In my 20s, I always wore contact lenses, even though I spent most of my time staring at a screen. I was never extremely worried about my appearance, but I paid a lot more heed to it than I do now. Part of that was being single, I guess, and waiting for Mrs. Right. But part was also insecurity.
Many years ago, I bought some polarized sunglasses. They’re great and still in use 14 years later, but the lenses didn’t come with any power. For a long time, I believed my only option was to wear contact lenses, then put on the sunglasses. But two years ago or so, I realized: With the glasses I have now, actually, I can just wear my sunglasses right on top of them. This has now become the default.
On close inspection, the getup looks ridiculous. In many photos, you can clearly see the gold rim of my normal glasses peek out from behind the sunglasses. Every time a friend or family member sees me pop on my shades, they break out in laughter. But you know what? I don’t care anymore. It’s functional. It’s easy. And that’s good enough for me.
We’re all quirky if we’re authentic. The only question is how long will it take us until we embrace it? Enjoy the additional courage to be yourself you’ll gain with each passing year—and don’t worry so much about what it looks like.
