By Nathanael Simbilyabo
Back in the day, people who wore glasses were seen as having a problem with their eyesight. For others, they were thought to be the serious type, probably someone who spent most of their time reading books.
Today, things have changed. Glasses do not seem to be for just a few. Now, more people wear them, and for different reasons.
Some wear them because they need help seeing clearly. Others wear sunglasses because of the sun, dust or wind. And for some, glasses have simply become part of how they look.
Medical reasons
For Luke Christian, a Bachelor of Governance and International Relations student, the glasses came after years of struggling with his eyesight.
He first noticed the problem when he was about 13 years old. He could not see objects that were far away clearly, especially when he sat at the back of the classroom. At first, he did not think he needed glasses. But the situation got worse with time.
“I couldn’t really see things properly,” Christian said. He eventually got his first pair of glasses when he was 16 years old
Conrad Mulwana, a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and Animation student, started much earlier. He got his first pair in Primary 6 after he moved to a school where the teachers used a blackboard and he could not clearly see what was written on it.
After talking to his father about it, he was taken for an eye check and got his first pair.
Since then, both students have learnt that glasses come with their own struggles.
Christian plays basketball and says glasses can sometimes get in the way. Resting one’s head is not always easy and rain can turn a simple walk into a struggle because the water lands directly on the glasses.
He has also lost a pair to a simple mistake. He left them on his bed, sat on them and broke them.
“Those were mistakes,” he said, laughing.
For Angel Blessed, a Bachelor of Human Resource Management student, glasses have been part of her life since Primary Five. She remembers the moment she realised she could not see properly when a teacher asked her to read something from the blackboard.
Today, she has gone through three pairs. One broke. Then after wearing one, she realised she needed a stronger prescription. The current one, she admits, was partly a choice of style.
Still, the most important thing remains that she is able to see clearly.
Not everyone wants to put on glasses immediately however.
Jerusha Namala first noticed problems with her eyesight around Primary 5 but kept putting off a medical check. She thought the problem was an allergy. Also, she did not like glasses.
Then one day in class, she could not see what was on the board. The situation continued getting worse until she started struggling even at night. A medical examination eventually showed that she needed glasses.
She has since changed her lenses three times.
Her advice to someone who is experiencing similar problems is simple: get your eyes checked.
Other reasons
But not everyone wearing glasses has an eyesight problem.
Nicholas Agaba, a member of the UCU community, wears sunglasses mainly when riding on a boda boda. The dust and wind can leave his eyes red, especially when returning from watching games in the evening.
But there is another reason.
“Sometimes they just look good,” he said.
Dr Martin Oluge, a medical officer, warns against buying prescription glasses simply because they look good or because someone else is wearing them.
If someone is struggling to see, having headaches while reading or experiencing other eye problems, he recommends getting checked by an ophthalmologist or qualified optician before getting glasses.
One student who does not wear glasses and asked to remain anonymous admitted that her first impression of someone wearing them is sometimes “a nerd”, someone who loves reading.
Christian, however, does not think glasses should define anyone. He says that people have different things that make them who they are. Someone may be known for playing football, making people laugh, designing, reading or simply being a good friend. Glasses are just one part of the picture.
So, the next time you meet someone wearing a pair around campus, there may be more behind those lenses than you first imagine.
