Monocles are for Pilots: A Real Customer Story

Posted on March 09, 2015 by James Berry

This weekend one of our customers, Rupert, emailed us to share a great monocle story.  Thank so much for sending this in, Rupert!

About forty years ago my father, an airline pilot, started wearing a monocle. Naturally we, his children, pulled his leg a bit at this, to us, eccentric piece of equipment. He, however, merely looked me in the eye and said,"You will keep."
Twenty-five years later as I, also an airline pilot, was approaching my fiftieth birthday, my father asked me one day, "How are your eyes doing, son?" To this I replied that, in poor light, in the aircraft flight deck, I was having some difficulty reading the small print in some of the publications we used.
At this point my father left the room and, upon his return said, "Hold out your hand. I have been waiting twenty-five years for this moment."  Into my outstretched palm he placed a monocle!  "Get a lens put in that," he said, "you will find it invaluable."
I did get a lens put in it, and it proved invaluable indeed. Unfortunately, I recently lost that monocle. So I am delighted to have found your company on the Web and been able to order a replacement.
And that, as requested, is my story. Two generations of pilots who found a monocle amazingly useful. One could read the small writing with one eye while having the other focused on the instruments, or outside the aircraft, and when no longer required one only had to release the grip of the eye socket for the monocle to drop down safely on its cord. Infinitely easier than using spectacles, and equally useful in any situation.

We'd love to share your monocle story, too!  Email us at customerservice@nearsights.com

Posted in Customer Stories


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