Post 13. I understand it now.

A battle with contact lenses.

Over the last two days, I have faced quite an unexpected battle: contact lenses. This was honestly one of the most humbling but rewarding experiences I have had.

Day 1

I walked into the eye doctor thinking this was going to be a quick appointment. I’ve been having some eye trouble for nearly a year now, and I finally decided to get it checked out. No big deal. In and out.

Then came the contact lenses.

They put them in for me at first — and yeah, that part was magical. Everything was clear. But then came my turn. I had to do it myself.

My eye started twitching. Like full-on panic mode. I couldn’t keep it open. I’d go in with the contact, and my eyelid would shut down the operation. Over and over. The technician sat there watching as I struggled for what felt like an eternity. After a while, she suggested I take a break and try again tomorrow.

I stood up, looked at her, and said, “I’ll be back tomorrow.” She laughed and told me I should probably just stick to glasses.

She didn’t know how serious I was.

That night, I consulted friends. I watched YouTube videos. I studied finger placement like it was a craft. I formulated a new strategy. I was ready.

Day 2

I came in calm. Focused. Prepared. Took a breath. Bang.

First try. In. Then the second. Also in. I took them out on my own, too.

I looked up and said, “I understand it now.” The technician didn’t find it funny.

Despite my failed reference, I left the office with a smile hard to replicate.

My takeaways?

1. Vision is such a gift, a statement that I should honestly extend to everything in my life. I felt true gratitude today. It’s hard to appreciate something until you know what it is like not to have it. This is a platitude, but just so true.

2. Difficult things are such great teachers. I genuinely experienced almost every emotion in that chair over the last two days. Anger, frustration, a lack of patience, excitement, joy, and exhaustion. I could go on and on. I got a chance to learn how to control these emotions better and genuinely left the chair more mature.

Hope everyone has a great night. I really enjoy writing these narratives, but also want to strike a good balance of informative posts. I’ll focus on the latter tomorrow.

Best,

Jack