THE EYES HAVE IT...

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[This blog was inspired by TofU's "Look Into My Eye" Blog. It started off as a comment to his blog, but it just got longer and longer and longer and...]

I haven't had my eyes checked in years...

Believe it or not, I do wear glasses, but oh so rarely...

I'm near-sighted (things that are near are clearer, but things far away are blurry).

I know my left eye is weaker than my right eye.

(Hmmmmm.... I am reminded of one of my creative writing instructors. In the sentence before this paragraph, I ended by saying: "...than my right eye". How many of you feel it was redundant for me to say that? Wouldn't it read just as well if I said: "I know my left eye is weaker." I mean, I wouldn't say: "My left eye is weaker than my right ear... or my left foot... right? This was one of my instructor's pet peeves in creative writing. He felt it was redundant in the grand scheme of things. Kinda like saying "She blinked her eyes" or "She looked at him with her eyes". My instructor would then state that there was no need to tell the reader that the eyes were being used, as it should already be understood. "What else is she going to blink with?" he would ask. "Her ears? She blinked with her ears? She looked at him with her armpit?" "She blinked" or "She looked at him" was his preference. Just a passing recollection...)

Does anybody know if this is actually true? I'd heard (many years ago) that if you need glasses, your eyes will get worse quicker if you wear your glasses constantly, as opposed to not wearing them often. Seems to make sense, that your eyes would become "dependent" on the glasses. That's why I've always refrained from using my glasses on a regular basis. However, if my eyes weren't going to be perfect, I guess I'm lucky I am near-sighted. I can see how one might have little choice if everything near is blurry (far-sighted). There's not much of a choice if you need reading glasses, etc. I should make a clarification. Technically, I do need glasses. I just don't wear them. I don't even know where they are at the moment. (I'm sure if I set my mind to it and did a "search & destroy" thru my home, I'd eventually find them.) The truth is, though, I really only need them if I'm driving in an unfamiliar area. When I need to read street names and signs. Otherwise, I get along fine without them.

Another bit of trivia. According to my brother, it's not possible just to "pop" your eye out. It's too "snug". The bone that houses the eye would have to be broken. Can anyone verify that? Anybody out there who is studying the human body?

Another thing that comes to mind. I recently finished listening to an audio book recording of "The Invisible Man". I really liked the story. However, I recall a friend "bursting" the concept of an invisible man. Perhaps invisibility is possible. I mean, wind is invisible, right? We know it's there, we just can't see it. Well, years ago, a friend pointed out that an invisible man would technically be blind. "How so?" I asked. And, of course, he went on to explain. [Anyone who knows the mechanics of the eye should agree.] In a nutshell, light passes through the eye, an image is formed (upside-down) at the back of the eye, then the image is turned right side up by our brain. So, if there's no visible eyeball for light to pass into, an invisible man would be blind. Ah well... I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed the story nonetheless. And I highly recommend it to any sci-fi/fantasy fan out there.

Another thing that comes to mind. Are the eyes windows to our souls? If you're lying, will you really have the tendency to look towards the left (or is it the right?) because you're accessing the creative center of your brain? Do we romanticize too much on body parts? Take the heart. The heart is a pump, people. It is a pump. If you look at the real heart, do images of love and cupid and Valentine's Day and loved ones come to mind? And has anybody out there seen a heart that was covered in cholesterol? UGH!! A lot of people out there couldn't look at a real heart. They'd be too grossed out. And yet, it's been romanticized. How about romanticizing the brain or the belly button or the middle knuckle on a fist?

"I love you with all my brain..."

"She dumped me. She broke my belly button..."

"My middle knuckle is aching for you..." (Perhaps this would fit into "fisting".)

On surgery. [NOTE: My fears are completely "layman's" fears. I have done absolutely no research into eye surgery, the pros and cons, etc. This is just an off-the-cuff fear I have.] I would hope I never need any kind of surgery. Especially on my eyes. I know my brother has had the laser surgery on his eyes, and he said the improvement was incredible. That's great. This is my fear, however. With any surgery, there is always some risk. (Yeah, yeah... you could argue there's risk just getting into your car and going from point A to point B... LOOK OUT FOR THE DRUNK DRIVER!!) But these are my eyes we're talking about here. I hate the idea of going blind if the laser is off by the tiniest fraction of a micrometer. Like I said, I would hope my eyes would never need surgery. Otherwise, my quandry would be: Do I want to live in a blurry world that will just keep getting more blurry, or do I want to take that leap... that chance... and go through some corrective surgery? Hopefully, I'll never be faced with that question.

Contacts. Never had them. Never wanted them. Just can't imagine putting something against my eyeball.

I know my eyes aren't perfect. But they've worked for me for the past 36 years...

I'll let you know how my eyes are doing after my physical later this year...