When the call came from Kaiser at about 4:00 today, for once I didn’t hesitate. I don’t like driving through town (much less all the way across town) in the middle of the afternoon rush, but my glasses were ready. I wasn’t willing to wait another day, so I jumped in the car and calmly (you know me) wished all the crazies out of my way as I fishtailed across lanes to get there. (Not really. As I said, you know me.)

My experience with new glasses has been mixed at best, so I’m reserving my wholehearted endorsement for a few days, but so far, so good. I mean, I can see better, both at distance and up close. I can read tiny print without taking my glasses off, although my first instinct, after all these years, is to take them off anyway. I have to fight that.

Best of all, no dizziness, no headaches. Maybe it’s just one of my non-dizzy days, or maybe clearing up the vistas really is one of the big answers I’ve been looking for. I won’t go overboard and call it a cure, but I will say I’m optimistic that life might be a little brighter from now on. I no longer fear the fine print.

One thing I’ll have to get used to is the tighter fit of my new frames. The old ones were limp and worn after years of service, and that was part of the reason I had trouble with them. They were also permanently smudged and scratched, but the optician was kind enough to show me how to keep that from happening with the new ones (no Kleenex; soft cotton cloth or microfiber only, with warm water and mild soap). So the adjustment period begins. Only then will I open myself up to a less guarded enthusiasm.