Eyes are mysterious to me. A couple of years ago I did a lot of research for a client on artificial eyes, which was was handy because it gave me the vocabulary I needed to talk to my own doctors earlier this year, when I was diagnosed with an atypical form of a degenerative eye disorder.
At this point it is no more than an inconvenience, whose main symptom is an inability to see much in the dark or in low light -- but I still don't understand much about the mechanics of this disorder, or why one of the few things the doctors advised me to do was wear big, dark sunglasses all the time when I'm outside in the light.
Don't get me wrong; I'm as fashion-conscious as the next person. I like the idea that I look cool in big sunglasses (shut up, I do look cool) and they hide the permanent bags under my eyes.
But it's annoying and inconvenient, because my trouble is not being able to see in low light -- and what do the sunglasses do? They reduce the light! It's just perverse, and I don't understand it. I'm constantly pushing my sunglasses up, and have become one of those people who wears sunglasses atop her head even at night, because otherwise I will set them aside and lose them. (I've lost three pairs since the beginning of the year. Fortunately, two of these were pairs I got for $2 apiece at Big Al's.)
My sunglasses are on top of my head right now, in fact. I'm posting this from a nice little coffee shop on 9th Avenue that offers cheap internet access and is only a block from our rehearsal space. It's going to be my home away from home for the next month, I suspect, and I only wish it had evening hours.
Five Random Songs
"Stir It Up," Delbert McClinton. A cover of the Bob Marley classic.
"One Step Up," Bruce Springsteen. From Tunnel of Love, a song about the end of a relationship -- I associate it with the breakup of one of my own.
"All Good Gifts," from the Godspell soundtrack. Love this song...
"Island of No Return," Billy Bragg. From Back to Basics. I saw a fistfight break out at a Billy Bragg concert once, actually. Bragg saw it and stopped the concert from the stage until the guys cut it out. That was cool.
"Please Don't Bury Me," John Prine. An anthem for organ donation. Seriously.
3 comments:
I'm actually learning to play All Good Gifts on the piano. I've always wanted to accompany someone on this song. Is it in your range? Is there an amateur night somewhere?
I buy cheap pairs (at Walgreen's) because I always lose sunglasses, too. Silly things.
Yep, it's in my range if we start in the right key... we can do open mike night at Higher Grounds!
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