Occupational ... Glasses?

My nose has become accustomed to pushing my glasses up high enough for me to see the recording machine in front of me – in front, but just above the trifocal range I need. The normal, distant-vision, lens doesn’t work two feet away. So I’m a nose-pusher and eye-squinter. An optometrist can see me coming halfway across the parking lot.

While I sit at his desk and role-play what it’s like to be on the air with various forms of audio equipment left, right and ahead of me, not to mention the control board at my fingertips in front of me. So he has me show him how my eyes have to dart around while I’m doing my show and says, “Your regular lenses are close enough, but for what you are doing, you really need occupational glasses.”

Th’ heck are “occupational glasses”? Do you wear a different pair of work?

Well, the doc says, yeah. In my case, I need the trifocal lens as an entire prescription. That will keep me from squinting and pushing my glasses up and down to see things while I am on the air. It also means I leave them in the studio; they are way too powerful for driving, walking, or doing most anything else except being on the radio.

This should be great. I’ll check back in when I get them next week and let you know how I do with what are also known as “computer glasses.” I can’t wait, because it’s hard looking at all this stuff and not being able to see it clearly or having to move my head instead of my eyes. So we shall see.