Somewhere in my house my glasses are hiding from me. It is obvious they decided to do this for surely I would never put them anywhere I could not remember. They must be laughing at me as I now walk past them as my search moves from the obvious locations to the obscure. I know they have to be here. I drove home with them the night before last and did not drive away with them this morning. Fiendishly they mock me as they watch me crawl about on my hands and knees peering under the couch and as I pull the cushions off my favorite chair. This is great sport for them and when I apprehend them I shall punish them by giving them a good bath. In the meantime I am grateful for an old pair that work fairly well even if the prescription is different. All day today my eyes have been trying to readjust to the different lenses.
It is a challenge to see things anew. We like the old way of looking at people and ideas. It is far easier to change our socks then it is to change our mind. Like an old pair of comfortable shoes ideas seat themselves into our way of thinking. Two people see and hear the same thing and yet each sees and hears something differently. What we see or hear is the product of the event liberally sprinkled with pinches of prejudices, predispositions, religious beliefs, family loyalties and what we want to see and hear.
Psalm 19:12, “Who can discern his errors?”
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 23, 2002
Spring of Life, 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453