Why is it so difficult to get glasses without a recent eye exam?

I have worn glasses since I was about 6 or 7 years old. My sight started failing right after an accident that involved a concussion, 18 hard wood steps to the first floor of our country house, 45 minutes of unconsciousness and a thin mattress that was arranged in a sled like fashion under the handrails. Anyway the school nurse caught my problems with an eye exam at the school, I do not know if they still do that or not but they did back then. I am not sure what prompted the exam, maybe a teacher indicated I was doing more poorly than normal on my class work, since I could not see the black board, that may have been the case. Regardless I was of poor eyesight and was in need of a full examine by a licensed Ophthalmologist. My mom brought me to a Eye Doctor in Urbana, a couple of blocks north of the square on 68, this was the first of many trips. My first pair was a sporty copper tone metal frame job that was quite stylish.

It did not take my mom long to realize that metal frame glasses bend easily and since I was young I had not yet learned the art of glasses repair we made numerous trips to the eye place for adjustments and repairs. I was having a hard time adjusting to being a four eyes, never before had I had to think about what I was doing and what impact would that activity have on my spectacles. I can’t remember how many trips it took with the metal framed model before my mom had had enough, but I remember when it happened. I had broken a temple off and looking back she must have had a really bad day because we replaced the sporty wire frames with “the toughest pair of frames you have” that is what my mom asked for. I was still devastated by having to wear glasses in the first place but this pair of “tough” frames were a gray plastic model that was not at all sporty or even close to good looking. I will say that I never had any problems that required a trip back for repair though.

I am not sure why that was, I think I stepped up my experimentation with glasses repair, I did not want to break these, anything “tougher” would most likely be even worse in appearance. I became proficient in repairing them, with model glue, a propane torch I found in the barn and other trade secrets I found o could keep them together. I was blind so I needed to wear them all the time, as I still do. I will have you know for the entire time I lived with mom she never let me have a pair of wire framed glasses. Looking back that is kind of funny in itself. I still am very good at repairing the frames of my glasses, I keep all my old pairs for spare parts and usually have at least two identical pairs in case of emergency. I am in need of new glasses now, the frames are 10 years old need updated, to quote Joe Friday from Dragnet they are not “what all the hip young cats are digging these days”. My lenses are pretty scratched up as well, I now use the plastic ones because they are so much lighter in my prescription, no plastic lenses when I was living with mom though.

So I have my prescription and I am off to the same place I have gone since I arrived in Jacksonville. He indicated to me that the prescription is older than 2 years and I will need to get another eye exam. Never in my nearly 40 years of wearing glasses had I heard of such a thing. I told him I did not need a new prescription and he looked at me as if I were from Mars, how do you know that he asks. I can see the individual leaves on the trees I say. Now he thinks I am playing with him, like I was making a joke or something. I explain to him, when was 6 my eye doctor told me to keep an eye on the trees, especially the leaves and when you can no longer make out individual leaves it was time to come in for a new exam. I tell wonder boy, who is not much older than the boots I have on, that that method has worked for me my whole life and I do not need an exam. Well he starts spouting off about rules and I tell him thank you and leave. I go somewhere else only to hear the same story, oh and by the way we offer an exam right here on the premises.

Now I got it, scalping me for more money, I assure you an eye doctor of today would never tell you the leaves trick. They are no longer looking out for what is best for us but what is best for them, you having to continue to pay them for something you may not need. This attitude has become pervasive in our society but I never thought it would make it to the place I get my spectacles. That is a damn shame! I have been trolling the internet lately to see about new frames and lenses, you do not need a new eye exam to order them online. Ordering online has presented me with other worries, what if the frames are not right, I know my frames sizes as well. What if the lenses are not right, it is not like ordering a new car radio from Ebay these gadgets are going to have to work. I have been frozen into inaction by the options available and have almost resigned to getting a new eye exam and glasses locally, damn it!

When was the last time you had your eyes examined?