I never wear sunglasses, and never have, no matter how bright it gets. Marcia and Katelin suspect that it’s because I have a near-Neanderthal brow that completely shades my eyes from bright lights emanating from anywhere above my knees, but I think it might be eye-color related instead.

I have green eyes, a trait that Wikipedia says I share with only one to two percent of people in the world. (I was also born on May 22, which surveys identify as the least common birthday in the United States, so I’m just something of a freak, I guess). I have long believed that my green eyes are far less sensitive to light than other colors are. I have no scientific evidence to support this contention, but I can look directly into stunningly bright light sources without discomfort, while Marcia (bright blue eyes) and Katelin (grey eyes) are rendered blind if you accidentally cast your flashlight beam their way, much less turn them into the sun on a clear, crisp day.

I’ve read that green eyes are usually an indicator of significant cross-cultural breeding, which I suppose fits, since my mother is of Native American stock, and my father comes from primarily Northern European roots. People don’t usually notice my genetic oddness, in large part due to the aforementioned near-Neanderthal brows and the generally beady nature of my eyes. I first realized, though, that they were weird when I had to go to the doctor or DMV or other places where you have to identify your eye color, and I would say “green,” and the person asking the question or administering the form would always look up at me to make sure I was telling the truth.

Any other green-eyed folk out there with similar experiences of light-resistance or doctor- and DMV-skepticism?