The Vulnerability of Glasses

The nose piece on my glasses fell off about a week ago. I managed to locate it, but the little screw that held it in place is long gone. Luckily, I have one of those kits that comes with a special screw driver and a set of tiny screws. Unluckily, the tiny screws didn’t fit.

I managed to repair it in a way by pushing a straight pin through, then bending the pen around so the tip faced away from my eye. This actually worked very well, but after a day or so I felt compelled to deal with it in a more legitimate fashion.

In other words, I stopped off at Walmart to pick up more tiny screws. I hadn’t expected the eyeglass staff to be there. I went straight to the wall where I knew glasses parts were stocked with the intention of squinting at packages in the hopes of guessing the right size.

To my horror, a helpful staff member came out to help. She asked to see the glasses. Foolishly, I let her take them. Rather than giving them back she said, “Why don’t I just fix them for you,” and promptly walked to a separate room.

So there I stood like an unwanted dog. The only reason I could tell I was following the right person is because she and I were the only two people in the area. There was no place in the little room for me, and it took her about ten minutes to get the job done.

I ended up sitting at one of the little tables where they do normal adjustments to glasses. The blurs of people kept walking past. I couldn’t see well enough to know for sure if any were looking at me, and certainly couldn’t identify any of them. Yet I kept feeling like people were staring. The longer it took, the more lost and pathetic I felt.

I couldn’t help but think if something went wrong – like she cut the pin off then discovered she didn’t have any screws of the right size – that I would be in serious trouble. There would be no way for me to see well enough to get home.

It also dawned on me that she didn’t bother to see if I actually wanted her to do the work. I was far more interested in empowering myself with the right screws than in solving this one little problem. Nor did I want the shell out an arm and a leg on a repair I didn’t even ask for. She simply took it for granted that I would agree, even when I never replied at all.

I’m convinced this particular store makes an effort to hire people who will have no sympathy at all for those who need glasses. This is far from the fist time they’ve done something like this to me. Previously one of their staff members had suggested I simply remove my glasses for reading purposes as I am near sighted. Apparently it never occurred to her that I am SO near sighted that I can’t even read without glasses.

Thankfully she didn’t try to charge me anything for the repair, and came back with the glasses all fixed up to normal tastes. I think in a week or two I’ll have them back the way I like them. In the meanwhile, I thanked her politely, did not buy the screws, and fled.

Thinking back, I suspect those little tiny screws only come in one size.