Although I was diagnosed with colorblindness when I was a child, I never really paid much attention to it. I didn’t wear glasses and didn’t have regular eye exams. My music was my thing, and sound fascinated me more than sight.

After I got married, though, my wife noticed that when I went to find a purple shirt, I usually chose a blue one. Those brown shorts I liked to wear were actually green. Red was usually red. Except when it was brown.

Being colorblind didn’t bother me much. But I’d get annoyed when someone would test me by pointing to an object and asking “What color is this?”

At one point, I tried to trick people by converting “my” colors for theirs. If I saw purple, I’d say it was blue. But I’d often get confused.

I felt frustrated and embarrassed by my inability to perceive colors the way others did. I couldn’t even fake it. So I got a pair sunglasses with color correcting EnChroma lenses. Here, at last, was a gateway into the normal world of color.

The glasses were fun to wear at first. I noticed some colors seemed to pop more than others. But I soon lost interest, and the glasses have remained in their case.

No doubt EnChroma lenses work well for many people and have an incredible effect on the way they perceive the world. So why wasn’t I excited about finally having a gateway into the normal color world?

I think it’s because after a lifetime of seeing the world my way, I’m not eager to change. I see colors, although not the same way that others do.

I recently had a dream in which I saw two beautiful, vibrant colors: golden blue and golden red. Nobody else could see these colors except me. When I awoke, I felt happy and content. I was finally accepting and trusting my sense of color. To paraphrase Sinatra, I see it my way. And I’m good with that.

I’m interested to know if any readers feel the same way or if any of your patients do. Drop me a line and let me know.

• Andrew Karp
Group Editor, Lenses and Technology
[email protected]