30 days on writing: Entry #18: Antagonists

Antagonists? We don't need no stinkin' antagonists!

I'm going to be off to arrange for a new pair of glasses when I finish keeping my daily appointment with this meme.

Which reminds me: I went to an optometrist for the first time in nearly three and a half years a week or so ago.

As we were finishing up, I mentioned to the doctor that I wanted glass, not plastic, lenses.

"Well," she said, "it's hard to get glass lenses now."

"I know. But surely it's not impossible?"

"Plastic is a lot safer, you know."

I laughed (as long-time readers are aware, I most certainly do know of the risks posed by glass lenses!) and pointed above, and then below, my right eye. "I do know," I said. "An angry drunk taught me that lesson very well," I added, then told her about the time I'd been punched up so badly my right orbital bone was shattered along with one of the lenses of my glasses.

"But I still want glass lenses. I'd swear — listen, isn't there actually some kind of difference in the quality of the vision provided by plastic or glass?

The optometrist hesitated, then admitted, "Well, yes. Glass does provide a somewhat clearer image, but —"

"I knew it!" I said, "I knew it! Ever since I switched, I've had the vague sense that things aren't as clear as they used to be! I want glass, I'll take the risk. It took 35 years for me to have an accident with glass the first time; and I'm less likely to get into a barroom brawl now than I was when I was yhoujng. I'll take the chance," I said again.

The optometrist smiled. "I should make you sign a disclaimer."

"I'll sign anything you want," I said. "I'm a big believer in taking responsibility for my own actions."

She didn't make me sign the waver, but she did add, "Glass lenses for optical clarity" to my prescription.

And now, back to the meme. ( Young Geoffrey discusses why his fiction often does without antagonists at all and why that isn't necessarily a good thing, the nature of genre and why so-called literary fiction, or slice-of-life fiction are a genre in themselves. )

Edited to fix ridiculous repeat typos (thanks, Raven!) August 10, 2010.

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