Monday, June 27, 2022

For the Love of My Shades


Did anyone catch the little known fact about yesterday, June 27th?

Well, it was National Sunglasses Day!

Personally, I think every day should be National Sunglasses Day, because our eyes need all the TLC we can give them. Also, let's not forget the fine art of wrinkle prevention. I mean, seriously, does anyone want to look older than what their birth certificate indicates?

Although I wasn't privy to this "National Day" until after it was underway, you can believe I was an active participant...both for my early-morning run, and then for my post-workday 13-mile ride.


I'm not shy about admitting to my addiction to sunglasses. 

(this is only some of my fav shades)

All of my life, I've had very dry and sensitive skin, which translates to extremely dry facial skin. In other words, I'm horribly prone to wrinkles. 

As if the dry skin wasn't enough of a less-than-desirable reality, I also have sensitive eyes. Even after 5+ years of allergy shots and treatment (which ended about eight years ago), my eyes still give me trouble on occasion. Although I no longer have many issues with environmental irritants (like dust or pollen), the freezing cold air of winter can sometimes do a number on my tear ducts. Also, the psychotic wind (which seems to just be a constant these days) doesn't play nice. And, it's a given the bright sunlight is not our eyes' best friend (squinting is a sin, LOL).

Thankfully, I discovered this "ailment" as a teenager. I had to use better quality skincare products (or risk allergic reactions and/or rashes) and I've spent a good part of my outdoor life with my eyes protected. While all of those preventative measures seemed like a lot of work at times, those efforts rewarded me with pretty healthy skin for a "master" age group runner. 


Granted, I can attribute some of this to genetics, but I think learning to love and respect my skin's unique needs played a vital role. And, wearing sunglasses has been paramount.

I seldom, if ever, leave the house without some shades in position. I mean, why not? Not only are sunglasses fun (and fashionable) to wear, they protect your eyes from the sun as well shield the delicate skin surrounding them.

I almost always wear sunglasses when I run or am toeing a start line. Even on a cloudy day, LOL.


It's a given I'll have them on for biking. Not only is the sun bright, but the wind will feel even stronger when you're on wheels...and that wind can really wreak havoc, especially if you're coasting down a big hill. Also, there's the added "bug shield" protection (trust me, those little suckers can really sting if they find their way into your eyes).


Even just sitting perfectly still, on a somewhat hazy day, that sun can be pretty blindingly bright.


 Anyways, please wear your sunglasses, peeps! You don't need to be dressed in fitness gear or breaking a sweat, after all, to catch a glare from the sun. Walking out to the mailbox, driving across town, or even walking into the grocery store...all those "little" minutes squinting can really add up over the course of a lifetime.

So, my question for anyone reading this...do sunglasses play a vital role in your outdoor activities? If so, have you made it a habit to wear them often? Do you find yourself wearing a favorite pair more often than others? Or do you switch them around, depending on your outfit?

A few related posts:

I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

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22 comments:

  1. Good job. Very entertaining 👍

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  2. There's a national sunglasses day? Ha, I didn't know that!
    Yes, I wear mine all the time! I only have two pair - they're prescription glasses.
    One of them changes its shade depending on the weather, so it's very handy even in overcast weather.
    The other one is at the optician's for repair right now. The protective film started to peel off, something that should never happen. At least I'll get a new pair out of it. :-)

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    1. Yes, there's a "national day" for practically everything...some days have more than one "national day" to celebrate ;-)

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  3. My husband is constantly asking me to take my sunglasses off for photos & I usually say no, LOL! it's my trademark.

    I was born cross eyed, have had surgery on my eyes twice before I was even a teenager, and don't have great vision even so so I try to be very protective of my eyes. You only have two!

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  4. I definitely share your love of sunglasses and also wear them daily even when it is cloudy. They are my signature accessory and great protection :)

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    1. They're one of my signature accessories, too ;-) They're practically a day requirement for me with the brightness outdoors.

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  5. Um I have so many pairs of Goodrs. I always match them to my outfit.

    I wear contacts so my eyes are sensitive to sun.

    I rarely not wear them except for group pictures. It hides your face. I usually tell my friends to take them off lol

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    1. And I have so many pairs of Knockaround sunglasses, LOL. Seriously, they keep coming out with new colors and funky color combos, it's tough to resist!

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  6. Oh, yes, sunglasses are a necessity in Florida! Even cloudy days seem bright here. Funny timing, because my everyday sunglasses (not my running ones) just broke so I'm looking for a new pair. Maybe I'll finally try Goodrs which everyone loves so much!

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    1. I'm a huge fan of Knockaround sunglasses myself. I think they're priced very similar to Goodr, and have unlimited colors and styles ;-)

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  7. I wear sunglasses all the time! I have a pair for every day and then a few pairs for running. But all of mine are inexpensive because Im always losing or breaking them!

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    1. I'm in sunglasses all the time as well. Most of mine are Knockarounds, which are very inexpensive so the investment is minimal ;-)

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  8. I had no clue that National Sunglasses Day was a thing, or that the date has passed, lol. I always love your collection of sunglasses because they are so colorful. I have one pair of Nike sunglasses that I wear for my runs and I love them. I've had them for sooooo long lol

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    1. Oh yes, I was looking through some old blog posts recently, and I saw where June 27th was mentioned as National Sunglasses Day...well, I thought it was worthy of a post ;-)

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  9. I always wear sunglasses. I have several pairs even though I tend to wear the same ones daily. My eyes are very sensitive too and get watery and red easily.

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    1. Oh, those are my eyes as well! They're much better, after all my years of allergy shots, but they're still ultra sensitive.

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  10. No idea it was National Sunglasses Day. I don't wear sunglasses at all. I think now I should since I have contacts. The thing though is that I don't want to put contacts on so early in the morning. I love your collection - so colorful!

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    1. My eyes are so sensitive to the brightness outdoors, and I just don't want to be wearing a "constant squint," LOL.

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  11. I, too, have dry eyes which make them so sensitive to light so I ALWAYS wear sunglasses. I only wear my contacts for cycling and races, so I just recently purchased prescription sunglasses (Ray Bans very similar to my eye glasses). I love my Oakley sunglasses that curve for when I'm wearing my contacts.

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    1. Thankfully, I'm not restricted with prescription glasses...because I don't think I could ever manage contact lenses. I'm glad I can wear all the fun & funky sunglasses for the time being ;-)

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