I stood in the great room and tried so hard to see what my friend saw. The colors morphed into one big mess and I failed to recognize the story she painted for me. Over again she explained it and I was as perplexed as the moment I first laid my eyes on it. Nothing was making sense and even though I read the small description, my curiosity only expanded. The ginormous masterpiece hung by itself isolated from the rest of the museum pieces. Perhaps that is the reason, it’s a complicated mysterious work of art. It had to be given a room of its own so you could connect with it, distinguish and study it and therefore it could be understood.
She left my side eventually and wandered off, giving up on me because I wouldn’t give up on this, which became a challenge. I stood there like a child in front of a blackboard trying to solve a math equation. Spectators came and left satisfied, whispering and agreeing amongst themselves. I could have departed too, but something kept me there. I stepped back, then left and then right, but nothing made sense. Feeling determined to connect the words with the brush strokes, I took deep sighs and allowed my eyes to detect every smear of the illustration.
Outcomes are all in how we perceive them. We can look at the same picture but we will all see it differently. Our outlook is measured by our thoughts, and every thought has a purpose, isn’t that how life works too? Our perspective on how we want to see the picture changes everything. The tiniest of things can change your perception, like rain drops for instance. Have you ever just stopped and watched them? Rain and tears have so much in common. They appear when times are gray or sad, but have you also noticed they both glisten and sparkle on a pretty petal or a delicate cheek.
As I’ve matured I realized that it’s okay to have an opinion, it’s also ok for others to have theirs. We don’t have to agree. We can disagree amicably. What’s not ok is to impose your beliefs on others. Whatever those may be. People lack the ability to listen and comprehend and be satisfied with an undesirable outcome. If we only slowed down, thought before we spoke or let the situation sink in before allowing ourselves to instantly mask in bitterness, we’d not only perceive from a different angle but we could understand and be understood.
Tomorrow, will it matter? Will it have relevance weeks, months or even years from now. Will you be willing to walk in my shoes? What if I left this world? Will that thought still hurt your ego? Will my opinion destroy your ability to live a fulfilling life? Everyone is entitled to an opinion and if I disagree, it’s not because I’m belittling your view, it’s because I’m trying to understand why your view matters. I also want you to understand where I stand and why I see this view differently.
At times I began envisioning the sad state in which my father left this world . No matter what I tried to entice him with on his deathbed, he didn’t wake up. Nothing mattered, and so I began to realize we need life itself for anything to matter. The good, the bad, everything that takes up space in our minds, it’s only validated because we are alive. Because we are alive we have the opportunity to learn and explore and furnish ourselves the ability to understand and be understood.
I left the painting for a while. Took a different approach entirely. When I revisited it, I took a step back and did a retake of the entire story again. I couldn’t wait to find my friend and tell her what I saw. It is possible, you can appreciate the view, permit change, see the picture a little differently, respond a little favorably, allow yourself to coexist. Not because they’re wrong, but you weren’t either.