In Which Case

Many years ago, I bought this vintage metal mesh glasses case in a thrift store, intending to use it to carry sunglasses. Regrettably, it turned out to be a bit too small. I set it aside, forgetting about it until about a year ago, when I received my first pair of prescription reading glasses. I was pleased to find that the vintage style made them small enough to easily slip into it, a much slimmer and more attractive case than the hard shell from the optometrist.

I’ve never come across any similar cases since, and had always meant to share its quaintness here. I finally got round to photographing it early in December last year – ironically, as it transpired. Around the same time I found out from the doctor that I was anaemic, and had to immediately begin to increase my iron levels. Only three weeks later, I inadvertently discovered that remarkably my eyesight seems to have improved! I was in a grocery store and suddenly found I was able to read the tiny text of the ingredient list on a box of cereal. I even turned the text size on my iPhone to smallest and was tickled to find I could quite easily read it.

I can only assume the extreme fatigue I was constantly feeling had also affected my eye muscles, which had thrown in the towel at trying to focus on tiny text. I’m still becoming accustomed to not reaching for my reading glasses all the time – they do still help in low light or when I am extra tired – but as it can take months to raise iron levels to normal, I am hopeful that by the end I may hardly need to use them at all. In which case (pardon the pun) I may end up using this mesh case for sunglasses after all, for the little 30s and 40s sunglasses I bought in the last year will fit as easily as my specs.

Photo: December 2018