A Modern Miracle.

The first time I knew something wasn't quite right with my eyes, was when I was in primary school. Reading from the blackboard went from a regular thing, to something which gave me headaches. Turns out that my eyesight had degenerated, and that I was squinting everytime I tried to see something at a distance. I was prescribed a pair of unbelievably dorky glasses, with instructions to put them on whilst looking at the board, but then take them off again when I was working with things up close.

Not an easy feat for a twelve year old. You can imagine how much I hated them.

Over the years, my shortsightedness got progressively worse. Every eye appointment would usually see me requiring a stronger prescription. Eventually, my short sightedness became severe enough to leave the glasses on all the time. It was about that time when I was introduced to contact lenses, which quickly became my best friend. Most people who have never had a problem with their sight have absolutely no comprehension of what life can be like on the other side of the lens. You can't swim. You can't wear sunglasses. You can't read street signs. You can't see faces, rather a blurry haze.

Almost a year ago, I underwent advanced laser eye surgery. It wasn't cheap and it wasn't particularly pleasant, but it's one of the best decisions I have ever made. My vision is not a hundred percent, but it's a hundred percent better than it was. It's too early to tell what the longevity of laser eye surgery is - who knows how my eyesight will be in another year's time. Who knows how it will be in another 10 years, or 50?

All I know is that every morning when I open my eyes and can actually see the world around me, I count my blessings. And that I will never ever take that for granted.