There are two (let’s say ‘funny’) things that people have argued with me about throughout my life: the first is that my twin brother and I could be identical instead of fraternal, and that women cannot be color-blind. I won’t bore you with statistics and research (which I find fascinating because I’m a nerd), but it is possible and I am proof. I am red/green colorblind and I am female. What’s even more interesting is that I share this flaw with my twin brother – although it’s hard to tell who has it worse.
I can see red, and I can see green when they are primary colors, but it’s the different shades I cannot identify. I cannot tell the difference between navy blue and purple because of the shades of red. Once I picked out a Mauve nail color (according to the label) only to be teased by my daughter for having orange fingernails! Thank goodness I have had nail techs over the years who didn’t mind picking for me. 😊 Once, my ex husband and I were picking out a new Tahoe and as we walked through the lot at all the different color options available, I chose tan – because it was the only one I could differentiate from the rest! The hunter green, navy, and black looked too close to call. I have also been known to wear clothes that don’t match, but my daughter helps me to coordinate and group them in my closet.
Christmas is a time for miracles, and my kids surprised me with one this year! “We have to go outside and set things up, so don’t peak out the window!” they said. I absolutely LOVE good surprises, so I wouldn’t have dreamed of looking! My curiosity and excitement were peaking and my inner child was giddy. After about 15 minutes, which felt like forever, they returned and told me to put on my coat because we had to walk over to the water.
“Is it a puppy!?!” I said, jumping up and down enthusiastically. I love dogs and want a puppy, but I also don’t want a puppy, if that makes sense. They just smiled and said “you’ll see”.
As we walked down the path toward the inlet, I thought that it must have something to do with the water, such as a new kayak, although it would be hard for me to replace my hot pink one. “Is it a sailboat?” I asked, half teasingly. Again, they replied “you’ll see”.
When we got close to the water, I saw a bouquet of brightly colored helium balloons with the word “Enchroma” on them. I didn’t get it! Standing there, totally confused, my son handed me a small box. I ripped through the paper to find the word “Enchroma” on the box and a pair of glasses inside. My wonderful kids had gotten me a pair of color-blind glasses – with both of my prescriptions built in! (distance and reading) I had heard about them a few years ago – I have never been so surprised in my life!
When I first put them on, I didn’t notice a real difference besides the tint, but my eyes were reacting crazy! Apparently, these glasses were forcing my eyes and my brain to process information differently than I had my whole life and I felt it. (The instructions say that it could take a few hours for your eyes to adjust.) I felt bad, with the camera rolling, and tried really hard to see a major difference, but it wasn’t happening – until we reached the front door, ready to go inside. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed, stunned as I looked at the copper sun that lives on the wall, greeting visitors. “The rays coming off the sun have different colored stripes! I thought the whole thing was the same color!”
Since then, I have worn them on my walks and bike rides, seeing my world a lot differently. One day, I actually saw a turquoise colored car that I had always thought was gray and thought “what an ugly color!”, laughing out loud at myself. With the progressive lenses, it has taken a while to get used to and I finally wore them while driving. I could not believe some of the things I saw! Some of the street signs I thought were a dull yellow were actually orange! It is amazing.
I remember my mom, whenever I see something new. She had been hard of hearing her whole life and had never had luck with hearing aids until she was in her 50’s. I was out in the yard standing with her when she heard her first bird singing. She was so awestruck by the beauty of it, we both cried. To give someone the gift of sound or color is absolutely life changing. Thank you so much Michelle and Andy for a most memorable and cherished gift.