Why Wear Sunglasses?

I have thought recently about sunglasses and why I wear them. I have not always been good about wearing sunglasses, but recently I have become much better about it. I think there are different reasons why people choose to wear sunglasses.

1. Because they are a fashion accessory - These are the people that have multiple pair for different outfits or those people that even wear them indoors. This is definitely not why I wear sunglasses, although it is not a bad reason. I actually feel self conscious when I am wearing them and don't like any attention they bring to me. I'm one that just likes to blend into the crowd, so for a long time I didn't wear sunglasses mostly because I felt like everyone was looking at me and thinking I looked strange.
2. Because the sun is too bright - Some people are really light sensitive and are very uncomfortable with bright lights. Sunglasses provide immediate relief and are even necessary for some people to function at a high level. I am not light sensitive (which I why I was such a good practice patient in optometry school), so I don't get much relief by putting on sunglasses. I have realized that I am a squinter - anytime I'm out in the sun I am squinting my eyes halfway shut, which is why I have deep wrinkles between my eye brows.
3. Because of the UV protection - I didn't think too much about this reason until optometry school. I know that it is good to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful ultraviolet radiation the sun emits. I guess I could have figured out this same radiation could harm your eyes too, even if you don't stare directly at the sun, but I didn't think about it too much. Now I understand that UV rays can cause pingueculae, ptyerigia, cataracts, and damage to the retina (if you do stare at the sun). I decided that I should protect my eyes by wearing sunglasses that have UV protection.

I still feel uncomfortable and a little embarrassed when I wear sunglasses, and I still don't mind bright lights in my eyes, but I have made a decision to wear sunglasses as much as I can to protect my eyes.

How about you, what is your main reason for wearing sunglasses?

For more information about sunglasses, you can visit http://www.allaboutvision.com/sunglasses/

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Off on a little bit of a tangent, two days after that I took the above picture of myself in sunglasses, my car suffered a break down in New Mexico. The car, lovingly referred to as "Forrest", served me well for 6 years before giving up the ghost while I was moving from Memphis to Phoenix. I had to leave Forrest in the small village of San Jon, NM, increasing the population to 307. I finished my journey by rental car and was never to see Forrest again. I'll always remember Forrest, who moved me from California to Utah back to California then to Mississippi; was with me when I got engaged and married, graduated college; and brought home my first child from the hospital. Forrest could never be replaced, although "Champ" does a pretty good job now of getting me from place to place. Thanks Forrest for serving me well for so many good years!

Boy Scouts of America

I became of Cub Scout when I was 8 years old. I went to meetings each week and spent time at home earning badges. I was a Bobcat, Wolf, Bear and then Webelos. Then I became a Boy Scout when I was 11 years old. I went on campouts, learned to tie knots, and enjoyed playing with a pocket knife and building fires. I earned ranks of Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, Life and then Eagle. I earned merit badges such as Citizenship in the Community, Lifesaving, Personal Management, Wilderness Survival, Family Life and Art. I went to Summer Scout Camps and participated in the Mile Swim and Polar Bear Challenge.

To earn my Eagle Scout award I had to progress through all the Boy Scout ranks, earn over 20 merit badges, participate in many hours of community service and organize my own service project. I put together two days of packaging food for the poor and homeless, where my volunteers and I packaged hundreds of boxes of meals.

I still remember much of what I learned as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout. I remember fun activities like building a tennis ball cannon. I remember that if you are camping and your feet get cold in the night, you should put on a hat because heat is escaping through your head. I can still recite from memory the Boy Scout Law, Oath, Slogan and Motto.

When I was 18 years old I finished my career as a Boy Scouts and thought I was done for good. A few years later though, I was asked to be a Cub Scout leader in Springville, Utah. I accepted and had a small group of 3-5 boys that I met with each week to lead and teach. Each time we met, it seemed like we didn't accomplish much in our hour of time together. The boys often didn't seem to be paying attention. I wondered what I could possibly be accomplishing and what I was doing wrong.

My Cub Scout Pack - Springville, Utah 2006

Attending a Cub Scout Day Camp.

A couple years later I moved to Southaven, Mississippi. When it was discovered that I had experience with Boy Scouting, I was again asked to be a leader, this time for a Boy Scout troop. I accepted, a bit reluctantly, thinking it would be the same experience as in Utah. And for the most part it has been the same. I've had anywhere from 1-3 boys, who sometimes don't pay attention and each meeting seems to be mediocre at best. I must be doing something wrong because when I was a young scout, my leaders seemed much better and I learned a lot.

My Boy Scout Troop - Southaven, Mississippi 2010

Two scouts were absent this day.

Upon reflection, however, I realize that I attended a Cub Scout or Boy Scout meeting nearly every week for almost 10 years. Thats over 500 meetings. I probably didn't gain much at each meeting, but as a whole a lot of nothings added up to a big something. So maybe I don't need to have a huge impact on the scouts I lead, maybe I just need to be there teaching something week after week. Then, over the course of their life, they'll be able to look back and see the impact the scouting program had on them.

I am glad I was a part of Boy Scouts of America as a boy. I shaped my life to some extent, perhaps more than I realize. Now being on the leader side of the program, I can really appreciate the time and effort my scout leaders put into the program. So thank you Gail, Steve, Mark, Kevin, and Kelly. You did a great job and are very appreciated!

Optometry's Meeting and Project Foresight

Last week I traveled to Orlando, Florida for two purposes. The first reason was to attend Optometry's Meeting, the annual meeting put on by the American Optometric Association. The second reason was to compete in Project Foresight, a business plan competition sponsored by Walmart Health and Wellness.

Optometry's Meeting was a great experience. It was nice to see so many members of the Optometric community together and unified. I enjoyed the continuing education seminars and got some new ideas for my future. The exhibit hall had vendors from across the country and I was able to see and learn about new products and technologies. My passion for optometry was renewed and I look forward to next year's meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.


Project Foresight was another great experience. Four months ago I partnered with JJ Lant to create a business plan for Project Foresight. We were challenged to create a plan for an optometric practice of the future that would be successful in the changing healthcare environment. I was surprised by how much work it took to create a good business plan. The practice we created was a model for how to bring optometric care to the rural populations of America. In March, we competed with three other teams in the school-level competition and were chosen as the best business plan. Last week in Orlando, we competed with the winners from seven other optometry schools. Unfortunately, we were not chosen as the national level winners, but the experience of creating and presenting a business plan was very valuable.

I'm grateful I was able to make this trip and for all the people that made it possible. Next time, I hope to bring my wife and children to enjoy some of the experience with me.