The Eyes Have It

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When I was a little girl, I never fit in with the popular crowd. My sister Sandy was ten years older and Eleanor six years older. They didn't give me the sibling support that they gave each other which made me something of a loner. There were other reasons of course. I was skinny and wore glasses from the age of two. My right eye turned in every other day which was something of a surprise to the many ophthalmologists my parents sought out. My mother could plan photography day for me weeks ahead, knowing which day my eyes would be straight.

Finally, around my seventh birthday, Dr. Theodore Zekman agreed to operate and fixed that problem. But it was too late to stop the taunts from other children. I heard "four eyes" and "crazy eye" from other children which fostered caution in me. And a self image that has stayed with me, regardless of the facts. Childhood is a powerful experience that needs to be respected.

A few weeks ago, I visited the nearby eye clinic to get the lenses in my glasses upgraded. Having had my cataracts removed several years ago and my eyesight improved to 20/20 at that time, I haven't needed glasses until now and only for reading. The first thing the optician said to me was, "You have beautiful eyes." Really, I thought? Of course I do look in the mirror and see the color and the shape, but I've never thought of them as beautiful. Those childhood taunts live on forever. 

Preschool and Head Start did not exist when I was a child. Perhaps if it had been available, an adult would have stepped in to stop the taunts and help the children accept differences. I read this morning that this valuable program may be slashed for no other insignificant reason than funding. To me, nothing is more important than providing every child with a positive experience for both the tauntees and the tauntors. It's those early years than make the difference in the way we view ourselves and others. Please make sure that whoever you support and vote for knows how important Head Start is for the millions of children who live in this country. Their commitment to maintaining this vital program is essential.

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