I'm definitely the odd one here as I wear gas permeable contacts. I am extremely nearsighted, also with an astigmatism. I remember using soft lenses when I was a teenager, but the hard ones work well for me. One of the advantages is that they last a really long time (years) and they allow a lot of oxygen into your eyes. A big drawback is that it hurts like #$@) if something gets in your eye.

Kerry