It is time now to pay homage to what have been one of the greatest pairs of sunglasses I have ever owned. Yes indeed, my favorite pair of sunglasses has finally met its demise.

A little over a year ago, it was spring break and I was headed to the airport, on my way to St. Louis to visit a friend. I realized after having already left the house that I had forgotten to bring my sunglasses, and so on our way to the airport, my brother and I stopped at Target. We rushed inside, and quickly made our ways to the jewelry section, where the sunglasses are kept.

After scrambling to try on pair after pair after pair, I finally found a pair that seemed to both fit my face and that actually seemed to shade the sun nicely (it's hard to guess about these things indoors sometimes). They also had 100% UV protection. They were made by Speedo, interestingly enough, and they cost a whopping $15.

Normally, I buy the least expensive sunglasses I can, considering I have a serious tendency to destroy them in a matter of months. Given that fact, I generally find that Oakleys are not my brand of choice. If I had that kind of taste, I'd practically have to take out a loan each year to allot the money to pay for them.

Anyway, I quickly found that the Speedo sunglasses were incredible. No matter how much of a beating I subjected them to, those sunglasses always seemed to spring right back, ready for more. I knew I had a special pair of glasses. They were always so effective and reliable!

Everyday use began to take its toll, and my sunglasses began to loosen and fade. First one ear piece, and then the next, loosening a bit more with each folding motion. Finally, they reached the limit yesterday, when the left ear piece snapped off completely when I folded it closed.

It was the beginning of the day, and I was left without a backup pair, and even if I had backups, there was no way I would abandon my faithful pair of Speedo sunglasses. That's right, I put them right back on when I went outside, and despite that I half-way resembled Morpheus from The Matrix, I boldly wore my sunglasses.

I had no doubt that they would continue to serve me well, and I was not disappointed. My sunglasses, while half the sunglasses they once were, will still continue to work, and I simply cannot replace them until they fully give out. I have never had such a devoted and long-lasting pair of sunglasses, and out of respect for them, I must continue to use them until I can no longer do so.

Only then will I lay them to rest and move on. Yes, only then.