| Editorial September 2003
Countdown to LASIK
As I write this I’m about five hours away from having
LASIK surgery to correct for nearsightedness. Supposedly, with my current eye condition,
there’s a greater than 99% chance I’ll see 20/20 or better. Don’t tell me
that won’t enhance the home-theater experience.
The decision to have LASIK was a spur-of-the-moment one for
me, after hearing a friend rave about it just a few days ago. After a conversation with my
friend, I called a highly recommended local doctor, had my initial exam the same day, and
had the procedure scheduled for three days later. I’m not really nervous; in fact
I’m downright excited.
OK, I’m lying. Did you guys see Minority Report?
I’m having visions of eyeballs rolling on the floor, as well as other equally
grotesque thoughts running through my head. I was perfectly fine ‘til I heard about
the part of the surgery where the doctor slices a portion of your eye and then folds the
flap back so that the laser can do its thing. Maybe nervous is overstating it a bit;
perhaps I’m just a bit anxious to see the results.
Wearing glasses is a pain. Staring at the computer screen
as I write this I can easily see my glasses’ frames outlining my eyes. I’m used
to this, of course, but it does make me wonder just how the brain learns to ignore such
visual encroachments. There are fine swirls in the lenses, too. Although I can see these
clearly when I take my glasses off, I can’t see them with my glasses on. Is that
another case of my brain adjusting so as to not drive me crazy? Or am I not able to focus
on the scratches due to their close proximity to my eyes?
These examples might just indicate the reason many people
aren’t bothered by fuzzy screens and sound in their home theater, while others,
typically us audiophile-home-theater fanatics, can’t live with noise and distortion.
It makes me wonder if, after the LASIK surgery, my brain will reverse itself and make me
aware of artifacts I’m now immune to. Hmm.
I almost titled this editorial "LASIK: The Ultimate
Home-Theater Tweak." Then I thought to myself that, one, I didn’t want to
trivialize any surgery, and two, it’s not really a home-theater tweak because it
really has nothing to do with any aspect of home theater. It could enhance my enjoyment
of home theater dramatically, though.
If LASIK doesn’t give you an intense appreciation for
technology, I’d be surprised. Home-theater enthusiasts are typically impressed with
technological advancements, and LASIK is a techno-extravaganza. The fact that it has
enhanced the lives of so many is an indication of how the technology has served real
people. Isn’t that what technology is for?
Next month I’ll let you know how my LASIK surgery
turned out, how it affected my home-theater viewing, and my overall impressions of the
results. Keep your fingers crossed for me. If you see all of my gear on www.audiogon.com, you’ll know I
didn’t make it. Or, it could mean that I need new equipment to go with my new eyes!
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
