The Eye - Volume 7 Issue 2

Life is all about how we see things. At Sask Optics, we aim to ensure people can see to the best of their ability (and look great whilst doing it).

However, we as human beings will always see things from our point of view. This was made abundantly clear to me on a recent Holiday.

Let me explain: My wife treated me to a holiday in Jordan recently. The getaway was a gift for me reaching a milestone age. This tiny Middle Eastern country is steeped in history, and the desert landscape and the rugged mountains conjure images of Biblical times.

I can assure you she did not take me there because I have any form of God complex 😊 ,but you can see how people ponder questions like the meaning of life when you are dwarfed by such natural majestic beauty.

Jordan is also a popular destination for Hollywood. The Martian, Star Wars and Dune are just some of the blockbusters that have been filmed on location there.

Anyway, I was explaining about perspective. Jordan has many historical sites, including Castles, that have been standing for close toa thousand years (it has many other incredible structures still standing after four thousand years).

We visited one such Castle built in 1115. The Shobak Castle has a rich and exciting history, as you can imagine and has been occupied by countless dynasties.

It would be fair to say that the Castle has seen better days, but it is still an incredible sight. The Castle is perched on very high ground, and the walk up to it is a little taxing, but once you reach up there and enter the colossal stone walls, the views are breath taking.

The Castle’s interior is mainly rubble, with odd pieces of stone still standing. The state of the Building is in disrepair, but considering it has seen countless crusades and more occupiers than number 10have seen prime ministers recently, it’s understandable.

Whilst walking on the grounds of the Castle, I saw what looked like some steps. The steps didn’t lead to anything particular but a higher vantage point.

I am not sure why, but I decided to climb these admittedly shakey steps when some other tourists stopped to look at me. This group of tourists was standing on the opposite side from where I had approached the stairs. The stares soon turned into a blind panic. “mama mia” (yes, they were Italian) exclaimed one of them, followed by “get down, you crazy, man.” from another.

I had climbed about two-thirds up (it really wasn’t that high from where I was standing) when all this commotion began. The noise attracted more passers by, and soon a whole army of people was standing and looking at me. Some were looking disapprovingly, and some curiously, but when I saw a few people cross themselves and utter prayers under their breath, I became a little concerned.

It dawned on me then that, the people looking at me were on much lower ground than where I was standing, which may explain why they were behaving in such a way.

As everyone who knows me will testify, I hate being the centre of attention 😉, soI decided I should make my way down. As I turned around and put my hands up to indicate to the crowd that they should calm down; unfortunately, a piece of rock (a tiny piece) decided to unlodge from where I was standing and tumbled down. This ensured further gasps and louder prayers, and by this stage, even I felt a little unnerved.

I tried not to show that as I made my way down briskly(as cool as possible). I waved goodbye to the crowd and moved out of sight of them.  

“What was all that noise,” my wife asked when I caught up with her. “ No idea”, I replied rather sheepishly.” “Are you ok?” she asked“ you don’t look that well”, she continued. I assured her I was okay and suggested we explore more of the Castle.

Only on our way out did I understand the hysteria I had created. As I had suspected, the Italian tourists were at a much lower vantagepoint when they looked up at me, but the real reason for the panic was a considerable DANGER SIGN and RED TAPE plastered against the wall was climbing.

So what looked like a few innocent rickety steps to me appeared like a death threat to them—a different perspective leading to different responses.

I am glad that after a Thousand years of battles, occupations, and natural disasters it wasn’t me that finally destroyed the castle. Hopefully, The castle will still be standing for another Thousand Years  affording people views from all different perspectives and we at Sask will just help you see the signs a little clearer.

OPHTHALMOLOGY TALK AT SASK

As I always say, our eyesight is one of our most valuable gifts, and we must do everything we can to preserve them. A regular eye test is one way to detect sight-threatening conditions( and other health issues). A few simple checks can sometimes detect that would go unnoticed and cause irreversible problems in the future.

One primary eye condition that is guilty of this is Glaucoma. This condition is known as the “thief of sight”, as it can steal your sight without you even noticing. In March, we see the marking of Glaucoma Awareness Month, and I am delighted to announce that we have secured the talent of top ophthalmologist Mr Huzaifa Malick for an evening of education and enlightenment.

Mr Malick has recently arrived from Nottingham Queens medical centre and is now a consultant at the Leicester Royal infirmary.

