Contacts

In the United States, or at least in California, contact lenses are treated like prescription drugs. You have to have a doctor's note to get them, and the doctor's note has an expiration date a year after it is written. When I want contacts, I go to the optometrist, get a prescription, and then I call 1-800-Contacts and they send me a year supply. Since I do not wear contacts every day, this year supply usually lasts me two years, if not more. (I alternate with my glasses, switching back and forth).

Well, about two months ago, I realized I was reaching the end of my supply of contacts, purchased several years ago, actually. And I was wondering what to do about this. Squeeze in a visit to my optometrist in California, during my few precious days there, and then hope the shipment of contacts arrives before I have to leave? Time consuming and expensive option, I was not keen on it.

So yesterday, I was at the Apotek here in Iceland, and my eyes happened upon two shelves full of CONTACT LENSES! Every strength, from .5 up to 5! Wow! Disposable one day contacts! I looked around, hoping to be able to express to someone my utter amazement at this sight.

You see, in the United States, the assumption is that we will not take care of our eyes unless we are forced to do so. Thus if you want contacts, you have to go see your optometrist first. This shelf of disposable contacts seemed to me like a sign that the government of Iceland thinks it is up to me what I want to do with my eyes, and that they think I know what I am doing in terms of what strength to buy and everything. Now, surely I am overstating things, but I really thought it was nice, to be entrusted with that.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dett í, ofan á, úr, út

Twitterverse

The sky weeps