Going Blind

No, I’m not actually going blind. I am though, pretty much blind without my glasses or contacts.

Blind as in I have to squint at things that are 2-3 feet away. The first thing I do when I get up each morning is to put my glasses on and wear them until I switch to my contacts. Same thing in reverse order at night.

So, a while back, early in the morning, I found myself sitting on my deck, wearing my glasses, and having a cup of coffee. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze. I was attempting to read my New York Times morning briefing email and realized that my glasses were really dirty. I took them off to clean them.

That moment, on that day, I realized that I should probably “go blind” more often.

Without my glasses, I couldn’t see the individual leaves, but I could see the whole tree swaying.

Without my glasses, I couldn’t see all the cracks and flaws in my deck (and there are many), but I could see the space as whole, and how much of it there is.

Without my glasses, I couldn’t see tell the difference between the weeds and the flowers, but I could see the beautiful colors.

There were other wonderful elements of by backyard and beyond that I noticed, but these three wormed their way into my brain.

What did I take away from this momentary blindness? What realizations did I come to?

Well…

I realized that sometimes we get so caught up in the minutia and the details, that we lose perspective of the big picture. The gentle movement of that, entirely fuzzy tree, was one of the most soothing and peaceful experiences over the past few months. For our physical and mental health, we have to find some peace for ourselves, and we have to find some way to soothe our souls from all the chaos around us. We’ve all had an incredibly challenging year, but I think it is good, and healthy, and vital that we take the time to see the wonders all around us.

I realized, when looking at my deck, that only looking at the flaws that someone/something has, prevents you from also seeing the good. We, as a country, as people, as schools, have a lot of flaws right now. To be clear, I’m not advocating that we ignore these flaws. These flaws, just as the ones my deck, need to be addressed. They need to be fixed so that our country, like my deck, can be enjoyed by all. But when I looked at my deck without my glasses, I saw all of the space that could be enjoyed. I also saw all of the possibilities, and what that deck could become if its flaws were addressed. We have so many opportunities to seek out solutions to the flaws, so that we as a country, as people, and yes even schools, can become the best version of ourselves.

I realized, when looking at the wildflower garden, that too often I only see the ugly (the weeds) and ignore all of the beauty that surrounds me (the flowers). Looking for the beauty doesn’t mean there aren’t “ugly” elements in our life, and it doesn’t mean we don’t, and shouldn’t see them. It means that we should seek opportunities to find the beauty, and the wonder in our lives. Sometimes that is a flower, sometimes it’s a mountain, but sometimes it’s simply a loved one or a friend. There is so much beauty out there. We should try to seek it our more often.

Eventually, I put my glasses back on, and things became clear again. I am aware that I can’t live my life without my glasses or contacts. It wouldn’t be safe. There are too many risks. I can’t go through life without seeing things clearly. It’s necessary to see the details, the cracks, and the “ugly”.

But that doesn’t mean the big picture, the possibilities, and the beauty…those things I found when life was a little “out of focus” can’t take center stage once in a while.

So I challenge you, even if you have 20/20 vision…don’t be afraid to see things a little blurry once in a while.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember…PEOPLE CARE ABOUT YOU.