My husband (then my fiancé) told me many years ago when I first wore my glasses on our city tour in Hamburg.

Here is the short anecdote of how I got into glasses:

I still remember very clearly. Many years ago, my husband and I looked at a household excel table on a projector projection.

At a distance of about four meters, he could see everything great.

I, on the other hand, had to ask a lot of questions. From time to time I got up and went closer to be able to read the table better.

He said that day, “Maybe you should take an eye test.”

Not wanting to admit this, I said, “What for? I see.”

“Impaired vision? No, not with me,” I thought that day.

When he insisted, I agreed and then said, “If glasses are needed, do you pay?” – I wanted to test how seriously he meant it.

He said, “Agreed.” Of course, that touched me a lot, because he was really worried.

The test confirmed his assumption and so I got glasses, and lo and behold, the Excel spreadsheet was no longer an issue.

Days later we drove to Hamburg and I took the glasses with me to admire the sights from a distance.

I realized how sharp and “unnatural” everything was from my point of view. I said out loud:

“Wow, that’s sharp. Is this real?” I pointed to company logos on tall buildings.

Then my husband calmly replied, “Well, welcome to life. Life is sharp.”

Since then, my husband’s words have also accompanied me in my dealings with my fellow human beings.

Life is sharp, I just haven’t quite seen that beauty.

I learned:

📍My view of things is not decisive, especially when my visual acuity is limited. That’s why I can sharpen my glasses from time to time.

📍Looking at something from a distance creates a different perspective for my challenges, also in dealing with diversity.

📍Not wanting to admit something slows me down to discover the gems in myself and in others.

At first, I didn’t want to admit that I needed glasses.

It’s certainly nothing else when it comes to ways of thinking. “I don’t, I don’t have any prejudices.”

But recognizing exactly this creates a conscious approach to myself and to others. 

In this way, we avoid a one-sided view and one-sided stories.

As a result, we do not generalize too quickly and do not judge too quickly.

Do you wear glasses? What was it like just before you bought glasses?

Isn’t it wonderful to discover the possibilities after a “visual impairment” – also in the figurative sense?