Down by the Sea

Every season of the year moves faster and faster the older I get. It is like a movie on fast-forward.

Time, by definition, is a limited period or interval, as between 2 successive events. The events of my daily life sometimes feel like a cartoon flip-book, clipping ever so quickly in front of my very eyes.

Ah, the eye(s). Myopic macular degeneration is always looming in the background of my day-to-day life. Not in a debilitating, agonizing way, but more like an annoying nuisance, making its presence known when I have almost forgotten all about it.

A summer trip to Myrtle Beach

Last summer’s adventure brought out a distinctive "highlight," you might say.

My husband and I planned an end-of-the-summer getaway, a trip to the sunny beaches of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — a last hurrah, stretching out the summer vibes for just a while longer.

The journey itself was long. We took a total of 3 days to drive from our Midwest home, stopping to rest each day after driving for 6-plus hours. Fortunately, it was daytime driving, so we could share the driving. I have given up nighttime driving, as it is a challenge to see — another tick mark in the column of MMD’s annoyances.

A cold, rainy start to the vacation

We arrived at Myrtle Beach on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, thoroughly exhausted. Maybe our kids are right; these long drives are a bit much for their senior citizen parents. Nevertheless, we made it and proceeded to jump into the beach scene as soon as possible.

As luck would have it, the weather had other ideas. We had a couple of days of cold, rainy, and uncomfortable weather. We pivoted and spent those days walking in the rain, exploring the boardwalk, and playing typical tourists as we searched for souvenirs of the town.

Trying to read on the beach

Eventually, the sun came out! The beach was beckoning and swimsuits were put on. We slathered ourselves with sunscreen, loaded up the beach bag paraphernalia, and out we went.

It was late in the season, the crowds were minimal, and we found our spot. Husband loves to walk the shoreline, and I love to hold our spot on the beach, so off he went and I settled in. A perfect time to reach for the latest murder mystery on my handy iPad.

I fired up the Kindle app and found my book, and that is when myopic macular degeneration reared its aggravating head.

Finding other devices that work better

I could not read my book. I could not clearly see the words. I tried several different adjustments; I changed the lighting, I changed the fonts, and nothing helped. I adjusted my sunshade hat. I was majorly disappointed. This murder mystery was not going to be read on the beach.

In my bubble of "MMD is not really affecting me," I had not really planned this very well. What should have happened is, before this trip, I should have researched a little better.

I now know there are other devices that will work in this setting. Looks like I will have to plan another trip this summer to check out these alternatives.