I was at the eye doctor recently complaining about my difficulties with night driving, specifically the huge starburst effect of oncoming headlights. This is disconcerting on a variety of levels.
First, there is the curtailment of some evening activities. Being a pretty dedicated homebody, this isn’t a significant blow to my social life except that my choice of whether to go out after dark is now being decided by my eyes.
Secondly, trouble with night driving is really an elderly person’s problem, right? How can I have this affliction? I did not expect this to happen for at least 10 years. And what’s worse, my options of fixing the problem are limited. I must come to the terms with the fact that my potential of being footloose and fancy free, at least at night, is a thing of the past.
The diagnosis is cataracts. They are large enough to be limiting but too small to be addressed surgically. So where does that leave my night driving?
My optometrist suggested glasses with a unique look. They are plastic, wraparound frames with yellow lenses that slip over the regular glasses. The yellow lens is supposed to soften the starburst effect. Sounds good.
But then she said something thought-provoking: Sometimes people don’t want to wear them because of fear they will look funny. But, she countered in the same breath, it doesn’t really matter because it will be dark, and who can really see you in the car?
As I contemplated this, it dawned on me. Aging is a trade-off. My night vision is suffering, true. But my comfort in my own skin is at an all-time high.
At age 30, I had an eagle eye. Tiny print, bad light, bright light, none of it mattered. However, I would not have been caught dead in those funny yellow glasses. Good grief, what if someone saw me? It was all about image and how I was perceived by the world.
Fast forwarding about 25 years, I embrace the notion that what other people think of me is none of my business. I truly don’t care. What really matters is how I feel about myself. I put my order in for the glasses.
There may be costs associated with aging, but the freedom that comes with deep-seated self-confidence is priceless.
Carol Higgins Taylor is an advocate for all things senior and owns Bryant Street Public Relations in Bangor. Email her at bryantstreetpr@gmail.com.