When I was in first grade, I got my first pair of glasses. We’re talking MASSIVE Harry Potter-looking glasses.
And thus began a decade+ of awkward years.
In 6th grade, I got my first pair of contact lenses. Just so I could look normal.
All throughout school, my contact lenses allowed me to do anything that any other kid could do. My eyes got worse and my prescription got stronger (no joke – these things are ridiculous) but my day-to-day life didn’t differ much from anyone else.
And yet every morning when I wake up, I am almost completely blind. The absolute first thing I do if it’s not putting my contacts in, is to put on my glasses on.
In another life, another time in the history of humankind, I would be a complete invalid. I would not be able to contribute to society, and in even earlier times, I wouldn’t have even been able to survive!
And now, at the risk of not sounding humble, with that even playing field, I am able to provide some cool stuff to the world. I can’t even imagine what tools we’ll continue to develop to allow folks to live a full life and contribute in ways never before possible.