My 40-Year-Old Sunglasses

(The case for the sunglasses reads as follows)

U.S.

SUN GLASSES MIL-S-475D

ROCHESTER OPTICAL MFG. CO. INC.

1974

DSA 120-74-C-0608

Inexpensive sunglasses are as available nowadays as they are easy to break.  During the past few years, the quality of them has gotten even worse and “durable” is not a word I would use to describe them.  Just when I was about to order out some expensive sunglasses, I remembered that I had a box full of military surplus, late Vietnam era sunglasses somewhere in my larder, purchased in bulk from Cheaper Than Dirt years ago for around $1 each IIRC.  I mangled the first one I tried on with my crude adjustment attempts because it was so askew it would not come close to fitting my Mr. Potatohead face; it was scrapped.  The second one I succeeded in getting comfortable enough to live with, but it had a noticeable distortion in the lens right in the center of the field of view; still, it was “good enough” and lasted over a year before one of the temples broke off.  The one in the photo is my third one out of the box and I hope it lasts as long as the previous one did.  The box still holds enough of the military surplus sunglasses to last me a few more years if all goes well.  My eyes have had a lifelong painful sensitivity to sunlight, even on overcast days.  Rare is the moment that I am outside sans sunglasses.