Seeing Things

     It's just one more sign that my age is advancing, much to my chagrin (and relief, I suppose).  Welcome to my world-of floaters.  I thought I was having a retina detachment recently when I began noticing flashing lights (not lightning, as I originally thought) and floaters that resemble many things, including cobwebs, in my field of vision.  I immediately scheduled an appointment with my optometrist, who examined me and recommended that I see a retina specialist.  Before I left, he told me about his floater, his one floater (I have many).  His resembles a fruit fly, and he finds himself batting at it-fruitlessly-because it's not a fruit fly.  My sister also has one-her's resembles a house fly.  A fly swatter had become her constant companion, and she was getting quite the upper arm workout, until one day her daughter asked her what she was after...  She was surprised, to say the least. 

     So I  visited the retina specialist, and after having my eyes poked, prodded, dilated, and photographed, he indicated that he didn't believe a tear or detachment was on my horizon.  He believes I have an age-related degeneration. (I'm somewhat grateful for that diagnosis.  A tear would have been worse.)  My youngest son had driven me to the doctor and accompanied me while I was examined.  I quickly realized that this is another blatant example of our increasing role reversals.  Now, in addition to helping me with my homework,  and acting as my personal IT Department when I am technologically challenged (which is often) my sons are taking turns transporting me to various doctor's appointments. Well, okay. Two.  But that's still two more than it used to be!

     So there is nothing to be done about my floaters, except to become accustomed to them.  On a recent drive home from work, I was certain a coyote had crossed my path, until I realized that my floater decided to dart from right to left.  I leaped out of my bed one evening when I spied a spider on my headboard. (You would be surprised at how high a woman two weeks shy of turning sixty can jump!)  But no-it was just one floater emerging from another floater, the one that resembles a cobweb.  This morning while driving to work, I thought I saw a shooting star in the distance-it wasn't. I guess that wish isn't coming true. This is the best one yet:  the one time I was sure there was a floater in my field of vision, and proceeded to ignore it-it actually turned out to be a gnat on my glasses.  I figured that out when he flew into my eye-the eye with the floaters.  What the fudge!?!?!?!