Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Peach-Colored Glasses

I swim every day in a very dry climate with very hard water, so I go through swimming goggles at a robust clip. I've been alternating between the same two kinds for years, and I usually get them with either clear or blue-tinted lenses. For some reason, the last time I ordered I decided it would be fun to try different colors. And it is fun, too, but I just opened a brand new set, this one with peach-colored lenses, and was totally taken aback when I put them on. They tint the world the oddest color. It's like swimming through nuclear winter.

My perception is probably somewhat influenced by the spate of World War II movies I've watched recently, but the sight of bright blue skies, palm trees waving in the wind, and sparkling water all tinted peach is actually rather unsettling. It makes me want to look around for the mushroom cloud. On the plus side, though, the second I take the goggles off, real colors seem extra vivid and beautiful, as if they've been polished.

No comments: