Blog 614 – 04.26.2017

All In How You Look At It

Some one sent me a great quote thinking that I might be able to use it in a blog. They were right. Here goes:

“Stressed spelled backwards reads desserts. Coincidence? I think not!”

It is really all in how you look at it, your perspective, or point of view. We have two eyes to give us depth perception. But many believe that we have a third eye to see through the mist and the fog of delusion and confusion in this world. I heard someone say again yesterday that contrary to what most of us have been taught to think that eye witness testimony is very unreliable. And why is that? A couple of things come immediately to mind. First we see what we want to see, what we are expecting to see. And secondly often we are not paying that close attention. Distracted driving they say is a big cause of many auto accidents. Texting while driving, putting on make-up, eating, fiddling with the radio or GPS are all culprits but you don’t need any of those things to be distracted. Our mind is often on other things and that distracts us.

I was listening to Josh Groban sing Pure Imagination this morning as I drove across beautiful Wisconsin, alive with spring, to a work assignment. I love the song but as it ended I realized that I had not been paying attention to the words so I pushed replay so I could hear it again and follow the words. As it is true that sometimes we do not pay attention it is also possible that we are focusing on the wrong angle and miss the point or do not choose to see the best.

Rain and snow, wind and storms often get a bad rap weatherwise. People think they are “bad.” I love the expression, “It is all good.” For seen in its best light from the proper angle you can see good in everyone and everything. On the FX channel they have been showing The Feud, a series about the long running feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Last night’s episode revealed their reasons for hating each other. When Bette was a beginning actress she hid in a closet to over hear what a producer said about her audition. He said she had tallent but wished that she was more attractive, why couldn’t she look like Joan Crawford. In a private heated exchange between the two late in their lives, Bette asks Joan what it was like to be the most beautiful girl in the world and Joan replied it was wonderful but it was not enough. Then Joan asked Bette what it was like to be the most talented actress in the world and Bette replied that it was wonderful but that it was not enough. It seems they both saw the other as an enemies because they each had what they each thought they lacked. To their fans they were both attractive and talented. Beauty and tallent it seems are in the eye of the beholder and both depend much on our perspective or point of view.

It is never a fair or accurate assessment of anyone or anything to view them or it from one angle or in one light alone. Even the most beautiful women are lovelier in candlelight. And hardest roughest looking man can improve his looks tremendously with a smile. And even both are more complete pictures of loveliness, love-worthiness, when we get to know more of their story. Instead of judging everyone and everything “good” or “bad” we should first try to look a little closer or try a different light or another angle. I think, when we do we will find a whole new view and maybe even come to believe – it is all good.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White