I think it might be time for me to get new glasses. It’s not because they’re broken (though I’ve dropped them so many times, I’m not sure how this is possible). I think I need some kind of prescription adjustment because I am convinced I am losing the ability to see depth.
My depth perception has always been a little off. I really can never accurately tell how close or far away something is. This becomes painfully obvious if I am sitting passenger in your car. I totally imaginary break and do the Mom arm-across-your-chest-move ALL THE DAMN TIME. Meanwhile the driver is like “Jenny, for the love of God shut up. That truck is like 4 blocks away.”
Or if I’m driving I usually get “Uh, Jenny. I’d really prefer NOT to get a nice case of whiplash today. Could you please stop before you hit that car that is, oh, 6 inches from your front bumper?” I always stop in time. The only car accident I’ve ever been in, some jerkface rearended ME.
But that’s not to say that my depth perception (or rather lack thereof) is leaving me uninjured.
Lately, I have been completely misjudging everything. Mostly at work when reaching for the banister to walk up to the second floor or the one down to Au Bon. I don’t know if it’s the new building (Hi, I’ve been working here since May, I don’t really think that is an excuse anymore) or what, but I am continuously banging my hand, my thumb, and my wrist.
Luckily I walk down stairs on the right side and reach the banister with my (incompetent) right hand — I am lefty to a dibilitating degree so my right hand can get as banged up as it wants to – but seriously… OW.
I can’t imagine what that looks like to a person with normal depth perception. Especially building regulars who see me do this all the time. “C’mon Jenny. You can do it. It’s right there, 4 inches away from your hand.” And Jenny sees the banister a foot away, goes for the reach, and destroys her hand for the one billionth time.
Dear Blog Friends:
Does anyone else have a weird depth perception issue? Can a different perscription even fix this or am I doomed to be covered in small hand bruises for the rest of my days? Help me.
~ Bruised in Boston
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I have that sometimes when I switch from contacts to glasses- the difference in the way they feel makes things seem REALLY different at first. I also have that kind of problem when I’m thinking about something while walking, grabbing railings, or closing doors. Whatever is on my mind becomes more interesting than my surroundings, and my auto-pilot is not always reliable. As a result, today I am with a massively sore elbow from mis-judging a car door a few days ago. I’m also a lefty, which has been an alternative suggested to me as a reason for occasional clumsiness in this right-handed world. The righties that build things are out to get us because they know we fall on the smart end of the intelligence bell curve :-)
“The righties that build things are out to get us because they know we fall on the smart end of the intelligence bell curve :-) ”
I like the way you think.
I don’t wear contacts, so I don’t have the switching problem. But I did hit my hand walking to get an iced coffee this morning. Not 10 minutes after I wrote this entry. I literally yelled after I did it “Really?! I JUST wrote about this!!”
I think the building people are scared of me. I talk to myself way too often.
that sounds strange. i’ve never experienced anything like that, i think. unless you count the difficulties i seem to have after too much gin&tonic… i hope you can get it figured out. maybe your just clumsy and it’s nothing serious? :)
PS: i think you don’t ever need a real reason to get new, fun glasses anyway.
you know i meant to say “you’re just clumsy…” and i’m not trying to “slang” or anything.
marge: i think somethings wrong with bart…
homer: new glasses?
marge (angrily): no, something else…
homer: ‘probably misses his old glasses.
HAHAHAHAHAH!!!
My brother is blind in his left eye. That leads to some depth perception issues (namely, zero depth perception). I always cringe when he asks to borrow my car.
Well, no, but whenever I’m in the car with him it’s a cringe fest. “Brake. Brake….Brake, brake, brak- BRAKE BRAKE BRAKE!!!”
So, maybe get that eyesight checked. Maybe it’s not that you have really bad depth perception with two eyes, but relatively good depth perception with one eye.
-t
Jenny, I have HORRIBLE depth perception, so I completely understand where you’re coming from. The problem is fixed with my glasses, but not my contact prescription. I have the opposite problem than you though, I think things are farther away than they are, and therefore i am CONSTANTLY banging into chairs/tables/whatever. My legs and hips are in turn, bruised to hell at all times.
So yes, a new prescription is probably in order for you, my friend!