I’ve had the same pair of prescription glasses since about 2004, having changed the lens more than once. I just got so used to them that whenever the opportunity arose to replace them, I couldn’t find a pair that felt or looked right. So, I just continued with the same old dependable pair.

They’ve fallen off of my face more than once, have tumbled many times to the hardwood floor from my nightstand while I fumbled for them in the dark, been lost in my bed covers and rolled onto during numerous occasions, and of course I’ve fallen asleep with them on more times than I can remember. Despite all of this, they not only held together, but retained much of the original lustre and remain in excellent condition.

Only one of the earpieces is starting to look worn, the nose pads are looking a little old and one of the lens screws had to be replaced when it fell out and got lost, but other than that, they’re as good as new. This was the first “thin” pair of glasses I had ever worn and I initially had some reservations about durability, so I’m more than pleased with how well they’ve held up. (I think the frames are made up of some titanium, but I can’t remember)

But this past weekend, I decided it was time to finally replace them.

We’ve had a good run, old friend, but I’m afraid it’s time to part ways.

I went down to the local Pearle Vision since it was close and seemed to have a decent selection of frames. In fact, I found there was just too many options. Many of them were easily ruled out, but I still ended up spending over an hour trying on frames with fingerprints and smudges all over the lenses in an effort to find the right pair. Or, rather, the right pairs, since they had this screwed up pricing that basically forced you to buy two pairs at once since you hardly saved anything by buying a single pair.

The problem with selecting glasses (besides my indecisiveness, aggravated by the multitude of options) is that it’s hard to know how well they’ll do or look over the long run. Durability is important to me, and certainly some frames “felt” more durable than others, but that’s not really a sound way of assessing things. I guess I’m just expecting these new frames to last as long as the previous ones did, because I find it hard to change “styles”.

The other problem is that it’s hard to tell what you look like in them if you don’t wear contacts – thankfully this isn’t a problem for me; I’d be nearly blind without corrective vision.

Eventually, if you try on enough frames and stay in the store for long enough, almost all glasses start to look acceptable. This is because style and attractiveness are both subjective and tend to be swayed one way or another by overexposure. It’s almost as if your subconscious is overriding your critical thinking in an effort to get you out of the store and on your way.

You need to know when this effect is taking a hold of you, so I suggest the following: Within five minutes of entering the store, identify and try on a pair of frames that look utterly ridiculous on you. Then, put these back; don’t worry, you definitely won’t be getting these. After you’ve been in the store for an hour or so, and you’re noticing that most frames you’re trying on are looking good, go back and try on the hideous pair.

If the hideous pair now look attractive or even slightly better than before, your judgment has already been compromised. Either leave and come back another day or take your chances with a pair that you found attractive early on during your search. This is what I did.

I should be getting the new frames within a few days. Hopefully I wasn’t judgment-impaired when I made my choice.