Large Print

Over the last few weeks and months I have come to the conclusion that I am falling to pieces. It seemed to start with my ears and I have since gone through various wax removal therapies but with no long lasting remedy. Then I have had ongoing problems with my back which is getting no better and last week I had an some emergency dental work. The latest was my bi-annual visit to the opticians which will apparently now have to be annual for various reasons.

My prescription hasn’t altered that much but I have now been recommended that as well as single vision lenses for seeing at a distance I would also benefit from varifocals, for working with computers, reading glasses, for books and prescription sunglasses on the basis that I live somewhere sunny. Quite how I am meant to swap between these is a mystery: I can only assume they are to be hung around my neck on a chain like a demented Larry Grayson.

There is an alternative to the reading glasses and that is to make use of our local libraries collection of large print books. They actually have a fair collection but the selection makes me think that large print is aimed at a certain demographic. Over a quarter of the large print books are actually Mills and Boons romantic fiction. Quite a good selection of the mainstream fiction is also largely romantic novels and even the non-fiction section has little that would be regarded as “male interest” (whatever that is). I could really only see Stephen Fry’s America and Ross Kemp talks Blokey Bollocks (or whatever it was) as being well away from the romantic fiction staples.

My new frames (particularly the varifocals) are due to be ready in a week or so. I’ll give them a go and get the reading glasses if they are too much of an effort to use. That’s got to be preferable to delving into Barbara Cartland territory.