WEIRD OR NORMAL ??

Something really strange has happened to me, at least twice in my life that I know of and the incidences were over 25 years apart.

Black Friday I went shopping. No, not at the crack of dawn with the mobs, but just before midday. Just curious for I was not really in need of anything. I usually give the children in my family money as they are too young to make their wishes known and I am sure money is the right size and color.

I so envy those of you who put your own labor into projects and create personal gifts. I am just not a crafty person and do not live close to the youngsters so I take the easy way since the oldest is only three.

Doing pathetically little to help the economy, I only bought for myself a cute pair of magnetic flashlights for under $5.00 to stick on the refrigerator for emergencies. I know, I am sorry, that won't put anyone back to work. I really should have done better.

Anyway, I was window shopping away and was suddenly aware I was having trouble seeing. People were slightly out of focus and reading information tags was almost impossible. This was quite disconcerting and I was getting a wee bit panicked. I am thinking everything from impending blindness to brain tumor.

I left Stage's store and went to the parking lot where Mighty waited patiently. I had a huge desire to make the hour and a half trip to the safety of my home but wasn't thrilled about driving in that condition.

Now, I could see big things, like cars OK, just not as clearly as I had just a little bit earlier. My eyes strained hard seeking a sharp image but it was not to be. I alternately closed each eye as a test but got no relief. It was not just one eye giving me problems, it was both.

Probably foolishly, I cranked up and started home carefully. Though not blind, I was impaired. I had to drive past the hospital when leaving the town, so I was giving my self till then to straighten up or I would stop in.

Traffic was brutal and in frustration, I whipped off my glasses and found I could see perfectly, even better than I had earlier in the day with them on. In fact, I was seeing better than I had in years. Everything was bright and clear, signs were read with ease. Curious, I put the glasses back on and the out of focus world returned.

Now I am sure I couldn't read fine print but I had perfect distance and mid-distance vision without my glasses. Road signs were perfectly clear. I felt 25 again.

I grinned happily and drove right past the hospital. I have never enjoyed the ride home as much as I did that day. Vistas were gorgeous and sharp, colors were brighter, I was grinning a lot. I had young eyes.

This same thing happened to me 25 years ago when I discovered my arms were not long enough to read easily and I got my first pair of glasses. They were window glass in the top and correction was in the the bifocal as I am farsighted. At last I could read with ease again.

One day I was at the beauty parlor sitting under the dryer. I had a head full of curlers so I wasn't wearing my glasses and they were tucked into the neck of my blouse.

Absentmindedly I picked up a magazine and started to read. Suddenly it dawned on me, I was reading and quite easily with out my glasses. I let out a whoop and informed all within earshot of my miracle.

One lady said she had the same thing happen once but that it was only temporary. Well, sadly, that day was also temporary as was my miracle on Black Friday. Both times it did last part of a day. However, by mid-afternoon on Friday, I was putting my glasses back on again and all was normal.

I searched my mind for possible triggers and of course went to food.The only thing I ate differently that day was a Tootsie Roll. I know, ever since I wrote about them, I have wanted one. You would have thought that would have turned me off but it actually did the opposite. If the Tootsie Roll will return sight, then I am buying stock today in the company.

Has this happened to any of you and if so, do you know of a logical explanation for the eyesight phenomenon?? I am not concerned because at this rate of occurrence, I will be 96 before it happens again, but am really curious.