In_Plain_Sight

Photo: Kranich17/Pixabay

As we go through our lives, we visually take in a great many things that register in our brains in various ways. Sometimes, we look all over the house for our car keys or glasses, only to find them in a very obvious place. Obvious to everyone but us. Driving a car through the city or the countryside brings more things to catch our attention, but we tend to describe our journey as bucolic or fast-paced, without mentioning the things we saw. When questioned by others, ‘Did you see the museum on Park Avenue?’ or perhaps, ‘Isn’t the old covered bridge beautiful?’ we offer an answer but only a half-baked one, not having remembered whether or not we saw it. Then we go on for some time about the things we made the trip to see. The things we expected to see. The reason we made the effort to see them. We saw what we wanted to see. And only what we wanted to see.

Which begs the question: how much do we miss in our lives by not observing those things we did not expect to see? Seeing the beauty of a stark landscape, or hearing  the laugh of a happy child, noticing the beauty of the stars in a clear night sky. How many people have we overlooked because we did not expect to see them come into our lives, and exiting just as quickly. And what about those people or situations that are not happy ones: those who suffer from disease, poverty or loneliness, or perhaps the stray dog near our work whose days are filled with finding food and shelter. While we cannot save the world ourselves, seeing it as it is, as it really is, and not as we expect it, can be the beginning of making it better.

We all read about those who took a chance on finding a better way to move through life; seeing people for who they are, what they need, and asking how we could help. It doesn’t take millions of dollars, or a foundation donating money or goods to make things better. Time is something we can all donate to any number of organizations that try to help adverse situations, allowing us to learn more about what is needed and how we, and those we know, make an effort to improve life for us all. These things are in plain sight of us all, but do we see them? If we do, does our discomfort lead us to ignore the problem, telling ourselves that surely someone is doing something to make this better. But is this the case? Largely, it is not the case, and things are being left to those ‘others’ who never appear, leaving us in the same situation.

Taking a chance by saying to ourselves ‘I am someone…’ who can make things begin to happen and to help nullify adverse situations and help those affected by them. Sticking our neck out is not something that is particularly comfortable at first, but like many things, it becomes easier the more we do it. Seeing the changes we help cause becomes its own reward for us, and the impact on others, unable to help themselves, makes our world a better place for all.