Perspective: It’s the Way SEE Things
Day 302 of Photo Inspirations — Perspective: It’s the Way We SEE Things
I’m not posting this as yet another selfie, but I was inspired for the eye glasses clerk to take my photo because I had a “photo inspiration” moment. While my eyes were dilated from my eye exam, I had about 20 minutes to kill before the optometrist could examine my eyes. I went next door to check out the new glasses they had in the store. Sure enough, I found a pair that I really liked. They had a little rhinestone bling on the sides that really attracted me. I had the clerk to hold them for me.
I went back to the optometrist and found out that my eyesight had not changed.(Thanks be to God.) My eyes were good and I didn’t need to get new glasses. I said to the eye doctor: “I really liked some cute glasses I saw next door, but I guess I don’t need them.” And the eye doctor replied: “Let me change your PERSPECTIVE. Ladies spend a lot of money on shoes or purses or clothes that they wear just every now and then, but you wear your glasses everyday. Why wouldn’t you want a pair that you’d really like to be wearing? Sweet music to my ears. I got a new perspective. I’m wearing those stylin’ glasses in this photo.
How many times do we have a “less is best” mentality and miss out on some of the BEST things. Another example is buying an extended warranty on a new appliance. I bought a new refrigerator 4 years ago and though I didn’t want to pay the extra $129.95 for an extended 5-year warranty on it…..I did. Just yesterday, I walked into my kitchen and there was water all over my kitchen floor (from the ice holder that had defrosted) because my refrigerator stopped working. That $129.95 was the best investment for my future.
Honestly, some of our perceptions and perspectives really block clear vision. Not long ago, a man at a metro station in Washington DC started to play the violin. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, thousands of people went through the station. The first person who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother pushed him along and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only the children, it seemed, wanted to stop and listen. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew it, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.00.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment. Because he was playing in a subway station, people assumed he was a street musician playing for handouts and paid no attention to his music. They saw and heard what they expected to see and hear from a street musician. Thumbs up to the children who had the awareness they were listening to extraordinary music.
What perspectives could be keeping us from the joys of life that make us feel better, experience less stress and panic, and cause us to be aware of the beautiful music that is playing all around us? When we change our perspective…..we might just be changing our life!