June 14, 2018. Madison, Mississippi. The Man in the Optician Shop.

Eves dropping is a rewarding pasttime, especially when the person speaking does not know you are listening. After the session with the expert on prisms, Ken needed to have new lens cut so we stopped at the Optician on the same building as the eye doctor. With prisms it is important to deal with an expert in prisms. While Ken was busy having his glasses measured and checked, which seemed to take a long time, I spent my time looking around the shop...and listening. I was fascinated with the conversation I overheard. The man I observed was about 45. He was trying on new glasses. The lady attending him was bringing to him to try on. They discussed size and shape and color. Next he called his wife to ask advice. Finally, he took a picture for her evaluation. Each pair was put through the same drill. I could hear her conversation as he put his phone on speaker. It was an astonishing behavior of adult incompetence. He appeared to be normal and must have had a responsible job but her he was asking for advice from his wife. I wondered if he ever made decisions without his wife involvement. Or perhaps the wife insists. I had never seen anything like it. Picture after picture until finally she selected the right frames. I would love to have asked the man how he normally makes decisions but of course, he never did know I was listening to the whole conversation. I was fascinated by the scene. But I did wonder how he managed to survive without his wife's advice.