Get Motivated

I wore glasses as a child (and was teased for it, as is the custom), but didn't need them in my teens and early twenties. About six years ago I had to start wearing them again, but only for distance. I wore glasses to drive, watch a movie, or look at the stars. I would intentionally not wear them if I was out, say in a crowded bar, and I didn't want to run the risk of recognize anyone! I went for an eye exam this past December because I was having some vision related issues. This was a new doctor. He said my prescription was too strong for me to go back and forth so much during the day (why didn't the doctor who prescribed them tell me that?!). He suggested I try wearing my glasses all the time to see if some of my symptoms resolved. It was an almost instant fix.

I have always been resistant to wearing contacts. "I don't want to touch my eyeball!" constant refrain. Plus, the idea of having something in my eye all the time was weird and sounded uncomfortable. After several months of wearing my glasses all day, I knew that I needed them all the time. The only problem was I can't wear them when I play roller derby. For a while I tried to make do but I would get dizzy and I just plain couldn't see well. In derby, the game takes place behind you and there is one girl (the other team's jammer) who you are trying to stop. When everything is blurry, she's either hit me or blown past me by the time I realized she was there. It just wasn't good. So I knew I had to bite the bullet and get contacts.

My eye doctor is great. He's kind and soft spoken and takes a lot of time explaining things. He knew I was nervous about getting contacts and made sure I was comfortable with them before I left the office. While he was preparing to fit me with the first pair, I asked him if most people have trouble getting the lenses in and out when they first start wearing them. He said "Well, it really depends on how motivated you are" and I said "Oh, I'm pretty motivated"!

I've actually been amazed at how easily I adjusted to wearing my contacts. I can't believe I was against them for so long. It has gotten me thinking about what my doctor said and it goes for more than just contact lenses. When it comes to change, your results are dependent on how motivated you are. It certainly proved true for me in this situation and for roller derby in general. When I first started skating, I was a mess. I fell and hurt myself and my first practice. It took me months to be able to complete the skills test. There were definitely a couple times I thought about quitting BUT I knew I could do it and I wanted it so badly.  I guess motivation can be synonymous with stubborn sometimes!