When I was very young I was often hit by flying objects. Footballs. baseballs, frisbees…if someone tossed anything to me chances were I would not be able to catch it. I never thought about why, really. I didn’t care either because I am no fan of sports. But then, one day, in third grade, I was in a Red Barn (those were something like McDonalds) and I could not read the menu. NOT READ? That’s SERIOUS. Quelle horreur! I panicked. That week I had my first eye exam.

Those are my actual first pair of glasses in the picture. I’ve kept them all this time as a reminder of the day my life changed. I’m not sure why the optometrist advised me to read Jonathan Livingston Seagull to improve my vision. I guess he was just some hippie. The lenses he made me though… OH. MAGIC. I could finally see things in the distance clearly. I could make out details on building as we drove along. Most important change of all? I could read so much more. I could see individual trees. That shifted my perception of the world. (Though I still can’t catch a ball.)

Sometimes we don’t know that our *vision* is clouded. We’re used to things as they appear, not knowing that if we checked our perception, we might have a better view of reality. It might be ingrained habits, loss of hope, depression, simple wear from everyday living. We tire, get worn down.

I know, and this is more than a change of calendar new year/new life wish, that I want things to be different in 2015. I could make a list of resolutions but I’m going to go about the process in a different way. I’m going to check my eyes, so to speak. Examine how I see life, others, myself. That’s the first step. Once I get my new prescription and can see clearly again? We’ll go on to the particulars from there.

Be good to yourselves.