I have worn glasses since… I want to say 12 or 13 years of age. At the latest, I would have been 14. They are such a… non-entity? A natural element? I don’t know how to describe what glasses are to me. They are an everyday part of my life, something I do not think of, save for the odd occasion where I have an eye test, and may possibly end up with a subtle shift in my prescription. At my age, my eyes are unlikely to change much, barring anything drastic, so a change of glasses is usually down to wear and tear.

You may ask ‘Ben, have you ever considered contact lenses?’ The answer is a resounding no. I do not fancy poking myself in the eyes every morning, the whole process is just too unpleasant to me. Things getting close to my eye? No thank you.

There is a third option when it comes to sight, namely laser surgery, but that’s horrifically expensive, and it is said that the impact of it wears off over time. Besides, the glasses help to disguise the dark circles under my eyes! I think I look weird without glasses, and in many respects, they are a part of me.