I get back from Mexico after celebrating my 50th birthday and one year of sobriety and I still have red, puffy eyes even though I am not drinking. I connect the dots to cheap Amazon sunglasses, test the theory in real time, and realize I may have been damaging my vision for years. 
• celebrating one year sober and turning 50 in Mexico 
• noticing eye puffiness and redness without alcohol 
• tracing symptoms and fast vision decline to bargain polarized sunglasses 
• running a simple resort test without glasses then with them 
• feeling immediate burning and panic over possible eye damage 
• trying to warn friends I gave the sunglasses to 
• committing to better eye protection and accepting the cost 
• reflecting on sobriety as clarity and accountability 
To all my friends and familia in Mexico. I fucking love you guys.

We can choose to give in to the KAOS, or we can forge a new path forward!