Sunday Afternoon - 16th March 2019 - New Tyres, New Sight

I enjoy travelling on the 100km per hour speed limit M4 coastal road to Durban.  BUT I needed four new tyres for my car.  I have been putting off getting new tyres… and putting it off since November last year.   My story is… “I don’t travel much… and I want to wait until the roadworks at the Temple site are done – I’ve had three punctures since I have been here.”

My spectacles that I loved went ‘missing’ about two years ago.  I have been using my three spare pairs since then.  I look forward to new spectacles after my eyes settle post-cataract-operations… 

I made a deal with myself a few weeks ago – I would not travel on the M4 (for safety reasons) and I would not let myself get new spectacles until I got new tyres for my car.

I let myself down the first week.  I let myself down the second week. 

Why would I do that?!  That’s just not like me! 

I realized it’s because I don’t know enough about tyres to know wat would be a good enough deal. 

I asked Glenn if he would do it for me.  He agreed to do it “on Monday.”  On Monday I had not cleared out the inside of my car (to remove temptation…)… I tried to stall to Tuesday.  Glenn was insistent that it be done “today” when I got to the site.  Fortunately, I had shopping bags in the car.  I sheepishly cleared the inside of the car into the bags.  We put them in the boot.  He took my car.  I am so glad to have four new tyres!   I am very grateful to Glenn.  He helps me do some things that are hard for me, and sometimes things that are very hard for me.

And I enjoy flying along the M4 now!  And I will get my new spectacles soon – when I am finished my prescription eye drops – probably a week to go – it’s eight and seven weeks since my cataract operations.   I’m grateful to see distance clearly…

The first day after the first operation I saw brilliantly.  The second day I woke up with like pitch black salt sprinkled in my eye.  Swirling like a flock of swallows…  Most distressing.  I went back to the specialist.  He said “Just keep using the eye drops.”  I wondered if my op was one of the few cataract ops that go wrong…  I wondered whether I should have the second eye done… I decided to risk it.  No problem with the second eye.  The black ‘like salt sprinkles’ transformed into ‘like fruit flies’ in my eye.  Most unnerving.  But, I could still see brilliantly beyond them.  I decided if it never cleared, at least I could see sparklingly.  The ‘miggies’ faded after about five weeks.  I am very grateful!

So – now I am ready for my new glasses.  I look forward to getting them! I will get multi-focals again – so that I can read easily wherever I am when I am out and about.  I can see well distantly – but still better with my existing specs, because I have astigmatism, I think.  I use +2 readers now, and my previous two pairs of reading specs – one at home, one at the site, one beside my bed and one other pair.  So I am sorted for reading only specs – which are much more comfortable than multi-focals when I am reading only, especially for extended periods of time.

I feel very fortunate every day of my life.  I am here.  I am me.  I can see.   And now – I have four new tyres, I will soon have new spectacles, the ‘miggies’ are gone…  Each new day is a blessing, filled with fresh opportunities for loving,  serving, discovery and delight.