Alright, I’m a 15 years old guy with myopia since I was a kid. In first grade I was already using glasses and it wasn’t until last year that I began using contact lenses. Anyway, using glasses haven’t been a problem, in a matter of school bullies or anything (not that I remember, at least). But to have a decadent sight did make some impact in myself, in my personality and my way to be.
Imagine a new-born child, growing up, seeing different things, learn from them, understanding the world step by step. The same child, going to school, going out with parents, traveling, and extend his own knowledge and perception of the world.
Now, imagine another child, who has myopia, with which even using glasses the child does not see everything as sharp as a “not-myopic” person. He would grow up as see what he has around, but with a limit. He would not see more that the guy sitting next to him, the girl walking by, the floor or even a wall if he’s close enough. I’m not saying he won’t see the rest; I’m saying he won’t see it well, he won’t recognize a friend in a crowd if he is far from them. But yet, he’ll see there’s a crowd of people ahead.
Now, the perception of the world to that kid will be just a bubble. He’s the center of that bubble, and everything inside that bubble he will see, and understand. Everything out, doesn’t exist; or at least it does, but metaphorically too far away to deserve attention.
He can make friends, he can interact with other people. But even then, he probably will choose not to. Why? Because it’s easier not to expand that bubble and try to concentrate on things that didn’t matter. It’s like a teenager when becoming an adult, he will need to understand a lot of things and pay attention to many thing that haven’t been so important, like saving money, work, and stronger personal relationships.
Now, what about kids with myopia who didn’t want to use glasses? Those kids will, also, make a bubble. What’s the difference? if the grade of myopia if high enough, the bubble won’t be see-through; the rest doesn’t exist. Will be like an asteroid in the space, wandering around until it crashes with something. But if the myopia is low, perhaps the bubble will not be strong enough. He will see everything (not as well as a “not-myopic” person…) but will not try to understand anything. Somehow relationships will matter less, because physically he will not see people different, not quite different, at least.
First of all, they will be more sociable, they will have more relations with others, but in my opinion, those relationships worth less than those from a myopic who uses glasses. The latter chose to see, to make the rest matter, to care. The former didn’t.
