I lost my glasses.
There is cosmic permission, for I’m sixty-two. No worry about Alzheimer's, only my driving.
I stopped by the optometrist's office that same day.
While cheaper than a Google Car, I wasn’t happy with the bill. Of course, my prescription had expired – so an eye exam. New glasses were almost $350. On autopilot (perhaps because I couldn’t see very well), I simply did the routine.
Two-and-a-half years ago when last there, my more-significant-than-I-am other insisted on accompanying me. I would pick out goofy-looking big plastic frames, she would make sure I got new, groovy ones: small, thin, rectangular, metal. I checked around, checked the stars on all the TV shows, and had to admit that the grooviest of the groovy were wearing those.
This time I grabbed a similar frame, a bit bigger and slightly rounded, so I would get in trouble but not too much trouble.
A few days later, just out of curiosity, I searched for a hip eyewear outfit I’d heard about: Warby Parker. It was quite a shock. Now my favorite kinds of glasses, goofy-looking big plastic ones, are the grooviest of the groovies. I was groovy before they were, but wasn’t allowed to be.
With my new thin, metal, slightly rounded glasses, I’m hopelessly old-fashioned – until I lose them, which might be soon since I have cosmic permission: I’m sixty-two.
Warby Parker is a welcomed phenomenon. While not in their target group, I appreciate the business model, the copywriting on the site (A modern update of an old stalwart, the Percey is a trimmer, subtler take on the glasses worn by Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird"), the Monty Python-esque TV spot:
Apparently, WP is taking on the big guys. And advising some big folks. And doing good deeds.
Baby Boomers and older would eat this stuff up, along with appreciating the styles and prices.
