Day One Entry: Dec 3, 2016
Assume your vision has been colored
Think for a second about a boy who, as soon as he was born, was deemed blind by the doctors. And assume in our story, well-intentioned care givers who decided the boy needed immediate surgery to implant sight correcting lenses.
And also believe that - in spite of everyone's best intentions, those lenses were manufactured and installed with a slight defect. A defect that distorted just slightly this boy's vision. This defect caused the boy to just slightly miscalculate distances and colors - and make his view of the world just slightly off from everyone else's.
Think of the bumped tables, the spilled milk, the overturned chairs that would follow him through his whole life. Think of how these experiences would shape the boys view of the world, of reality, and of his fellow human beings. Think how he would think himself so clumsy, and everyone else so graceful- as he seemed to be the only one who constantly collided with life.
And finally, think that many years later, this faulty vision is properly diagnosed and corrected. Imagine if you can, the dramatic change the this boy-man's vision- and the transformative impact of his new and clear sight.
I think this man would have mixed emotions, don't you? There surely would be some mixture of relief and resentment. Relief at his healed sight - and resentment at that terrible mistake perpetrated upon him so many years before.
What now will he do? Can he forgive that past injustice - and live now his remaining days in gratitude? How can he repair the past damage to both his reputation and the furniture of all those he encountered throughout his years?
For those of us in "middle age", this story is surely ours to share. We were raised by well intentioned but ill-informed adults. They taught us rules that were false, and told us stories that were lies.
They gave us distorted glasses with which to see the world - glasses that some of us have yet to replace.
But for those of us lucky enough to see it, our now corrected vision is a new lease on life. Yes, there are years that will seem wasted. There are wounds that will seem unnecessary. And unfortunately, some of those wounds still fester.
And yet, now. Now we have an opportunity before unavailable - and because of this - now so very precious.
We have now been given clear vision. And with this seeing a perspective unavailable to anyone else. It is easy for us to miss - that all those years of near blindness did teach us many things.
Like a political prisoner set free, we have all those years of longing for freedom. All those years of yearning to be free.
And now, free - and armed with the strength of endurance and the firmness of resolve - if we can forget the past and embrace our new future, there is almost nothing we cannot do.
World. Get ready. We are here. We are free. And we have nothing to lose.
dg
45° Partly Cloudy
Maplewood, NJ, United States
Think for a second about a boy who, as soon as he was born, was deemed blind by the doctors. And assume in our story, well-intentioned care givers who decided the boy needed immediate surgery to implant sight correcting lenses.
And also believe that - in spite of everyone's best intentions, those lenses were manufactured and installed with a slight defect. A defect that distorted just slightly this boy's vision. This defect caused the boy to just slightly miscalculate distances and colors - and make his view of the world just slightly off from everyone else's.
Think of the bumped tables, the spilled milk, the overturned chairs that would follow him through his whole life. Think of how these experiences would shape the boys view of the world, of reality, and of his fellow human beings. Think how he would think himself so clumsy, and everyone else so graceful- as he seemed to be the only one who constantly collided with life.
And finally, think that many years later, this faulty vision is properly diagnosed and corrected. Imagine if you can, the dramatic change the this boy-man's vision- and the transformative impact of his new and clear sight.
I think this man would have mixed emotions, don't you? There surely would be some mixture of relief and resentment. Relief at his healed sight - and resentment at that terrible mistake perpetrated upon him so many years before.
What now will he do? Can he forgive that past injustice - and live now his remaining days in gratitude? How can he repair the past damage to both his reputation and the furniture of all those he encountered throughout his years?
For those of us in "middle age", this story is surely ours to share. We were raised by well intentioned but ill-informed adults. They taught us rules that were false, and told us stories that were lies.
They gave us distorted glasses with which to see the world - glasses that some of us have yet to replace.
But for those of us lucky enough to see it, our now corrected vision is a new lease on life. Yes, there are years that will seem wasted. There are wounds that will seem unnecessary. And unfortunately, some of those wounds still fester.
And yet, now. Now we have an opportunity before unavailable - and because of this - now so very precious.
We have now been given clear vision. And with this seeing a perspective unavailable to anyone else. It is easy for us to miss - that all those years of near blindness did teach us many things.
Like a political prisoner set free, we have all those years of longing for freedom. All those years of yearning to be free.
And now, free - and armed with the strength of endurance and the firmness of resolve - if we can forget the past and embrace our new future, there is almost nothing we cannot do.
World. Get ready. We are here. We are free. And we have nothing to lose.
dg
45° Partly Cloudy
Maplewood, NJ, United States
Sent from my iPad
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