Yesterday, I decided to take a walk without my glasses. I’m very near-sighted, but I figured I could still enjoy myself and be safe enough, out there.
Before I left, I WAS able to discern that one of these cats was real and the other one was a laptop-screen cleaner.
Before we begin, let’s check out your vision, too: Can you tell which is which?
Once I was out on the streets, I did misperceive something, almost immediately. From a distance, I thought this might be a bunny rabbit.
It wasn’t, of course. From then on, I think I saw things fairly accurately, although I may have been less discriminating than usual, in my photographic choices:
Because I always wear my glasses on my walks, everything looked new to me. So I just kept snapping away. Also, I had a great excuse, for any photo that might be judged as lacking: Hey! What do you want from me? I wasn’t wearing my glasses!
I decided to do something else new. I took a selfie.
I have such lousy aim, when I can’t see.
My vision was good enough, though, to see two butterflies — a white one and one that looked, to me, like a Monarch. I kept trying to capture them, in the next bunch of photos.
I believe that this blow-up — of one of the above photos — shows the butterfly I hoped was a Monarch:
It’s very blurry, though, isn’t it?
I kept walking, without the accompaniment of any visible butterflies.
At this point (believe it or not), “I Can See Clearly Now” — a favorite song written and sung by Johnny Nash* — started playing on my iPhone.
It WAS a bright, bright, bright sunshin-y day.
Thanks goodness, I had no trouble reading THAT. However, I couldn’t figure out these letters, which I saw minutes later:
Maybe I should go back there, when I’m wearing my glasses, to see what I can see.
Here are more things that caught my near-sighted eye, on my way home:
Walking near train tracks is not a smart thing to do when your vision is blurry, so I got out of there, fast.
Hmmm. I can’t see my way clear on how to end this post.
I know! I’ll show you one more shot of something else I almost misidentified, yesterday:
What does that look like, to you? I had to squint and get closer, to see it. I’ll tell you this: it wasn’t what I feared at first.
And no matter what lenses I’m wearing, that is a familiar experience.
Thanks to Johnny Nash,* to John G. Wald, to the Minuteman Bikeway, to those who see as best they can, and to you — of course! — for reading this, today.
* From the Wikpedia page I linked to, about Johnny Nash:
for many years he seemed to have dropped out of sight
I didn’t know that before today, but I do know this: There are always connections, when we look for them.
So without your glasses you ended up walking from Boston to New York City. Sounds like an eventful trip. 🙂 I am glad you’re still safe after all the times you must have had to cross the road! lol Despite your blurry vision, isn’t it interesting that the eye of the camera was still able to focus, even if you weren’t. 🙂 Did you look at the pictures and think “Oh…that’s what I saw”? lol
In some cases, I was surprised, but that happens even when I’ve got my glasses on. Thanks, Sarn, for recognizing the length and breadth of my journey. And, of course, I am always glad to see you here, no matter how my vision is.
I am very glad to report that it appears that you had a productive trip, uncorrected, Wikipedia unnecessary for anything other than the standard bearer definition for where your eyes and feet can take you without failing and falling, Ann.
What great photography, other than that single pavement shot quite near the start. I think the butterfly chase led you to some of the very best shots of the journey. And, truly, with my glasses on, I don’t think I’d get anything other than a blurry Monarch shot. They do not like to sit still for long enough, that’s for sure.
As for your selfie: I love your hair, Ann.
Thank your for sharing your great heart-shaping day.
Thank you, Mark, for another comment as soaring, colorful, and cheering as one of those lively butterflies.
With or without glasses, your eyes see beauty everyone Ann. And — you share that beauty everywhere, which I so appreciate.
Have a beautiful day, beautiful one.
Beautiful comments from you always beautify my day, Louise.
Loved the photos, especially the bridge shots and the shopping carts.
Cheers,
Lance
Oh and great choice of music. One of my favorites throughout the years. Very upbeat; always brings a smile.
I am always glad to hear that song, and always glad for a comment from you, Lance.
Lovely – I feel like I’ve been on your walk with you.
I never wear my glasses when I go out, unless I’m driving. Too vain.
The object in that last photo looks like some sort of weird Chinese mushroom.
I thoroughly enjoyed being without my glasses, Annabelle, and will probably join with you — in vanity — again, soon. I am very glad you accompanied me on this walk.
I don’t think that was a mushroom. My analysis was it was something more a-peeling.
Ann, I’m far-sighted so my issue becomes that when I go shopping for supplies and forget my reading glasses, I have to ask people if something is shampoo or conditioner for example. On the other hand I’ve met some really nice people that way!
Diana xo
I am not surprised that people are nice to you, Diana. We often get back from others what we put out there. And I often experience you as far-sighted in your wisdom, so that doesn’t surprise me, either!
Aww you’re so kind Ann and so clever with your words! ❤
thank you. xo
I am blind as a bat and can barely make it in and out of the shower without glasses or contact lenses. But I’m too chicken to get Lasik surgery. On a different note, the very minute I get a new job, that DANGER hazardous voltage sign is going up on my office door. Well, maybe I’ll get settled in first…
Somehow, Jill, I can’t imagine you as chicken. And if we were working in the same office, I’m sure I would ignore that scary danger sign on your door and barge in, just to hang out with you.
What a great walk Ann! And I’m SO glad you get to see it clearly through the lens of your camera! I would feel completely out of my comfort zone walking in fog!
Great post!
Val x
Thank you for this comment, Val, which — as always — increases and expands my comfort zone.
The patterns of sunlight filtered through the foliage in the photo with the H,G. Wells quote almost seem like some intentional, meaning-bearing images.
I am glad, Gene. Thanks for bearing your meaning to these comments.
Thanks for the Cash and the Wells quote (and all that greenery), they did me a lot of good.
I am happy to know that, Hilary. Your visits do me good, too.
Love all the classic cars! What a treat!
Thank you for the treat of this comment (in classic Kate style)!
Lettuce leaves? If not, lettuce forget I guessed. That appeared to be a very long walk, Ann! Come to think of it, I could walk happily in beautiful surroundings with great music playing in my ears. You’ve inspired me to learn how to load up my new IPhone, Johnny Nash included! Thank you for this latest moment of Zen.
Lettuce now celebrate a comment from Kit. Yay! Thanks for your inspiration. And, even though that last encounter was not with lettuce, I would still say that neither you nor I slipped up.
a lovely walk, whether you knew it at the time or not!
Well, Elyse, if I didn’t know it then, I know it now! Thanks for this great comment.
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Even if your eyes weren’t in focus, your camera was… Nice pictures…
Thank you so much! My eyes are able to focus, right now, on your kind comment.
Thanks for the vision test with the cats. Thankfully, I passed. 😉
I’m glad you passed the first eye test, Deborah. Next, can you see this reply? I hope so, because I love your comment.
What a wonderful post! Thank you so much for this. I have “I Can See Clearly Now” playing as I write this … and it’s just the song I needed right now. (It’s gonna be a bright, sunshiny day.)
Yay! Thank you, SO much, for this wonderful comment.
PS — AND I finally had my new glasses prescription filled recently. It’s amazing how clear the world looks when you look through lenses that haven’t been bounced around the kitchen disposal…
Congratulations on the new glasses. And I am also happy that I have yet to encounter glasses in my kitchen disposal (although I do find my eyeglasses in the oddest places, sometimes).
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