Thursday 22 June 2017

PERSPECTIVE


Perspective… a coveted gift in life that always seems to turn up a little too late, or certainly not always when you need it. When it does wash up on shore, you’re always struck by that feeling of, ‘How did I not figure this out in the first place? It was right there in front of my face.’ But alas, we’re human and we often lose focus, have to learn things the hard way, and get caught up in the emotion of the situation until clarity washes up on shore.

Of late, thanks to the vicissitudes of life, I’ve been bathed in perspective (to clarify, I'm talking about the profound moments of perspective; not the "if I drink gin, eat Indian food and then do a headstand,  I'm going to have issues" type perspective. Then again, that type of insight is helpful as well). Like it or not, as one ages, this tends to start happening with a lot more dependability. We get older, have children, people around us pass away, get sick, face challenges that seem to test them on every front. It’s part of the grand journey of life, so they tell me. And you start to realize that all the clichés are true: one better appreciate the small moments, be grateful for what has, and don’t sweat the small stuff  - you know, all that chicken soup for the soul type stuff. 

You also realize that perspective has often come in bursts throughout one’s life, but it’s a challenge to get it to last more than five minutes. It's worth adding that for those of you that have been able to take a step back and really look at their lives on a weekly basis, kudos... but trust me you're in the minority. Perhaps it’s because life moves so quickly and we’re so adept at shoving our heads in the sand, or that perspective demands empathy and self examination, and well, that's not always something the human brain wants to engage in. Just turn on the news and you’ll get a dose of perspective on all fronts… war, the ills of the world, the depravity of human beings, nature’s wrath… I mean, that’s enough perspective to make you reach for the tequila after breakfast.

But on the more positive side of things, perspective is also there to bring about gratefulness and presence of mind. For me personally, this year has been one of loss; and there is nothing that teaches you more than the sobering reality that life is indeed fleeting than death. We are constantly told this, we know it won’t last forever, and yet, we often behave like it will. But when one experiences the loss of family and friends, it’s hard to escape the writing on the wall that it’s only about the now. Being grateful for the now, embracing the now, staring at the giant fire breathing NOW in your living room and saying, OK, ok, I get it, and I’m going to learn from you, take what I need to know and really get to work!

As expected, the now has been a very loud voice in my head lately… a ‘this is it’ voice that has coloured my actions on all fronts. So when the King asks me to put Blackbird on repeat at 6:30 a.m. and help him draw a camouflage bird (don’t ask), whereas part of me wants to crawl under the rug and go back to sleep, the other part of me realizes that this moment is a moment worth treating as a gift. Even at 6:30 a.m. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still times where the King’s machine gun fire requests come too fast and furiously and I find myself buckling under the fatigue, but I have found myself reaching for the yes more often than not lately.

Whereas, I would hope that I could gain this perspective without so much loss, unfortunately it doesn’t always work that way (or it certainly doesn’t last that long). So for now, as I’m certainly thankful to be here, I’ll welcome perspective like an old friend and allow it to show me what I need to see. As the King would say, allow it to be the Yoda to my Jedi... ahhh, perspective, wise you so are. 



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