I used to think Walt Disney had it wrong, at least as far as the optical industry is concerned. It’s not a small world, after all. Actually, the optical world is big and diverse. Think about how many different types of “citizens” live and work in it. Doctors, dispensers, lab technicians, frame designers, engineers, optics experts and marketing executives. Supply chain managers, wholesalers, engineers, retailers and forklift drivers. Software designers, lens casters, office managers, salespeople, academics and many more.

This incredible diversity is a positive force that contributes to the vitality of our industry. Yet because many of us run on separate but parallel tracks, we only get a very limited view of each other.

If you want to expand that view, you need to take a few steps back. That’s what we’ve done with our cover story, “A Day in the Life … Optical Across America.” This collection of nearly 60 photos submitted by 25 companies from different segments of the industry reveals the broad spectrum of activity that goes on at any given moment of a typical work day.

If you follow our timeline from morning to night you’ll get a glimpse of what goes on in professional offices, clinics, warehouses, call centers, labs, conference rooms and other locations from East to West Coast, and from north to south. These dynamic photos capture the movement and energy that characterizes our industry and its people. More importantly, the photos also convey a sense of shared purpose: helping people see better while looking their best.

I’m not suggesting we are all one big happy family. Anyone who has spent time in our highly competitive and sometimes fractious industry knows that isn’t true. But there is some truth to Disney’s “small world” view. Those of us who make our living in the vision business share a bond that is often unspoken, but nevertheless felt, a bond that can sometimes make our world seem a bit smaller. ■

akarp@jobson.com