'Ole Four Eyes - Oh to be Great!

Greetings BAye Hive!

Long ago, in a land called North Carolina at the age of 6 or 7, it was discovered that I would need to wear glasses. Now, this should not have come as surprise for my parents. In fact, my paternal grandmother sweetly informed them while dating that if ever they mated, the child would be blind. She did not literally mean blind but if ever you saw my parents, you would understand. They both have worn glasses since childhood themselves. Think coke bottles and I'm serious.

My journey with spectacles has been one of acceptance over the years. Early on, my mother, the oh so frugal being that she is, was not spending a fortune on my glasses. I absolutely hated every pair she picked out until my 8th grade year of school. She even insisted I wear those Granny chains to keep them around my neck. I hated life back then.

My obsession with sunglasses didn't help either. I wanted to wear them but in order to do so I was sacrificing clear vision. I wore them anyway and continued to do so for years. I'm sure this probably accelerated the decline of my eyesight over the years but I was cute!

One might ask well what about contacts? Mom wasn't having it. Contacts would not be an option for me until my senior year of high school. When that time finally came, I dont think I had ever been happier about anything in my life.

Throughout my military career, I hated any time I would have to wear glasses. For example, any time wearing a gas mask was required or inevitable. Unfortunately for me, as my grandmother predicted, going without them by adulthood was not an option if I wanted to see.

My eyesight life pretty much revolved around contacts because I felt wearing glasses was boring. I felt I looked better without them and they gave me more opportunities to wear fashionable sunglasses. They also just began to be extremely expensive with my prescription compared to contacts.

My tour in Okinawa changed my life. I happened upon a store one weekend that sold glasses. They had so many cute frames that caught my attention as I was passing by so I went in. After speaking with the sales representative I was in complete shock. The prices were extremely affordable.

I returned with my script the following week and went bananas! I purchased 5 pairs of glasses. Different colors and styles that were to my liking. The best part was I still had not come close to the price of one pair with my prescription in American stores. I was winning!

I had contemplated having the corrective surgery many times. Sadly, every eye exam my eyesight seemed to change deeming it unstable rendering me ineligible. This was deflating considering I had the opportunity to free myself of the burden of corrective lenses.

It was at this time I really acknowledged how much I hated that I needed them. I wanted so badly to be free of bad vision. To just be able to wake up and see the clock without having to reach for my glasses. To not be Tasha. with the glasses. My glasses did not define me was how I felt.

After moving to Virginia and meeting Bina, she introduced me to the online sites. Again I went bananas. Truly another life changing discovery. Maybe, just maybe, my glasses could become a great outward expression of my inner creativity.

Today, I once again have options although now I think I wear my glasses and contacts equally these days. I look at them as accessories more than a burden. They are another way to distinguish myself from the crowd and I love it.

There are things about ourselves that we want to hide in order to fit in. Eventually, as you begin to really come into your own true self, fitting in is boring. In fact, it's stifling. None of us were made to fit in which is why not two people share identical DNA.

We all have a purpose therefore, we must be purposeful in our actions as I always say. Which is why Bina and I took this message to the masses with our podcast Anomalous Black Women Podcast. The message is to live out loud, creatively and unapologetically. That includes wild and wacky affordable spectacles that express who you are and allow you to see the world clearly.

If I'm honest, when I envision a professor, they almost certainly will have on glasses. Lol It's true and you know it!

Until next time remain...P.O.I.S.E.D.

If you'd like to contact Professor Poised for an upcoming event you may be having in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area, you can reach her at info@poisedaffairsevents.com
 or visit www.poisedaffairsevents.com.