Is it the coffee? Is it the heavy warmth of summer or is it just me? For whatever reason, I’m sitting at my computer feeling philosophical this morning. I’ve learned through the years that if one is quiet, prone to brief nods or slow eye blinks, tilts the head to one side and says, “Hmm,” one may be mistaken as wise. Which I’ve never pretended to be, but anyway—I am feeling philosophical.
People–it’s people who are on my mind and the way other people think about people. I’ve noticed through the years, that sometimes people are defined by one trait, usually a negative trait. Why is that? Or, a habit or an affliction. How totally unfair. I suppose those definitions are made by others who see only on the surface and do not take the time or are not inclined to look beyond the obvious.
For example, I noticed on This Day In History that this day in 1933 Wiley Post flew solo around the world. Usually, when I think of Wiley Post, I think of the man who was flying the plane when he and Will Rogers were killed in a crash in Alaska. But, Mr. Post was so much more than that. He was a fascinating person who worked on developing one of the first pressure suits and also discovered the jet stream. As a distinguishing feature, he wore a patch over one eye. But, when I thought of Mr. