What’s On Your Window?

Although you wouldn’t know it from the amount of time I’ve spent recently blogging about my beloved Duke Blue Devils, I actually love soccer as much, if not more, than college hoops. I’m sure you’ll be reading some of my thoughts and observations about real football as I follow my sons’ soccer teams this spring and also as the FIFA World Cup approaches this summer.

I’m also an unabashed, card-carrying “eyeguy.” So imagine my delight when I recently discovered that I could combine two of the great passions in my life and enjoy them simultaneously–sort of like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup or an Oreo cookie . If the eye is, like the old saying goes, the “window to the soul,” then the person in the picture above is truly mad to the bone about what soccer’s most famous player called, “The Beautiful Game.” Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!

Although Hollywood actors and actresses have used special effect contact lenses for years, many are now available to the general public as well. Wildeyes (Ciba Vision), Evileyes and Crazy Lenses (CooperVision) all offer up a colorful palette of alternative ocular personas for every occasion. Up until recently, if you were into NFL football there were even some Crazy Lenses for you (but alas, like Peyton Manning’s ability to win the Big Game, they are now nowhere to be found).

Of course, please keep in mind that, although special effect contact lenses are “fun,” they are also medical devices and should be properly prescribed and monitored by an eye care professional.

WARNING: FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN NASTY, PUS-FILLED CORNEAL ULCERS THE SIZE OF A MOON CRATER, WHICH, NEEDLESS TO SAY (BUT I HAVE TO SAY ANYWAY, OTHERWISE YOU COULD SUE ME), MAY LEAD TO BLINDNESS. EVEN WORSE, YOUR EYES MIGHT MELT AND POP OUT OF THEIR SOCKETS LIKE THAT GESTAPO DUDE’S IN “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK” WHEN GOD GOT A LITTLE MIFFED OVER THE ARK OF THE COVENANT BEING STOLEN AND OPENED UP BY A BUNCH OF NAZIS.

There, now that we have that out of the way, let me ask you a question. If you could pick a lens which would bare your true inner soul, what would it be? Feel free to browse and choose from any of the above collections, or be creative and come up with your own special “dream lens.”

In other words–what’s on your window?

15 Comments

  1. DJG

    I don’t see a tennis ball….that yellow smiley might be close, but it wouldn’t really be me.

    Yesterday I would have been looking for a “roller coaster” my inner soul was an emotional high and low day….today, I’ll just take cat eyes, cats are never emotional!

  2. mike the eyeguy

    djg–

    A tennis ball–excellent idea! That might rattle an opponent enough to pick up a few extra points here and there.

    Cat eyes are a classic–they never give away too much and always conceal the “mystery” that lies within.

  3. Hal

    It would have to be a mountain bike. I have really enjoyed trail/mountain bike riding in the last few years. I was even able to find a couple good trails in SC when I was there. I have even ordered myself a new bike as a reward to me since I have returned home (I am handing down my old bike to my number 2).

    This, or course, is purely figurative, because Hal the eye guy is a big wuss when it comes to wearing CLs. It’s a good thing I’m only a presbyope.

  4. mike the eyeguy

    That’s right, I remember now, you’re a 20/20 emmetrope. I always thought that was a little wierd, you going into optometry and all when you could obviously see so well.

    Oh well, party’s over I guess. I bet the Heartbreak of Presbyopia really smacked you up side the head, eh?

    You, Lance and POTUS ought to get together and take those mountain bikes for a spin.

  5. Hal

    Heartbreak is stating it mildly. I looked like “that Gestapo dude in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ when” I put my bifocals on (4 years ago) for the first time. It sucked more than my Craftsman shop-vac. But, alas, I have adapted. I have been told that my bifocals make me look distinguished along side my gray hair. Now I feel much better.

  6. Nancy

    Mike the Eye Guy —

    Omigosh — a DUKE fan? Seriously, my husband nearly breaks into tears every freaking time he sees that Christian Laetner shot against UK many many years ago…

    Wildcat Fans,
    Nancy

  7. mike the eyeguy

    Nancy–

    Yes, I bleed Blue Devil Blue and I’m proud of it! Not to worry, even Wildcat fans are welcome here. Not that my magnanimity has anything to do with the fact that UK is, how shall I say this, having a very atypical year (which was made all the worse with their second loss of the season to Vanderbilt this afternoon) and Duke, on the other hand, is 23-1. No, perish the thought.

    Yes, whenever I feel a little sad, I rewind “The Shot” in my mind and suddenly I feel a little better. I’ve never understood why Wildcat fans haven’t put that one behind them, though. Wasn’t it the Cats who found their revenge in an 86-84 victory over Duke in the 1998 Southeast Regional en route to their second national championship of the nineties? It seems like that alone should be enough to erase the memory of Laettner’s heroics in ’92!

    I enjoy your blog and the articles and essays you published during the time you and David lived in Philly. Great stuff–I’m looking forward to reading your book when it’s published.

  8. Karen

    I can’t imagine being able to see worth a darn with lenses like that. I’ll settle for a purty violet color… gas permeables, please. :o)

  9. mike the eyeguy

    Karen–

    Actually, as long as your pupil is smaller than the opening of the contact lens, vision should be fine. Might get a little dicey at night though when the pupil dilates.

  10. T.H.

    Mike,

    Taylor here. Haven’t commented in quite a while so I thought I would stick my head in and see what’s going on at Ocular Fushion.

    BTW, I finally put a face with the name. Jason and Corey helped to point you out a couple of Sundays ago.

    Keep up the writing. I don’t know how you do it, but you continuously hammer out some of the best and most diverse blogging I’ve seen on the web!

  11. mike the eyeguy

    Hey Taylor!

    Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement. I was kidding Jason tonight that I expected to read a little more “dirt” about the week at DLU than I was seeing on his blog. Surely there are some juicy stories worth telling! Oh well, I guess all you guys did was study…;-)

    This cyber-community stuff has its limits. We should “do lunch” soon. I’ll check my schedule for the next week or so and see if I can free up some time. Look forward to meeting you in person.

  12. T.H.

    Dirt? Nah, not us altar boys!

    Lunch would be great!

  13. Jason Bybee

    I prefer to be called a “man of the cloth” as opposed to “altar boy”.

    Reverend Bybee

  14. T.H.

    I’m so sorry Rev! Your collar must have been hidden by those bouncing shoulders of yours I kept seeing all last week!

    TH

  15. mike the eyeguy

    Jason and t.h.–

    Now that’s what I’m talking about, much better!

Comments are closed.