The view from here

There are a LOT of things about this world that I don't understand.

I don't understand various pieces of clothing (formerly called unmentionables)...and the relative inability to cover what they were originally intended to cover due to a severe lack of yardage.

I don't understand this:



















Or this:

(Those would KILL me...I would break my neck, or my leg, or both!)

I don't understand a lot of WHYs:
why cats ignore their owners,
why people hurt each other,
why bosses treat employees unfairly,
why people think they are above the laws,
why people throw away relationships.

I don't understand people who enjoy math.
I also don't understand people who think risk-taking is fun.
Or gambling.
Or smoking.
Or politics.

I will admit that my point of view on a lot of things (pretty much everything!) is colored by how I was raised.  That's not something that is new or novel.  Every one of us sees things through different lenses, based on where we were born, who our parents are, the setting in which we were raised, the people with whom we experienced life, the education we have received, and any number of other things that have influenced us.

Because I know that NO ONE has the same perspective I have, I try to see things the way others may see them.  In order to do that, I have to ask questions, do my research, get to know the people, and learn about their perspective. Those pieces of research are not always easy.  They take time, and effort, and actually caring that others may see things differently.  I can't do the research quickly (though Google has been *quite* helpful in that regard!), so while I am still learning, I have to control myself...I have to teach myself NOT to react, but to wait until I have learned.

The funny thing about doing all of this is that when I go into a situation wanting to learn about others' perspectives, my perspective has a chance to change, given the new information.  If I take the time to walk in someone else's shoes, to carry their burdens, to learn about their struggles, my perspectives on them changes....I am more able to be empathetic, and loving, and kind, and to extend the grace to them I hope they would also extend to me in a similar situation.