With today’s blog, we’re offering something slightly different in the form of a short story. This is where our optical needs meet real-life meets creative non-fiction! We hope you enjoy it.

That Moment You Know You Need A New Eye Test

It’s a strange and uncomfortable feeling, isn’t it? Yes, that one; the moment of recognition washing over you when you realise you can’t see. Perhaps you experienced it as you were midway through the paper one glorious Tasmanian morning? Suddenly, you’re extending your arms across the table, trying to make out the latest write-up featured in the Hobart Observer. Letters swim and lines blur out as your eyes dance around the page.

Maybe you missed out on the BIG one? All because you misread the address and time on that garage sale listing in the Derwent Valley Gazette.

Now, legend has it that that was the garage sale of a lifetime.

I feel you, friends! I, too, share the pain. My tale of visual disappointment takes place on a road trip several years ago, a driving tour of Tasmania. It was to be a trip of a lifetime for me.

The plan at hand? Taking in all that Tasmania had to offer from Hobart and Launceston. And to see the sights from Freycinet and Wine Glass Bay to the rugged seascape of Bruney Island and beyond.

I was not what you would call an avid driver. Beyond my daily commute at the time and the yearly sojourn to see cousins and friends up and down the New South Wales Coastline, I didn’t love driving. But this was going to be different. I’d pull over to take photos of every run-down and ram-shackled barn in the Tasmanian countryside, full of history and character. (Wow… are there many!)

I was keen to trek Cradle Mountain’s splendid foot tracks and venture to wards the east coast, to see the world below from its most fantastic vantage point: Mount Wellington!

But alas, I’d get to these glorious peaks after hours of driving -what with all the stops and all, only to be met visually with a hazy, vague outline of distant vistas. No, it wasn’t insistent cloud cover or the persistent fog chasing tourists around the Derwent valley

It was my eyes.

I had yet to seriously consider the merits of correcting the very mild amount of astigmatism that was evident in a recent eye test. And it had come back to bite me at each and every stop along my Tassie road trip.

From the top of Mount Wellington, Hobart below was a blurry smudge. Wine Glass bay and Freycinet were majestic… or so my wife informed me. And The Hazards were some of the most profound natural landscapes one could see. At this stage, I can only take her trusted word on the matter (and jealously review many of the photos taken). I’ll have to go back again and check it all out with my new prescription glasses.

Written by Luke, an optical dispenser and published author who has worked with the Island Optical/Optical Superstore family for over a decade ~ his CNF piece is based on a real-life event.

The lesson?

Consider the merits of even the most minor prescription for corrected vision! Luke didn’t at the time and learned that the hard way.

Small, yet specific changes to your prescription (whether for reading glasses,concentrated tasks or astigmatism correction for long-distance clarity) help unlock all the tasks,events and hobbies in our lives-making life livable!

Many avid readers often overcome the pressing need for reading glasses by holding things further away. Are your arms no longer long enough? Or, do you wonder what you’re missing out on during your next road trip, get in touch with an optometrist.

Island Optical proudly put their hand up to assist (look, they’re waving so you can see them)! There’s so much to enjoy in Tassie and the world beyond. And with two prime locations, it’s easier than ever before to start seeing the world with crisp vision!

Had enough of the blurred, vague world around you?
Is it “Google search for ‘Eye Test Near Me’ time?”
If so, get in touch with Island Optical for Bulk-Billed eye testing, comprehensive care and personalised service.

Hi! Luke again!

Here…

I’ll write their contact details in BOLD so you can take advantage of their expertise! And tell them Luke sent you. 😉

In the meantime, I’m planning for ‘The Tassie Road Trip 2.0!’

ISLAND OPTICAL

FRAME SELECTION SUPPORT & EYE TEST HOBART (03) 6231 3640

FRAME SELECTION SUPPORT & EYE TEST LAUNCESTON (03) 6331 1008

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