A Cord Ingly

Last Tuesday at work, a few of us had lunch together in a restaurant, to celebrate the birthday of someone on my team. 

As the menus were handed out, I didn't have to fish about in my purse looking for reading glasses. No--they were nestled handily, midway between my chin and chest on the cord I had bought the day before.

I pointed it out to my co-workers, with both enthusiasm at the convenience, and chagrin at needing one.

The two guys on our team were now deep in "guy talk," seemingly oblivious, while the ladies at the table educated me. Apparently there are cords and there are cords. 

Mine kind of looked like a black shoe lace with loops at the end, but I learned that they can actually be accessories and came beaded, or as necklaces with little key ring things dangling from them on which you can hang your glasses. Wow, I had no idea. 

As the possibilities expanded I made a mental note: "Go buy a better cord." Ah, the power of advertising! But my week was so busy that I soon shelved the mental note and got on with things more pressing than cord shopping.

On Friday morning, one of the guys on the team, a fifty-ish fellow, but still a young nipper by my standards, had a support meeting with me. As he came into the office and parked in a chair, I noticed something dangling from his glasses, behind his head. It was a dapper leather cord. I looked at it, raised my eyebrow and smiled.

He said, "As soon as I left the restaurant on Tuesday, I went right to Walmart and got one!" He usually keeps his reading glasses perched on top of his head.

We had our meeting and as he got up to say goodbye, he reached up and adjusted his cord. As I smiled at the unconscious gesture, he said, "Belinda you need a better one, I'm going to get you one."

"No, no, that's okay, I'm going to get one!" I said.

"You're right, it's a personal thing," he replied seriously.

Such moments make me smile! :)

This morning at church, Susan, Frances and I were on the worship team. I showed Frances the purple beaded cord (bought yesterday) attached to my glasses.

"Yes, I heard all about those," she said. She is about 15 years younger than me so she had fun laughing at the stage I had arrived at in life.

But during the service, between songs, she picked up her devotional book from the floor to share a reading with the congregation. She squinted at the small print, but it wasn't helping. She looked over at me with a wry and apologetic smile. I was proud to hand over my glasses, bedecked in purple beads, which swayed in front of her from my glasses perched on her nose as she read with ease. 

Ah, friends, if it hasn't happened to you yet...it will, but at least you will know that you have an array of options. A whole cord wardrobe awaits if you so choose. :)