Perspectives

To anyone looking at the puddle under the eaves yesterday morning, it was just that–a rain puddle; but to Sara, when she was small, it was a wonderful wading pool. She delighted in splashing through it after a spring rain.

To me, it was just two tacos and an order of cinnamon twists, but to Nathan yesterday, after a day at school, it was his favorite treat and he could hardly wait to dig in.

My front porch is rather small, not outfitted with flowers at the moment, but to one gray and white cat, it was a welcome refuge from yesterday’s rain as he crouched there, momentarily warm and dry.

A long time ago, I wrote a poem about an ant…how the world must look to this tiny insect compared with the way the world looks to me. It requires some thought, to imagine oneself in the place of an ant!

I’ve often wondered how toddlers see grown-up people. They must think that we are mostly feet and legs, unless they tilt their heads way, way back to look at us huge beings who tower over them.

My friend Jane could explain how artists always consider the perspective of each of their paintings. It’s a vital part of a work of art. Perspective shows distance and depth. Try taking a photograph of a flower by lying down on the ground before aiming the camera and pressing the shutter. Next, take a photo of the same flower from a standing position. It looks entirely different.

Not everyone sees the world in the same way. And, I’ve heard that eye-witness accounts of a traumatic event are not reliable in court. Even children growing up in the same household can view a parent or other family member differently.

A writer has to consider the perspective of each of his characters. She has to get under the skin and into the head of these people in her books. Darcy’s view of the world is quite different from Jasper Harris’s. And Jim Clendon? Well, I don’t think anyone else shares his perspective. But, what fun, to briefly be these fictional characters and look at life from their viewpoints. It’s one of the many reasons I love to write.