old timers

[Kevin Howtopat]

Back in 1980 when I first started in the optical industry as a lab guy I noticed these two old guys sitting at their bench in front of a lensometer. Now I find myself to be one of those guys. I don't know of many thirty yr guys like me and I am wondering how many forty year guys there will be when I get there

[Wes]

Im coming up on twenty soon.

[hcjilson]

I just passed 52 on August 24th! I've cut way back but I go like hell Mondays from 9-12 and Thursday afternoons! Chip is not far behind me and Chris is ahead of us all.......but he hasn't practiced as an optician for years. Some years ago a peer once said to me "Who'd ever think we'd be around long enough to be one of the old timers?" I asked him how old he was and he said 57. I told him I was 58 and I didn't consider myself an old timer yet. I'm coming up on 71 and still don't!!!!

[frontstreet]

Do you know where I can find a copy of frame facts? I am just starting a practice and the $434 annual prescription is tough when you are just opening your doors? Any idea where I can find one for less?

[chip anderson]

Chip got into the business at about 14 and he will be 69 next week.


Chip

[cocoisland58]

34 years and counting. I get different reactions from the up and comers. Some see me as mentor and teacher as I did those who came before me....and the rest cannot comprehend why I use a PD stick and a lensometer when it's soooo much easier to use a pupilometer and a Humphrey. To be honest I'm glad I'm on my way out instead of in. It's been a great ride but I don't like what I see ahead for the business.

[optowalt]

42 years and still going strong.

[JRS]

46 years and a few to go.

[Chris Ryser]

I just passed 52 on August 24th! I've cut way back but I go like hell Mondays from 9-12 and Thursday afternoons! Chip is not far behind me and Chris is ahead of us all.......but he hasn't practiced as an optician for years.

well.................well...................well............ ....

I started in spring 1950 in Lausanne Switzerland, (which is 61 years ago), as an apprentice for 3 years, then went to optical school for 3 years fulltime and spent a year at the London Refraction Hospital. I did have a good professional education.

Immigrated to Canada in 1961 and wanted to work as an optician and was barred from doing so by the Quebec associations. I would have had to do another 2 year apprentiship which after 8 years of learning was out of question. So I became the most educated frame rep and owned the company a few years later and added a wholesale lab, both of which I run for 20 years with 75 employees.

Started my present business in 1981 and still own it, and work nearly full time, besides taking care of my flowers, even after a double by-pass and aortic valve replacement last September a year ago. At 76 I am still on the go after having been repaired and renewed.

[SharonB]

I started on April 1st 1970 after a short career as a school teacher. My license dates back to 1974. I retired almost 4 years ago, but still do fill-ins, speaking, and consulting. Yikes! That's almost 42 years! Where did they go?

[hcjilson]

Chip got into the business at about 14 and he will be 69 next week.


Chip

If you count the time I was an errand boy for my dad's shop (Saturdays only to raise money for the double features Saturday afternoons) I started in 1953 and still have Chip beat! In truth, he is the better optician, proving that time in really doesn't count for much in my case! I count myself lucky to have he, and others on this page, as friends.

[Judy Canty]

As long as I keep learning new things and going to work every day, I'll never consider myself an old-anything. Started in 1972, licensed in 1978 and still going strong!

[Happylady]

I've been in the business for over 30 years.

[Wes]

I have a co-worker whose father was an optician as well. The co-worker went to the military optical school in 1973. In the mid eighties, he served there as an instructor. One of his students was my instructor, and we all now work in the same lab. One day, we were all leaving work, and the first guy says to me (in front of the second guy, his student, my instructor) "you're the most knowledgable optician I know". That may have been one of the best compliments I've ever had. Didn't go over too well with the other guy.

[jediron1]

38 years and counting!

[rdcoach5]

Since 1970, 1 year behind Optowalt and about 9 to go.

[cleyes]

Talked my OD into giving me a job filing, cleaning up the clutter when I was 15. One week later I was learning layout, cribbing, cutting on handstone, all glass at the time, I loved it. Made all his jobs while he read Playboy & gabbed on phone between patients. We learned to fit CL using me as pt. Left him for full time @ Sterling CL dept @ 34 St in NY, learned adjusting, I&R & running the dept. Lucky to have good OD as teacher. Left for Farkas & Kassalow, was their first tech, finished all cl, we ord. uncut at the time, all adjustments, I&R, fitting, training new techs. Licensed in '73.
The rest as they say is history...been with the same OMD for past 30 yrs, will either be led out or carried out. My feeling is also I'm happy to be on the way out, not on the way in.

[scriptfiller]

What's sad is there are times when I'm the oldtimer at the office and I'm only 34 with 17.5 years in the business. I did just spot my second gray hair the other day.

[Striderswife]

What's sad is there are times when I'm the oldtimer at the office and I'm only 34 with 17.5 years in the business. I did just spot my second gray hair the other day.

I'm also 34; found my first gray hair 10 years ago. Sheesh. X^P

I just had my 15 year anniversary last month. I started at 19 as an OD assistant, my sophomore year in college (my only other real job [besides Braums' Ice Cream] was in a pharmacy for my 1st year in college). My major at the time was Pre-Optometry. Then, after working for docs for a few years (and getting married halfway through my junior year), I decided I didn't want to be the doctor after all. I loved Opticianry, really, and got my ABO in 2000. I've been really fortunate always to work with a "sage" Optician at each of my offices, and I love learning from them. Over the years, I've had 6 people (two men, four women) who got their start around age 19, also. It occurred to me I'd eventually be one of those, who had been an Optician all my life.

We're actually working on getting to the point where I can retire (I think after 15 years I can use that term), and I can be a stay-at-home mom. I might keep up my CE credits, just in case someday down the road I want to get back in. . . we'll see.

[rickyforever]

i'm going to 30 and lifetime is too short,isn't it?

[DragonLensmanWV]

I just had my 39th anniversary last month. Tempis fugit!

[bhess25]

heres the question though...how many of you "old timers" wanted to get into optics? how many of you fell into it by accident and ended up in it for all this time?

[Judy Canty]

heres the question though...how many of you "old timers" wanted to get into optics? how many of you fell into it by accident and ended up in it for all this time?

Started college as a Secondary Music Education major.

[DragonLensmanWV]

heres the question though...how many of you "old timers" wanted to get into optics? how many of you fell into it by accident and ended up in it for all this time?

My best friend's dad was an OD. I was out of work, he wanted to start an in-house lab. It all worked out.

[Uncle Fester]

heres the question though...how many of you "old timers" wanted to get into optics? how many of you fell into it by accident and ended up in it for all this time?

Fell down the rabbit hole with school in 1975 (OSF Class of 77) as a 17 year old.

I must say in all honesty it's been a grind.