Monday, October 13, 2008

When There is No Right Answer

I was one of those kids who tested really well in school, and took great pride in doing so. The main factor in my success was a strong desire to do well, which meant being right.

That can be a detrimental trait in real life. Not that I can't admit to being wrong about something, or that I have problems with being wrong. I take great pains to admit when I'm wrong so that when I insist that I'm right, it has more weight. :)

No, there are other ways that my need to be right has potential to be problematic. Like taking a medical questionnaire. There are no right answers on there! But I feel like "yes" answers are wrong. I have to consciously consider my reality before answering certain things.

It's more of a problem at the eye doctor. You know the eye chart. You have to read progressively smaller lines of letters and numbers, and then she flips and spins lenses asking which is better, one or two, A or B. I squint at those little lines, and blinky-blinky forever, trying so hard to guess right.

This is stupid in two ways. First, she never tells me if I'm right or wrong. I noticed this when Number One was having her eyes checked, and I could clearly see the letters projected. When she said O instead of C, or Z instead of 2, the doc said "okay" or never told her what they actually were. So my need to be right will never be satisfied, because she won't tell me if I'm wrong!

The other way this is bad is, of course, because I'm not being tested on my ability to be right. I'm trying to get a pair of expensive contacts that correct my vision effectively, and being right but not really seeing what I'm being right about...well, that would make me wrong.

So there you have it. One of my rarely revealed flaws. Don't gloat too much. :)

7 comments:

Vicky B said...

You? Not right? That's just... not right. :)

But we love you anyway. Flaws and all.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

LOL. Thanks! Love you, too. :)

Anonymous said...

LOL! I have the same problem with eye tests. It's, "Well, doctor, the first example looks fuzzy at the top and the second example looks fuzzy at the bottom. Can't you find me a prescription that looks great ALL THE WAY THROUGH?"

Apparently not. I'm getting fitted for bifocal contacts in 3 weeks (when my current supply of lenses runs out). Not sure how well they'll work for me, but eyes are PISSING ME OFF!

Anonymous said...

MY eyes are pissing me off. I think your eyes are lovely.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

LOL. Thank you!

I'm heading that way, myself. I told the eye doctor that I noticed that when my contacts are out, I can get really close to the mirror, like to clear sleepy sand and stuff, but once they're in, I can't. I asked if that was the lens hardening with age thing, and she said yes, but then told me my current prescription is too strong (first time in 32 years I've heard that!). So I'm hoping that's the problem right now, and instead of five years before I need bifocals, I have closer to 10. :)

Anonymous said...

Natalie, I've worn reading glasses over my contacts for 2 or 3 years now. Of course, I'm much older than you...

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Not very!