You are invited to hear Mr Malick speak about Glaucoma and other eye conditions and be given an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

We have hired out a small venue and will serve finger food, so RSVP your attendance so we can make the arrangements. Usually, an appointment with a consultant costs Hundreds of Pounds, so please come along, bring a friend and enjoy the evening with us.  

Places are limited, so don’t hesitate to contact the team to reserve your place. We look forward to seeing you.

Contact: 0116 244 8244

or Email: contactus@saskoptics.com

Event Details: Wednesday 15^th March 2023 at6.30pm

FRIENDS AND FAMILY REFERRAL CONTEST!

WIN! An Ooni Outdoor Pizza Oven And Bring The Taste of Italy To Your Garden Parties!

It’s difficult being a Sask Optics customer. We know you are out there working hard as  unpaid models for our eyewear.

Getting stopped in the street. Constantly being complimented on your good looks. And you are forever being asked where you got your amazing eyewear. And you talk us up. We’d like you to know we don’t take your referrals and recommendations for granted.

And as a thank you, we like to give away fantastic prizes throughout the year. In my opinion, this is our best prize yet!

·       Get ready to dazzle your friends and family when they see you’ve brought a pizzeria to your garden party! Kids, parents, grandparents, everyone will love it!

·       From the classic margherita, to New York style and sour dough pizzas, this amazing portable pizza oven from Ooni will create restaurant quality pizzas faster than a speeding Ferrari.

·       Fuelled by special Ooni wood pelletsor a handy gas burner attachment, it heats quickly so the whole gang can be tucking into home-made, wood-fired pizza in just 90 seconds!

·       Win the Ooni outdoor Pizza Oven, as a thank you for recommending Sask Optics to your friends and family!

It’s EASY to enter!

Simply refer a friend or family member to Sask Optics, and you will BOTH be entered into the draw for the fantastic Ooni pizza oven and pizzeria accessories! (No purchase necessary.)

When you refer a friend or family member to us, all they have to do is tell us you recommended them, and we’ll enter you BOTH in the draw.

SUN SHADES FOR THE WINTER SUN

In these cold winter months, many of us would not contemplate stepping out the front door without layering up adequately.

Woolly jumpers, Warm Gloves and hats that Wobble are familiar sights. We rightfully wear these things to protect ourselves from the elements.

We cover our bodies in layers of clothing, so we don't feel the cold, but unfortunately, many don't seek to protect our eyes from thewinter sun.

Nearly all drivers will testify that driving on a bright day in winter can be as treacherous as driving on a country lane at night. The glare can be so dazzling that it can reduce visibility to dangerously low levels.

The reason why the sun is so bright in winter has to do with the relative position of the sun on the Earth.

This results in the sun's rays hitting the Earth at a lower angle than other times of the year, causing the light to reflect in such a way it causes glare.  

Another factor to consider is that no matter the weather, harmful UV rays are just as great on a bright winter day as on a bright summer day.    

Thankfully there is an easy and intelligent solution to protect yourself from the dazzling, blinding light and harmful UV rays. That isa pair of sunglasses, particularly polarising sunglasses.

Wearing sunglasses in the snow is not a new thing. It's an old ingenuity worn by indigenous people living in Alaska over 100 years ago. I suspect these people knew a thing or two about surviving in the winter.

So make sure you add sunglasses as an essential part of your winter wardrobe. Although we may not be required to be alerted to dangerous bears hurtling towards us anymore, just as lethal could be a motor vehicle hitting the brakes unexpectedly.

And if that was not enough, sunglasses can add a particular coolness to any outfit, wobbly hat or not.

Welcome Aboard…

I would like to officially welcome all our new clients from the last month or so.  

Mrs J Rennie – Mr S Padda – Dr G Hall _ Mr J Cornish – Mrs J Peach – Miss N Kenzie – Miss A Gonzalez – Mrs B Geyer – Ms I Sahota – Ms J Patel – Mr G & Mrs P Barnes.

We're glad to be able to help!

Sask Optics – The Eye is a conversation about life as it looks from the helm of Sask Optics.

I really hope you have enjoyed this edition …

I believe in relationships and we really value having a strong relationship with our customers. This is our way of being open and showing people what we are like.

In this faceless world, this is our attempt to show some of our personality and to show we are not a faceless company. Any feedback to this journal would be greatly appreciated, as I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for your support and feedback following the last issue. Please continue to send your thoughts and comments on what we are talking about to: shockat@saskoptics.com

This has been enjoyable exercise and I would like to continue communicating with you. If, however, you do not wish to continue receiving this journal, we completely respect that, and you can unsubscribe by just sending us an email to contactus@saskoptics.com.

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