Looking at Life Through New Lenses

Technology is pretty damned amazing.  It’s a shame it isn’t all used for the betterment of mankind; but that’s a discussion for another time.

On July 3^rd I had surgery on both eyes for cataracts.  In other words, I had my old lenses removed from my eyes and new acrylic lenses inserted.

While I was awake.

I’ve seen videos on the procedure; I experienced the procedure firsthand; and I still have no idea how they manage to do it so seamlessly, like replacing tires on a ’48 Chevy, in and out, pay the cashier, please, and thank you very much.

“Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears, without crying
Now I want to understand
I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hidin’
You must help me if you can”

“Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise
To leave them open for so long?”

My thanks to Jackson Browne for those timely lyrics.

This is where I wax philosophical, so buckle up and keep your arms and legs inside the machine.

There is so much we take for granted. I do not say that to be harsh or accusatory. I really believe it is true of us all.  The wonders which surround us are countless, but so many of us do not see, or do not take the time to see, or are unwilling to see.

One hundred million receptors in your eyes enable you to enjoy the magic of a leaf, a snowflake, a pond, an eagle, a child, a cloud, a star, a rose, a rainbow … and the look of love.

The human eye can differentiate between ten million colors, and it is believed capable of detecting a single photon.

Think about that for a moment.

And yet, we see what we want to see and disregard the rest, thank you Simon and Garfunkel.

Consider, for a moment, how unreliable eye-witness reports are in the aftermath of a crime.  Five people can see the same crime taking place and yes, hours afterwards, when questioned by the police, their reports of that crime vary wildly.

The human eye sends signals to the brain and that’s where it all gets mired in gobbly gook. The brain, a magnificent organ in its own right, is strongly affected by our DNA, but also by the experiences and emotions and psychological detritus accumulated over years of living. Thus, we do not simply see, but we see filtered through the lenses of our lifetime.

Back to my recent operation.  My old lenses were clouded, they would not allow enough light to reach the retina, and so my vision and the way I perceived my physical world, was clouded as well.  No problem for today’s doctors and the technology they use.  My doctor simply inserted some instrument into the side of my eyeball, broke up my old lens using ultra-sound, sucked it out, and then inserted a new, acrylic lens, which unfurled and slid into the space vacated by the old lens.

Easy peasy!

All of that to say I can see clearly now, the haze is gone, sing the old song with me, meaning what images enter my retina, and are transmitted to my brain, are crystal clear and accurate.

How I perceive those images, however, and how I translate them, well, that’s another story all together.

Just the ramblings of an old man. Pay me no attention.