A different perspective!

I have written a number of Posts where “Perspective” has been the driving force (put it in the search field and you will get quite a few responses). Perspectives are important (if we are going to survive as a species) because everybody has a history, and that history has created personal perspectives.

Trying to see the world from Ray’s  perspective helps in our ongoing canine/human relationship. Just acknowledging that we are, who we are, because of our perspectives should hopefully drive home the simple fact that we can be very different … and have every right to be that way. Why is that person living on the street? Why did that couple do those things to that child? How that did lady achieve fame so quickly? If we understood their history and their resulting perspectives on life, all could well become very clear.

This Post however recounts a recent personal incident where personal perspectives are clearly quite different, and how acceptable those differences can be.

I was working outside a few days ago, and  our elderly (our age!) lady neighbour was in her garden. The usual greetings were followed by a story about what a terrible night she had. Apparently she went to bed at 10:30pm, and was wide awake around 5:00am. She couldn’t go back to sleep hence she was feeling rather tired now.

My immediate reaction was “I wish I could have a night like that!”

My typical night also starts at around 10:30pm, and I am asleep very fast. I usually have to get up to use the bathroom at around 1:00am. and probably again at around 3:00am. If I am lucky, I will then sleep through  to 5:00am which is when I get up and start my day. More recently I have been getting up at around 4:30am.

While relating my night time routine, it suddenly struck me how strange it must sound to her. Here I am giving her my desire for an unbroken night … right through to 5:00am, when she  is clearly used to waking up at a much later time. It comes right back to perspective doesn’t it. Neither of us are wrong. We just have different perspectives on what constitutes a good night!

Now all we have to do is remember that the next time we see somebody who doesn’t quite “fit” our world. Perhaps if we understood their perspectives, they would “fit” into it really well?

Food for thought?

34 thoughts on “A different perspective!”

  2. Yes..perspectives are everything. A person we admire was seen by Bill in the grocery store with no mask. Bill was shocked and negative about it until I told him our friend had mentioned to me he is asthmatic. Bill’s perspective of maskless people has been changed ever since.

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  3. I think we reflexively compare other people’s habits, actions, opinions with our way. I do that too. But basically it is nothing we need to avoid. To me, it is rather intriguing and inspiring. It does make me look at the other perspective with curiosity to learn something I had not thought of, or it tells me that what I do still fits me best. There are so many life situations, so many personalities, and characteristics, so many histories, and destinies. Of course, there are countless perspectives… it is amazing!

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  4. I saw a meme I like very much: “BE KIND, ALWAYS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT ANOTHER PERSON IS GOING THROUGH.” I do a lot of guessing as to the other person’s situation and motives, always making a case for giving them the benefit of the doubt. As for perspective, I am introverted by nature and would have said I didn’t go out much. One day I was approached by the young woman who cared for my neighbor’s mom (with Alzheimer’s). Her job required her to stay in all day long and she was envious of me “coming and going all the time.” I hadn’t thought a couple trips to the grocery, gym, and library added up to much but to her, getting in the car to do any of those things required freedom she did not possess. After that, I stopped by to visit her now and then, to break up her long day with coffee and a bit of conversation. 🙂

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  5. It happens a lot! Even though I understand it, I still do it! My best story is that I was riding in a car with a friend who was screaming at the driver in front. The driver was driving down the middle of a highway exit that had 2 lanes, one for north and one for south. I looked at the license plate and realized the driver was from another state and didn’t know which way they needed to go. After I said that, my friend calmed down. Eventually the driver committed to a direction and all was well in the world.

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  6. It’s sort of like when we call someone “crazy.” They’re only crazy to us, because we can’t make sense of their perspective. For instance, if I lived in Pennsylvania, maybe I’d have the perspective to understand why they speak an entirely different form of English than I’m accustomed to.

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  7. We retire any time after 9 pm as that’s when Maggie has her final walk/wee. She’ll usually sleep until about 2am then gets up for a drink and I have to get up to use the loo. If I’m lucky, she’ll sleep until 5, then want to go out, but with the light mornings, that has changed to 4.30 ish, but all being well she’ll go back to bed until 7. It would be nice to have an uninterrupted night and sleep through until about 6.30 though.

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