Sunglasses

In my last post I briefly touched on the connection between sunglasses and the whole concept of “cool.” I’m certain we can all agree that sunglasses are an integral part of that equation. If you think about it, you probably can’t come up with a single cool person who doesn’t have the right sunglasses. And that’s the key, isn’t it? - the “right” sunglasses.

Finding the right sunglasses can get pretty sticky. They’ve got to look good. If they don’t, why bother? Almost no one buys them for strictly utilitarian purposes, except maybe my dad. He had those really cheap clip-on tinted lenses that you attached to your regular glasses and flip up and down as needed. He was quite pleased with them, but you could hardly call them cool.

I can’t imagine anyone being caught dead in clip-ons in this day and age. People are just too image-conscious. They’ll spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of sunglasses they believe will somehow enhance their overall persona. I worked with a girl who spent an absolute fortune on a pair of really great looking sunglasses, but was unfortunately never able to quite come to terms with their cost. Every time she got a compliment on them, which was frequently, she responded by saying that she had spent too much on them. I heard her do this a number of times, and each time I wanted to shake her and say, “Forget about the money! You can’t get it back anyway. You got an amazing pair of sunglasses. It was money well spent. Get over it.“

I think we can all take a lesson from that anecdote. Sunglasses are a necessity, and that’s all there is to it. Can you imagine Snoopy trying to pull off “Joe Cool” without the sunglasses? – would never happen. So go on and buy those pricey sunglasses. If it blows your budget for the month, and you need to take on a part-time job to pay them off, big deal. They’re worth it.