Contrary to popular opinion, most of us spend our days looking down on things. From the first time our rounded, chubby limbs lifted us upright, we have viewed the world from this perspective. Sometimes there are advantages to reversing that process, even for a few minutes.
In a fit of guilt over sitting for two days reading a fascinating book, I began an at home exercise program. The first step was to get down flat on the floor. That in itself was a challenge. The fitness program never materialized that morning because I discovered a new world …an upside down world, as I lay on my back gazing at the ceiling.
I was enthralled by the symmetry of the lamp hovering on my left. A painting of a spring marsh looked entirely different with upside down trees. The edges of the sofa slid away and the TV looked like the entrance to a long tunnel.
With some effort, I managed to turn over and crawl to the nearby kitchen and laid back and gazed at the florescent kitchen light fixture. In its plastic container it looked like a glass topped coffee table. I noticed a few places I had missed a few months ago when in a burst of spring fever, I had attacked the kitchen walls with the paint brush. I gazed for a while then had to admit the kitchen fan lacks a little beauty.
In the den I laughed at the stuffed duck on the mantle shelf. It was a treasure I found in a garage sale. I felt like a little duckling, gazing up at all the feathers of my mother back.
As children we used to play games of squinting, one eye closed, seeing how things looked. As adults we need only to slip our glasses off to know that things can look different when seen out of focus. Seeing thing upside down showed me another view of life.
I find myself trying to see things from a different perspective now. So often we see things “through a glass darkly.” Our attitudes to people would no doubt change if we understood better why they act as they do. I have to keep reminding my kids that I am frugal because that was the lifestyle of my early years. They have no idea the courage it took to finally allow a cleaning lady to come to my house once a month…simply because I had never allowed myself that luxury. It was a treat I gave myself for my 80th birthday.
Perhaps my grouchy neighbour has reasons to be grouchy…I know I have bad days too. It is so easy to judge others…I guess the best thing is to leave that up to the Lord and anyway I am the last one to talk…my exercise program started out with so much enthusiasm…but alas, I get sidetracked so easily!
Photo by Holly Victoria Norval via Flickr/CC
