I've had glasses since I was in fifth grade--originally I just needed them for when I was at the movies, or sitting in the back of the classroom, but in the 12 years since I got my first pair, I've progressed not only to needing them full-time, but to being entirely reliant on them. Without my glasses, I cannot function, because without them, I can't distinguish much of anything if it's more than a foot away. And let me be clear before I go too far--I don't mind my glasses. In fact I love them, and I love how I look with them, and I love what they do for me (help me see things). But glasses also suck.

If you don't have glasses, it's hard to describe how annoying they can be, but I'm going to give it my best shot. Here are some things myself and other people with glasses are tired of.

1. They're always dirty. Always.

Even after you've just spent 10 minutes rubbing circles over the lenses (you even used the special clothe from the eye-doctor), you'll put them back on your face and see that there's still a huge smudge across your field of vision. Honestly, when we do that we're just moving the dirt around, and we know it, but it makes us feel a little better to try. Beyond the dirt and dust of life, they're also super inconvenient during winter, because then they fog up near any hot drink, or whenever you come in from outside. They're also pretty prone to scratching, which theres nothing you can do about unless you replace your lenses, which can be expensive. So basically, while they help us see, we've really just learned to squint through the dust and fog with our fingers crossed.

2. They're very expensive.

Speaking of things costing money--glasses aren't cheap. And by aren't cheap, I mean your average pair of frames are normally anywhere between $90 to $400 dollars. That's just the frames, so then add in the cost of the appointment, the lenses (and any additives you might get like an extra protective coating), and other random expenses. If you've got insurance, most companies will cover a portion of it or they'll generally just say "we'll cover up to $300 total of the costs," which as I've said above, are great in number and size. So then you're stuck paying for the rest of it out of pocket, for something you need to function in society. This is a general problem with all medical things, though, varying from illnesses to disabilities, people have to pay way too much for medicine or items (such as glasses) that they need. Keep in mind, too, that people have to get new glasses on average every 1-2 years, so they have to break the bank every year or so to get a new prescription and frames. And finger's crossed that your glasses never break, because then you have to pay to get new frames, or have them repaired. It's pretty miserable.

3. "Oh my God, you're so blind!" and "Wait, how many fingers am I holding up?"

First, I think I can say for myself and everyone else with glasses--we know how bad our eyesight is. Thanks. It might surprise you, but we are aware. But also, we're privileged that our eyesight is not nearly as bad as it could be. When people take our glasses (most of the time without asking) and just try them on and then exclaim this, it's pretty disrespectful. Don't touch someone's stuff without asking, one, but also don't exclaim for the entire room to hear how bad our eyes are. And also, if you have 20/20 vision, you're not going to be able to see out of our glasses. The lenses work to correct our vision so even if it was someone with pretty good eyesight by glasses standards, you still wouldn't be able to see clearly through them. If you can, newsflash, you probably need glasses yourself. But in general, please stop taking our glasses and then acting surprised when you discover that we do in fact have poor eyesight (which is why we have the glasses who woulda thought?). Second, why does everyone think that this question makes any sense? I've been asked it more times than I can count in my life and I still don't understand. I have bad eyes, that means I can't see things that are far away (although again, everyone's eyes are different, so some people are near-sighted, some are far, some have astigmatism, or any other number of eye-related issues, etc) not that I can't see at all. Even without my glasses, I can still see forms--they're jsut fuzzy. I can still see your three fingers and tell that they're fingers, I just can't see the details of them. Unless you're standing across a room from me when I don't have my glasses (which is never) I will easily be able to tell how many fingers you're holding up. This "test" of sorts doesn't actually test anything, and it's just downright annoying. Beyond that, it makes me feel like I'm some kind of circus trick, with my poor vision becoming a game or something as a way for you to feel entertained and that's not okay.

4. "Why don't you just get contacts?" or "You'd look so pretty with contacts!"

I don't have contacts. I don't want contacts. That's a personal choice--some people love them, some people hate them, some people are ambivalent. Contacts can be really nifty, or they can be a hassle. Again, this is a personal thing, and unless someone has brought up the subject to you, it's kind of rude to ask or say these. Yeah, people with glasses complain about them, but contacts are the end-all solution to our sight problems. In fact, contacts can be super uncomfortable or inconvenient just as much as glasses. Like glasses, they've improved with time and new technologies, but they're not as amazing as people with 20/20 vision seem to think. That's not to say that they aren't useful, either, but like most things, there are pros and cons, and that's a decision only the person in question should make. Also, by commenting on our physical appearance, one it can be degrading, and two there's always that underlying message of "You're not pretty now," which sucks to hear. Even if you don't mean it that way, it still comes off like it. Be considerate to your friends and the choices they've made regarding their own body and eyesight. (This also applies to laser-eye surgery, so keep this in mind when talking about that, too).

5. You have to adjust them constantly.

By constantly, I mean every five minutes or less, depending on the person and the glasses. Even when they look fine, I still adjust them, because I'm so worried about how they fit. You will see me pushing up my glasses a lot, sometimes more than once within a span of 30 seconds. Others might not see a difference, but I can definitely feel it on my nose and ears. And yes, you can feel glasses on your face. They're light, but not that light; comfortable, but not always.

6. Losing your glasses.

As I've said, I wear my glasses full-time, which means I lose them a lot less now than I did way back when it was only part-time. However, I still lose them. The issue with losing your glasses is, they're very small and thing and when you can't see very well, they're hard to find. Especially in the dark, or in the early mornings when you accidentally knock them off your night-table and can't even see which way they fell. Other times I've lost them--when I fall asleep with them on, but wake up with them gone; when I'm reading something very up-close and need to take them off, and then I forget they're on the top of my head; when I put them back in the case for some reason and then can't remember where the case is because I never use it. And so on. It happens a lot more than you'd think, and it's absurdly hard to find them.

I know I've complained a lot here, but I do really love my glasses and what they do for me. But having glasses also really sucks. Picking frames that you like/that suit your face sucks. Paying for them sucks. All around, it's not a super fun experience, which is why when people tell me they wish they had glasses, or I see people with the fake "hipster" glasses, I'm really confused. I mean, why would you want them if you could avoid it? There some questions we just don't have answers to. However, I hope this was informative to those without glasses who for some reason idolize the experience, and that it was relatable to those who know my pain. I like being able to see, but glasses aren't exactly my favorite thing.