Can you say BROKE?
But after about a year, several things changed. Among the changes: my eyesight, which got better for distance and worse for reading, and my memory, which never gets better. Thus it was that I stopped wearing my contacts and instead stocked up on reading glasses from the Dollar Store. (Hey, I'd already shot my financial wad on all that other stuff.) Sadly, however, since my memory seemed as fickle as my hormones and the weather, I could never remember where I left them, which turned out to be never where I was when I needed them. The more glasses I bought, the more I misplaced. Not even wearing my pre-contact lens trifocal glasses on a chain around my neck helped, since a) I could no longer see well with them, and b) I spilled food into them when they dangled around my neck, and looking through chunks of chicken, crumbs and tiny wads of dip is not pleasant. So I'd take them off, and then couldn't remember where they were, either. And I know what you're thinking, "Hey, just follow the line of ants!"
Thus it was that I recently decided it was time to dig out my remaining supply of contacts and give them another try. But alas, the distance correction made me see worse than without it, and a reading lens in only one eye no longer did the trick. Just for kicks (and because I'm a spontaneous cowgirl at heart), I decided to skip the distance lens, and try the reading lens in the opposite eye (my eyes have never "seen" the same), which used to wear the distance correction. (Staying with me?)
BINGO! Not perfect, but serviceable! I could quit looking for glasses, use up at least half of my remaining contact inventory, manage to read okay, and see distance quite well! Oh, I am so clever! (Yes, I know I need to get my eyes rechecked, and I will. Just not yet.)
The Caveat: I still had to put on a pair of Dollar Store reading glasses to see if I had the contact lens right side up before inserting it into my eye. And to find it when I missed my eye and it went "somewhere." And at the end of the day when my eyes were tired of wearing the contact. But I managed to keep the entire assembly together in a zip-top bag. Brilliant.
That is until one morning.
I was on the road and therefore traveling with a little unmarked plastic travel container (which I bought and loaded myself) of Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser (aka Albolene Cream) to cleanse and moisturize my face. For those of you not in the know, Albolene Cream is about the color and consistency of Vicks VapoRub, which I also travel with, and of late, I've taken to storing it in an unmarked plastic travel container too. (See the windup?) However, unlike Vicks, Albolene Cream is odorless. It melts to the warmth of your fingers, and even removes eye makeup very well. (Get ready for the knock-down pitch.) It leaves skin moist, which is a huge benefit during travel since airlines and hotel rooms are crackling dry. I've been using it since high school when my grandmother told me that her great niece, who was a dancer and actress, swore by it. What a testimony!
[NOTE: I just went onto the Internet to make sure I spelled Albolene correctly (which I hadn't) and discovered this EXACT SAME PRODUCT is sold to athletes for a completely different purpose. "A liquifying cream that opens pores causing the body to sweat more quicker and easier. An ideal training aid that is a must for all athletes. Available in 6 oz. and 12 oz. sizes." Who knew? I'm guessing, however, that just smearing it on won't cause me to sweat and lose weight. I bet I'd have to actually do something. Whatever.]
I don't always use Albolene Cream to remove my makeup, but it's the easiest to travel with since it doesn't spill or leak. Occasionally I use it as a straight-away moisturizer, too. It's wonderful on dry legs and dry lips, and therefore serves multi-purpose duty, a huge plus when packing a carry-on bag for the airlines.
Early this fateful traveling morning, I put my dollar glasses on in order to insert my contact lens, then readied to give my face a quick morning cleanse. Sadly, and yet once again, without "minding" my face before retiring the night before, I'd oh-so-wearily flung myself into bed like a spent rag. Time to get yesterday's beautification applications removed before slapping on some new ones.
Yes, I KNOW you shouldn't wash your face after inserting your contacts (risk of contamination, so I've read), but how are you supposed to SEE what you're doing if you don't?! Then again, in this case, even though I could see (but obviously not smell) because I did insert the lens, apparently my brain was off duty, because I grabbed the wrong plastic travel container, quickly scooped up a giant two-fingered dollop and began smearing it all over my face, including across my eyes to remove the day-old mascara.
I adore Vicks VapoRub. You can click here to learn the warm fuzzy reasons (seriously) why I travel with it. But let me just clarify that I do not recommend smearing it all over your face, and then across your eyes and eyelashes. Ever. But especially if you are wearing a contact lens, and especially when you are wearing that contact lens in the "opposite" eye as it was prescribed because you fancy yourself a spontaneous cowgirl since obviously, you are not. You are a dumb, suddenly blinded ditz-head who now can't even open your eyes to do anything!
Wasted contact. Much time spent trying to Braille my way to the other plastic travel jar containing Albolene Cream. Many hand washes to rid my fingertips of Vicks remnants so I could then stick said fingertips into my burning eye to remove the burning contact. MUCH wasted water while flushing, flushing the eyes. Soap. More water. More rinsing. Blinking. Crying. Blinking. More rinsing. Bad words. Strings of them. Just writing about it makes me blush, and causes me to start blinking again. I bet you're doing the same just imagining the vapors oozing into your eyes.
FINAL OUTCOME: What remained of my face did not appear one ounce beautified, not even after several rounds of makeup. From what I could tell, my eyes looked like two glasses of tomato juice with black olives floating in the middle of them. I could not even think about sticking a fresh contact into either one of them. I could barely think at all.
This incident got me pondering what else I skip (like going to bed without washing my face) and hurry (swiping my fingers into the first available container), all in the name of beautification? And if I consider--and believe--that beauty is only skin deep, what immeasurable and yet Most Important elements might I be skipping or hurrying in order to harbor beauty within my soul?
Have I meditated on God while packing a carry-on of peace and good will? Have I listened, really listened lately to those whom I love, or to beautiful music that upshifts my very core? When was the last time I lavishly slathered more than my skin with the cleansing waters of . . . love, utter truth, or the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4)?
And what about you?
Take a moment right here and now to pause and drink in a gulp of beauty that will edify your Spirit. Write a memo to yourself to feed those layers of human kindness that reside below the outer covering, whether for yourself those around you. Certainly these "beautifications" are way more important than shuffling through the latest lip glosses at Walgreens (man, I can spend hours doing that!), or pondering Botox injections, or getting your "colors" done. A clashing soul will trigger way more negativity than pale yellow against olive skin.
In conclusion, again I say Happy SPRING! But more importantly, Happy Springing Into LIFE! May you arm yourself with all that really matters, no matter how deep into yourself you have to dig to do it.
If you know someone who could use this message, please
Last week when I was in KY and TN, the splendiferous red bud trees were blooming -- and yes, 
