Cataracts. These days an aggravation only, thanks to refined, reliable cataract surgery techniques–applicable when and where available. Fortunately, readily available in my area. Big surgery center less than a hundred highway miles west of here. A consultation, a physical exam to determine surgery-readiness, an ultrasonic measurement of lens capsule volume for dimensioning a new, artificial lens fitted via a short and sweet outpatient surgery. Not worrying me a bit. Actually looking forward to it as vision progressively fuzzes over in a fit of biologically-induced distortion fielding. Another prosthetic added to a body already sporting many others (dental crowns). Big deal.
This distortion field is understood and manageable. A known. Countless other distortion fields affecting each and every individual's life from birth aren't so easily managed–much less identified and understood. Distortion fields thrown up at will and without preamble or warning by people involved in our lives are constant, fact-of-life hazards to be dealt with if any level of positive personal progress is desired.
People throwing up such distortion fields are unavoidable because we all throw up a variety of them which are usually tightly coupled with our specific positive-progress goals and all of our goals are as different as our fingerprints are. Parents use distortion fields on their offspring as a matter of course in childrearing to great effect, so this is not to say our distortion fields are all entirely detrimental to positive personal progress. Some distortion fields are quite beautifully conceived and applied. Ubiquity of distortion fields imposes highly unpredictable developmental pressures until experience begins to allow us to anticipate them and apply counter pressures or find ways to completely avoid distortion fields of others as much as possible.
My approach leans toward avoidance, elevating risk of missing out on interesting collaborations similar to those that led to modern cataract surgical practices about to be applied to restore clear vision. That's okay. I can always change my mind later. Keeping pressures–aside from those applied by my personal phalanx of distortion fields–to a minimum in the meantime feels good.
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