X Ray Specs

Apologies for the delay in recalling my trip to the optician. I have tried and tried to make this a serious post but it still makes me laugh thinking about this particular adventure. Not cruel but taking any joy I can from the situation. Well he needed his eyes testing. I am roped in as official driver. Be warned all of you children who used mum or dads taxi, it will come back to haunt you. Mum goes in, I take dad to hardware store. Bizarre conversations ensue. We had gone to buy a clock but it took 30 mins as I was trying to get him interested in things in the shop. This is the man who built supermarkets, homes and was a specialist in restoration. On this day he clung to the bird food stall , wide eyed obviously frightened. I kept checking back on him every few seconds. We bought a clock and some cake tin liners , he does like cake. Then we got to the opticians, maybe I am mean but I couldn't resist trying the display glasses on him. The shop had a display of sunglasses in the window. So Clem became Roy Orbisson, well cool, but he said he could not see. So I tried the biggest comedy frames on him. These are really good I can see everything, came the reply. I told him they had no lenses in. Of course they do , he just didn't realise they were plain glass. So as I tried lots of pairs on him, I also cleaned his usual glasses. Eventually I put his glasses back on. These are fabulous so much better, came the response. Then we had his test, his optician was fantastic . He does need new glasses. But given he can't tell the difference between his readers and long vision lenses we just bought one pair. I kept repeating the optician questions, he just said sometimes I examine and rely on results rather than opinion, in a very kind way that meant. LISTEN STOP YOU ARE NOT HELPING. He did get new glasses, very trendy ones which he would hate, but allow the rest of us to tell whether he is wearing readers or not. I suppose you had to be there, but trying fake glasses on a man with severe dementia was a highlight of the weekend.