I “lost” my eyesight for 24 hours.

Oh, nothing horrible here. I have pretty bad vision, very near-sighted. Things have to be maybe 2-3″ in front of my face to be clear. I wear glasses.

My glasses broke. Freak thing. I came home from teaching, was cleaning them, and in the process of drying them off the bridge just snapped. Odd thing too, being Nike Flexon… uh, what happened to flexing instead of being brittle and breaking? This isn’t the first time I’ve had a Flexon frame just break on me, but I opted to try for something else for my replacements. But that’s not the point of my writing.

I was without clear and useful vision for 24 hours.

Oh I know it’s not that horrible. I could still see somewhat well enough to get by and exist. Wife has a friend that is actually losing her eyesight completely. I know my problem is nothing like that.

But it’s enough to make you appreciate what you have.

I could get by, if I stuck my nose 2-3″ in front of things. iPhone was alright, computer was not so much. Walking around, interacting with the kids, avoiding stuff lying on the floor, no problem. Even walking around the crowded shopping mall where the eyeglasses store was, I had no problems seeing and avoiding (tho no window shopping to pass the time while we waited). I wouldn’t want to drive, and if I wasn’t able to get a replacement set “in an hour” I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about work (sick day?), but thankfully that didn’t happen.

I thought about my carry handgun. Pfft… what was the point? I really couldn’t see well enough to shoot anything beyond arms length. I did try some draws and dry fire, and if anything it did make me think I should practice more with my glasses off.

See, it’s very unsettling to not have clear vision. Or rather, to go from having it to suddenly not. There’s a lot you take for granted, and suddenly it’s gone. It’s unsettling, it’s disconcerting. And how to suddenly operate? After a few hours without my glasses, I was getting used to it and felt more comfortable. But there’s still no way I’d take a 15 yard shot (my vision is just that bad, it’d be irresponsible). But given most “interpersonal confrontations” happen 0-5 yards, well… yeah, I ought to see how I can manage.

I should dry practice to gain enough confidence here because I cannot see the front sight, so I have to ensure I can index well enough. I have to learn what I can do — and what I cannot. I should try some live fire work to see how I fair. If nothing else, to shoot and KNOW instead of having only ignorance, that will serve me better.

Shooting at that distance doesn’t actually require a perfect sight picture (read Enos, Stoeger, etc.). And while it’s somewhat about that, it’s more about dealing with the sudden loss of eyesight and knowing what I can and cannot do. To know what it will look like, feel like, what information and feedback I will be without and must find alternatives upon which to base my actions. And to have the confidence to know that this is not a problem, I can work through it. It’s better to have and know this stuff ahead of time.

Because to lose my glasses? It’s a distinct possibility. I ought to know what I can do, when I’m forced to do without.