I had my eyes dilated yesterday. Nothing big. Just a routine check up.

The entire appointment took about 45 minutes or so. And, yes, I am still myopic. The doctor confirmed this by asking me to read the smallest line on the chart while he held my glasses hostage. I think my response was something like, “Wait? There are letters up there? Because I see a frog. Don’t suppose ‘frog’ is a letter, huh?”

Fortunately, though, my eyesight hasn’t changed much since my last appointment, and I’ve been given another pass until 2010. And, no. I do not have to wear my glasses all the time, Melissa (and the rest of you nonbelievers)! Just in the car and while watching foreign films with subtitles. And, no, Trevor. TV shows, like HEROES, do not count as "foreign film" (love you!).

Once the appointment was over, I drove down to Luke’s Locker to pick up our t-shirts and numbers for Thursday’s Turkey Trot. Apparently, the fact that my eyes were dilated was alarming for some of the volunteers. I actually overheard two of them discussing the size of my pupils, to which I responded, “Yeah, I had my eyes dilated today. But I’m fine. Really. Just a tad sensitive to all the light.” They must have thought I was on drugs or something, because they seemed VERY relieved after I announced this. And helpful, too (they jumped right on the whole finding-my-bib thing).

As I turned to leave, however, one of the volunteers turned and asked, “You’re not driving, are you?” When I gave her an odd look, she quickly followed up with, “I mean, with your eyes like that? It’s not safe!”

I lied and told her that I had someone waiting for me in a car downstairs. When she looked at me suspiciously, I quickly added something about how there were no parking spaces in the lot (very true. Parking at Luke’s Locker on Oak Lawn is HARD. I just happened to arrive as someone else was leaving, otherwise I would have been circling for ages), so I volunteered to run inside and pick things up while my “driver” drove in circles. Luckily, the overly concerned Turkey Trot volunteer seemed to buy this story, and let me leave without any further questions.

Granted, it was uncomfortable to drive with all the late afternoon sunlight in my eyes, but I don’t think I was impaired. And the eye doctor didn’t say I couldn’t drive. He only seemed concerned with whether or not I had sunglasses in my car. Which I did. So what if I had to wear two pairs of sunglasses to drive yesterday afternoon (yes, TWO pairs. I was quite the sight!)? And I wouldn’t have needed them both if I had not been driving in the direction of the setting sun.

Anyway, suddenly concerned about whether or not I should be driving, I left Luke’s Locker and proceeded to drive back towards my house. Along the way, I passed the grocery store and decided to run inside to grab food for dinner. While inside, I ran into my next door neighbor and stopped briefly to chat.

Mrs. Toolson: “What is wrong with your eyes?”

Me: “Oh, nothing. I just had them dilated this afternoon during a routine eye exam.”

Mrs. Toolson: “Well, did Trevor drive you?”

Me: “No, I drove myself...”

Mrs. Toolson: “[Interrupting and looking horrified] You did WHAT?!”

Me: “I drove. It’s no big deal. The doctor never told me I needed a driver or anything. Everything is just a little brighter than usual, but I have sunglasses in the car…”

Mrs. Toolson: “[Interrupting again] I always thought you were more responsible than that. You shouldn’t be driving!”

Me: “Um, okay. I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I’m heading home after I check out.”

Mrs. Toolson: “Well, I should hope so!”

Seriously? Was I really not supposed to drive home afterwards? And, if so, why did no one tell me that I needed a driver? The doctor never said anything! Plus, it wasn’t like this was my first time having my eyes dilated. And – with the exception of the time I had my eyes dilated in middle school – I’m pretty sure I’ve always driven myself to and from such appointments.

Anyway, I tried to discuss this with Trevor last night, but he seemed much MORE interested in the fact that my pupils were different sizes than listening to what I was actually saying (that said: it was rather weird to look in the mirror and see one pupil considerably larger than the other. I guess the effects of the drops were wearing off more quickly in one eye, but still – strange).

So, what’s the verdict? Was I being irresponsible by driving? Or is everyone else just crazy?