We live in an apartment complex that's in a cul-de-sac right off Shaw Ave. in Fresno, just a few blocks away from the Savemart Center (I've seen Michael Buble, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, David Crowder, etc., there)
This morning, as I was driving out of the apartment complex toward Shaw, I saw a Police SUV and thought "somebody is in trouble!"
Then I saw another Police car and thought "Ok, someone is really in trouble!"
As I got closer to Shaw and stopped behind a garbage truck and another car, I saw a third police car. And another one. That's when I knew this was something else. Several more drove by.
Then I saw a couple limos, two hearse, a couple more limos and several dozen motorcycle cops drive by. As the motorcycles drove by, I noticed there was one officer on a motorcycle in the left-hand turn lane directly in front of us who was saluting all these people while he blocked that left-hand turn lane.
Sometime around seeing the hearse and the man saluting these officers and hurting family members, I realized the hearse that drove by carried the two police officers who were killed in the line of duty last week in Kingsburg. (Read more about the accident here)
I just kept thinking how amazing it was to see this community of officers give their support and show their respect for these these two men who they probably considered their brothers.
It was an incredibly beautiful, calming moment that brought me to tears. I don't even know these men, but I am so glad I was there this morning. It was something I'll never forget.
Photo Credit: The Ksee24 News Facebook page
Please keep these officers, as well as the families of the fallen officers in your prayers.
Thank you Officer Juan Gonzalez and Officer Brian Law for your service.
A couple Saturdays ago, I went to the eye doctor for the first time in two years. To be honest, the only real reason I went was because I could tell my prescription was changing and my eyes were working overtime.
I went to Eye-Q, and everyone there was so nice and everything went quickly. Possibly because I was there at 8 a.m. on a Saturday, and really... who wants to willingly get up that early for a doctor's appointment? Either way, it was a pleasant experience!
Happy with my new glasses!
This pleasant experience probably centered around the fact that they have moved passed that terrible puff of air in the eye to check your eye pressure. Now if you've been to an eye appointment, you know the horror I am talking about. Instead, they put eye drops in your eyes that numb the eyeball. They then touch your eye with some tiny thing and since your eyes are numb, you don't feel anything. While my eyes felt a little swollen and gooey afterward for a few minutes, I'd much rather have that than the puff of air.
This got me to thinking of some things that people who don't have to wear corrective lenses probably take for granted.
1) Seeing in the shower
I've never been able to see clearly in the shower and I never will. Everything is blurry.
Hmm... I see there's a little black/dark blue/brown thing at the bottom of the shower. It might be a piece of fuzz or lint, but it also might be a spider. I'm not going to get close enough to find out so I grab the shower head and kindly help that most-likely-spider make its way down the drain.
2) Being able to buy/wear sunglasses anytime
I've never actually owned sunglasses. I can't go to Target and pick out a random pair that I like to wear. I can't buy an expensive pair of sunglasses from some name brand store. If I buy a pair of sunglasses, I have to have them with my prescription, you know, unless I want to wear sunglasses over my regular glasses. Insurance doesn't actually cover sunglasses, so it would have to come out of my pocket.
3) Not having a frame around everything you see
I'm so used to it now that I don't even realize it. Sometimes I think how nice it would be to wear contacts so I don't have to see my frames in everything I look at, then I think "naahhh..."
4) Enjoy standing and/or walking in the rain
Now, don't get me wrong. I do love the rain. Sometimes though, it's annoying to walk into because my glasses get raindrops on them. It's even worse when I'm shopping in an outdoor mall or in a large shopping center, because then every time I go in and out of a store, I have to clean my glasses off. I often jokingly say how nice it would be to have windshield wipers for my glasses. Maybe it's time to turn that joke into a reality.
5) Going to 3-D movies
For some reason, 3-D movies all all the rage. I usually avoid them if it wasn't recommended that a certain movie must be seen in 3-D. Now, if I didn't have to put the 3-D glasses over my glasses, it might not be so bad. Soooo... when I go movies I actually have six eyes. Pretty sure that's alien status right there.
6) Not having to worry about losing or breaking the thing that allows to you see
Just yesterday morning I went to grab my glasses off my nightstand and I accidentally knocked them off. This is a weekly occurrence. So, there I am in my dark room, looking for glasses that I could really use to actually find the glasses. It's a tangled web where there's no winning.
Five years ago, right after I moved to Fresno, I was in my room and noticed there was a smudge on my glasses. I took off my glasses and as I was using my shirt to clean them off, they snapped in half. I still don't even know how that happened, but it was terrifying! I tried taping them together but that didn't work. I couldn't even drive anywhere to get new glasses. I had to wait for Sam to be available that day and find a place where I could get glasses that same day for a decent price. Luckily, Lens Crafters was able to help me, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't panicking.
I used to hate wearing glasses and would avoid them unless I absolutely needed to wear them. Then one day in college I had this epiphany... "I like seeing!" That's when I started wearing them all the time. I even had fewer headaches which was a huge plus.
I got my new fancy specs from Warby Parker in the mail Tuesday. They were wonderful to work with. If you're looking for new glasses, I'd definitely suggest you check them out first.
My glasses are now to me what Linus' blanket is to him.
And now... for your viewing pleasure... Johnny Nash...
