MANY LENS DAY
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
today’s Musing written and published from Cranston in south- east Calgary, near the Bow River valley
Morning walk: 5C/41F, sunny again, man flowering shrubs and trees have burst forth while others seem moments away. I think it ironic, now that the first day of June has arrived, that May day trees have started to flower – proof positive the growing season is a month late . . .
Is reality real? Is reality fact, belief, perception – or viewpoint?
Dreams and visions are necessary, they keep us going from month to month, season to season – from year to year without rhyme or reason. But, when we open our eyes, we see, mostly, through two lenses.
Our eyes, our eyeglasses, our vision – sees best when we have both open. Obviously, unless we have a weird prescription difference between two eyes, we see the same thing with two lenses than we do with one. If we close one, we see the same thing – but with two lenses at work we see more, deeper, wider and clearer. We see more detail, interesting detail.
It occurs to me, as I make this analogy, that our brains have lenses too – but they don’t see the same things at the same time; while one lens sees possibility, another sees impossibility. At about that time other lenses kick into gear – looking forward, backward and sideways – all at the same time.
Our brain doesn’t have peripheral vision – that’s the province of the eyes, but when we close our eyes we can see anything we want to see. We can see the stars, moon and northern lights in the middle of the day simply by closing our eyes and wishing it so.
We can see good in people, whether it is there or not simply because we know it once was or because we wish it to be. We can see bad in people – again, without regard to whether it is true simply because we imagine it that way.
We can see life as long, healthy – stretched out as far as stretching and future medical breakthroughs might take us, but when we open our eyes to reality, it just ain’t so.
We have no idea where our limitations end, so how can we imagine someone else’s?
I’m just thinking . . .
Testing our mettle is theoretical, testing our character and seeing how it feels is a more complicated exercise. I think the best way is to run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes. Not to suggest that recognition by others is as important as our own perceptions – but sometimes it is a good idea to do some comparing.
The way I see it, you see it your way. I can see it your way, but at the same time I see it my way. Can both be right? Yes, and both could be wrong for everyone else in the world. That doesn’t matter.
I live for me.
You live for you.
Only when we try to see someone else’s vision through their eyes – and try to adopt that view – do we realize how truly screwed up life can get sometimes.
When that happens we need to come back to some place we call home, or call it being centered – to gain our perspective all over again.
Mark Kolke
312,184
May 31 - BIG ONE COMING
Most people make birthdays a big deal and, for that reason, I don’t care for them but for some, they aren’t a big enough deal. Your daughter’s efforts are a wonderful gesture for someone who needs and deserves that attention from time to time, as you do. EC, Chicago, IL
EXAMINED LIFE, OFF AND ON
I just read your story. It has lots of good and interesting detail but I think the problem might be too much good and interesting detail. I think it would be better to edit it down to one story - about taking a dump and waiting for Freda - and leave out all the Jeanette stuff. From the beginning it seems as if the love story with her will be the main event but it isn't; and since you are focusing on the inner life of a guy stuck in a bathroom with an immediate problem I would stick more to that immediate problem and digress less. That is just my advice. I have often found I want to tell two stories when one is what I should be telling, MD, Calgary, AB
