While I've seen my dad struggle with reading glasses (and now bifocals) after not needing to correct his vision for the first 40+ years of his life, I've had mostly the same experience you describe for the last 20 years (thanks to inheriting my vision problems from my mom's side). However, in the last couple of years I've started taking my glasses off if I am reading for long periods of time, because my distance vision is getting bad enough that the correction is making the closer text slightly more difficult to read than it is without the lenses. Eventually, this might also lead to needing bifocals myself, despite the fact that I have no problems reading very small text within arms-length without glasses.
Essentially, I'm getting close to doing the opposite of what most people do with reading glasses. For now, I do most minor reading tasks and my work with my glasses on, but for lengthy reading I take them off. Over time, I'm sure, I'll end up taking them off (or looking below my glasses) for almost every reading task, and eventually for work as well.
In the end, though, I don't think the technology will be likely to really solve the issue for me, except to correct a few displays for my corrected vision. I have to pin most of my hopes, at the moment, on improvements in surgery and eventually being able to afford the surgery.
Essentially, I'm getting close to doing the opposite of what most people do with reading glasses. For now, I do most minor reading tasks and my work with my glasses on, but for lengthy reading I take them off. Over time, I'm sure, I'll end up taking them off (or looking below my glasses) for almost every reading task, and eventually for work as well.
In the end, though, I don't think the technology will be likely to really solve the issue for me, except to correct a few displays for my corrected vision. I have to pin most of my hopes, at the moment, on improvements in surgery and eventually being able to afford the surgery.