Through Ada’s Eyes: How New Glasses Changed My Perspective at 52
Turning 52 has come with a few surprises, most of them small reminders that the world—and my eyes—look a little different these days. But I didn’t expect that one of those surprises would arrive in the form of a pair of eyeglasses that changed not just how I see, but how I feel.
Meet my new Lovelace eyeglass frames, named after Ada Lovelace, the pioneering mathematician and computer science visionary. They’re one of eight styles in The Mensa Collection, a collaboration between ReadingGlasses.com and American Mensa, the high IQ society. Each design honors one of history’s greatest thinkers, icons like Newton, Beethoven, and Euler, with a signature engraving on the inner frame that celebrates their genius. Mine features Lovelace’s iconic “Note G,” considered the first example of computer programming.
Before these, my relationship with glasses was purely practical: durable frames, clear lenses, and the hope they’d survive another week of Zoom calls, client consults, and dinners that ran long. But slipping on the Lovelace frames shifted something, style suddenly met intellect in a way that felt both elegant and empowering.
Fashion with a feminist edge
One Tuesday morning, I logged into a weekly Zoom call with my public relations clients feeling a touch of anticipation. A swipe of lipstick, my favorite silk blouse, and my new Lovelace frames. Their unapologetically chunky, bold shape added an understated confidence, like the finishing note to a well-composed outfit.
“Did you change something?” Melissa, our resident style maven, asked mid-meeting, leaning closer to her screen.
“New glasses inspired by Ada Lovelace,” I replied, trying to sound casual.
Her face lit up. “They’re smart. Very Ada Lovelace. You look like you’re about to reinvent the internet.”
Laughter followed, but so did curiosity. Soon the conversation had detoured from media metrics to the extraordinary woman they were named for.
Ada Lovelace: visionary, rebel, muse
If you haven’t met Ada Lovelace, she was the 19th-century daughter of poet Lord Byron, whose fascination with mathematics led her to collaborate with Charles Babbage on his Analytical Engine. She saw possibilities in numbers where others saw machinery, envisioning concepts that would later define computer programming, decades before the first computer ever existed.
Wearing glasses that bear her name feels like more than a style statement. It’s a quiet nod to brilliance, imagination, and the women who dared to see beyond convention. There’s something fitting about wearing frames inspired by someone who saw what others could not.
Smart style, playful spirit
When my glasses arrived, I found a surprise inside: a Mensa Practice Test. Naturally, curiosity won. I brewed a fresh cup of coffee and took it on the spot. Let’s just say my Mensa membership isn’t in the mail (yet), but the exercise reminded me how energizing it feels to flex a different kind of muscle—the one that loves a good challenge.
That blend of intelligence and playfulness is what makes this collection special. It’s eyewear with personality, wit, and a wink to those who value substance as much as style.
Do the glasses make me feel smarter?
Surprisingly, yes—at least a little. Not because I’ve suddenly mastered quantum mechanics, but because confidence can be contagious. The Lovelace frames, with their bold shape, aren’t for everyone—they demand attention. But for me, they amplify a sense of curiosity and capability. Each time I brainstorm a bold campaign idea or tackle a tough conversation, I feel a subtle lift—like I’m channeling a bit of Ada’s fearless imagination. These are frames that will be framing my experience, my story, my evolution.
A beautiful kind of perspective
There’s no shame in admitting that the right frames can be transformative. After that call, I caught my reflection and noticed my eyes looked brighter, my mood lighter. The Lovelace design has a delicate, almost Victorian femininity balanced by modern edge, a harmony that feels right for this chapter of life. When I wore them to brunch with my college friends, the reactions were the same: “You look amazing,” followed by, “Wait, tell me about those glasses.”
A legacy, carried forward
Ada Lovelace’s spirit lives on not just in Silicon Valley, but in everyday acts of vision and reinvention. Each time I slip on my Lovelace frames, I feel connected to that lineage, a reminder that intelligence and beauty, confidence and curiosity, are never mutually exclusive.
At 52, I’m drawn to pieces that reflect who I’ve become: grounded yet evolving, strong yet soft, endlessly curious. These aren’t just eyeglasses for women—they’re a quiet celebration of women who see possibility where others see limits.
Because behind every great look, there’s a great story. And sometimes, all it takes is a new pair of glasses to see it more clearly.
Susan Friedman is a Dallas-based publicist and communicational strategist with more than three decades of shaping stories, elevating brands, and connecting people with purpose… and a lover of unique eyeglass frames!
