Mirror mirror on the wall......

Pic. Mirror of dreams (Lanark Glass)

Being blind I've no idea what I look like. Up until my thirties I had a little vision. If I pressed my nose up against a mirror – I could just about make out, well... a nose. If I put my photograph under a very strong magnifier, I could pick out more. Hazelnut coloured curly hair, blue eyes, pale smooth skin and square jaw line. I had a reasonable idea of my appearance.

Now that I'm in my forties, and I've no vision, I no longer have any idea of what I look like. I still have the same image of myself that I had ten years ago. Of course to this there are pros and cons.

A friend of mine is even luckier. He is also in his forties and he went blind in his late teens. In his imagination he is for ever youthful and punky. When it was his round at the bar recently, he wondered if he would get served, due to his youthful looks. The words 'delusional, hopeful and skinflint’ came to mind!

I feel so sorry for you sighted folks. Every day you are reminded in the mirror that you are ageing. Hair going slowly grey, a few more laughter lines around the eyes. You spend your hard-earned cash on potions and formulas to fix your youth to your face.

       However, I am still thinking that I am in my 30-something prime. 

Pic. of magnifying glass

Then the spell was shattered. Sighted people just have to spoil it for us, don't you?

This week my partner was reading out an article from a woman's magazine. It was all about how some celebratory had just had a face lift to stop them looking saggy. "What do you think of that"? she asked me. "There's no way I would get anything like that done. After all, it's not necessary."

Silence. She started off slowly,"Well, You could get a little tuck around your eyes. Plus perhaps a little work on your chin. Oh yes, um, and your ears." She started to gather pace; to my horror the list of remedial work I required was getting longer and longer. I was stunned. Oh my God, what kind of state was I in? Clearly she's just saying these things to wind me up.

The difficulty was I couldn't go and confirm this. I only had her word on how my face was coping with the ageing process. My friend and I used go to the pub looking like Robert Redford and Brad Pit. Now we must look like Shrek and his ugly younger brother.