to know if I’m the only one with a basket full!
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Nice write, Shannie. I must say my first day in contact lenses rates right up there in the visionary enlightenment category with my training wheel readers. Oh…and I still have a drawer filled with reading glasses of every magnification known to woman–those for reading in bed without contacts; reading in dim light with contacts; watching tv without contacts; glasses left by guests that may suit other guests; those that may have those pesky little screws that are not universal and hard to find…
Hi Mariannie…Happy to see you here! Do you suppose I left some glasses at your home last time I visited?! Probably! Thanks for the comment!