What is perspective? The definition says “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view”. I want to focus on the point of view. What it really boils down to is, your opinion. How you and I can look at the same thing and see something totally different.
For my entire life, I have been fascinated by the perspectives of individuals. I had my first chance as a freshman in high school to share with someone that their ‘perspective” about a group of individuals was not only biased, but shaped with falsehoods and misconceptions. Looking back to that moment, it may have been a pivotal shaper to what drives me today.
I entered my freshman year at high school at the top of my class. I was fresh off a television appearance for nerdy teens and I had all the latest clothing and accessories of the time. It took me a week to get my uniforms because my mother didn’t know where to order them from prior to school starting. I was in catholic school and about a month into school, I mentioned I lived in the projects. I was never ashamed of where I lived so the reaction, I got wasn’t exactly surprising.
Two of my classmates responded by saying “wow, you don’t look like you live in the projects”. My answer was to say I didn’t know what people in the projects looked like and if they planned on hiding their purses going forward? Their perspective was “project people” were criminals and vagrants and couldn’t afford to be in school with them.
More recently I’ve watched and mostly tried not to judge others in their Christian walk. I’ve listened to conservatives and others quote the Bible and invoke Jesus into conversations. Then I look at their behavior and say, is that what Jesus would do? Our perspectives on what Christ’s behavior and desire for us to treat each other kindly differ dramatically. It makes me wonder if there is another Bible that they are referencing where it is edited and I can’t see what I see when I look in my own Bible.
We all have that co-worker who comes to work and seems to not really be engaged in the job. They are doing just the bare minimum to get by and won’t team up on projects or offer any additional assistance when it is needed. They are 9-5 and that is all. It frustrates you because you are pouring everything you have into the job and you are in the same space. You volunteer for extra projects and spend time after working doing what you can to fill in the gaps. You think they are lazy or disinterested. Let me offer another perspective. They could have issues going on at home that you are unaware of that hinders them from giving anything extra. It could be a sick child, parent or themselves dealing with a silent disease like anxiety, mental disease, Lupus, cancer or any other one that carriers deep scars that are not always visible to the eye. Don’t assume you know what a person is going through just by looking at them.
On that note, I’ll leave you with this. If I posted a picture today, I’d be glowing on the outside. Smiling, bright and beautiful. While I feel that way today, the past year that I have been writing and sharing, you already know everyday has not been that day. As a matter of fact, there were probably more days that I didn’t want to smile in the last 365 than I wanted to.
I’m smiling now. My gratitude for the blessings of the past 365 days makes it so that I can reflect back and see the progress. There was so much movement to get me to this moment. I honestly didn’t get to enjoy it all as it was happening but I am so grateful it did and will be praising and thankful in the right now and going forward.
Someone looking at me may have had the perspective that life was grand because God was blessing me at every turn! Those who were reading felt the pain and saw me fight through it.
Bottom line. Things are not always what they seem. Don’t let someone else tell YOUR story!
Until we meet again!
I love you all, be safe!
