See With New Eyes
Every morning, you wake up under your own head of hair. You open your eyes, and your field of vision is framed by your own nose and forehead. Your feelings are influenced by the unique mix of chemicals in your own brain. Your thoughts are based on your own past experiences.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to truly see the world from another point of view? Have you ever wished that just for one day, your field of vision were framed by someone else’s nose and forehead, that your feelings were influenced by the unique mix of chemicals in someone else’s brain, and that your thoughts were based on someone else’s past experience?
There are lots of people whose minds I would like to get inside. For some reason, today I decided to pick a few of the minds that interest me most.
The first one on my list is Jill. From the outside, she lives an incredibly charmed life, and I’ve always wondered how that’s affected her thinking. If my life included as many wonderful, improbable things as hers does, I would begin to wonder if the world might be some sort of game set up for my personal enjoyment. I’d like to know if that’s happened to her. And I’d also like to know what it feels like to be really, really, really short.
Next up is Dr. Ashland, my old piano teacher. He’s a fascinating man, and an amazing musician. I’ve taken several classes from him over the past few years. In any teaching situation, he manages to convey concepts in very few words, and his quick wit makes me think there’s much more going on inside his head than he reveals. I’d like to know what it feels like to have his depth of understanding about classical music, and what it’s like to have his spiritual background. And I’d also like to know what it feels like to have such a distinguished-looking head of white hair.
Third on the list would be June. June is a Korean fireball in her late 20s, with an infectious happiness and love for God like I’ve never seen before. She was instrumental in starting the church I attend at home, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with her that did not lift my spirit and put a smile on my face. Unfortunately, we lost touch a while ago; she left the church abruptly, and I’m not exactly sure where she is or what she’s up to now. I try to call her every month or two, but she doesn’t return my calls. I’d like to know what made her decide to leave the church, and how I can most effectively minister to her needs. And I’d like to know what it feels like to have such incredibly contagious charm.
Fourth, I’d like to get inside Natasha’s head. I’m not art critic; I couldn’t tell you what makes good visual art if my life depended on it, but I think Natasha is a good artist, and she has a refreshingly random, improvisatory approach to life that always makes me smile. I’d like to know what it feels like to have art sense and creativity like hers. And I’d like to know what it felt like to watch me tumble out her car window after that Nickel Creek concert last year.
Fifth, last, and most, at the moment: Amy. Simply because I don’t understand her at all.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to truly see the world from another point of view? Have you ever wished that just for one day, your field of vision were framed by someone else’s nose and forehead, that your feelings were influenced by the unique mix of chemicals in someone else’s brain, and that your thoughts were based on someone else’s past experience?
There are lots of people whose minds I would like to get inside. For some reason, today I decided to pick a few of the minds that interest me most.
The first one on my list is Jill. From the outside, she lives an incredibly charmed life, and I’ve always wondered how that’s affected her thinking. If my life included as many wonderful, improbable things as hers does, I would begin to wonder if the world might be some sort of game set up for my personal enjoyment. I’d like to know if that’s happened to her. And I’d also like to know what it feels like to be really, really, really short.
Next up is Dr. Ashland, my old piano teacher. He’s a fascinating man, and an amazing musician. I’ve taken several classes from him over the past few years. In any teaching situation, he manages to convey concepts in very few words, and his quick wit makes me think there’s much more going on inside his head than he reveals. I’d like to know what it feels like to have his depth of understanding about classical music, and what it’s like to have his spiritual background. And I’d also like to know what it feels like to have such a distinguished-looking head of white hair.
Third on the list would be June. June is a Korean fireball in her late 20s, with an infectious happiness and love for God like I’ve never seen before. She was instrumental in starting the church I attend at home, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with her that did not lift my spirit and put a smile on my face. Unfortunately, we lost touch a while ago; she left the church abruptly, and I’m not exactly sure where she is or what she’s up to now. I try to call her every month or two, but she doesn’t return my calls. I’d like to know what made her decide to leave the church, and how I can most effectively minister to her needs. And I’d like to know what it feels like to have such incredibly contagious charm.
Fourth, I’d like to get inside Natasha’s head. I’m not art critic; I couldn’t tell you what makes good visual art if my life depended on it, but I think Natasha is a good artist, and she has a refreshingly random, improvisatory approach to life that always makes me smile. I’d like to know what it feels like to have art sense and creativity like hers. And I’d like to know what it felt like to watch me tumble out her car window after that Nickel Creek concert last year.
Fifth, last, and most, at the moment: Amy. Simply because I don’t understand her at all.
posted by Life on Wry at 3:31 PM
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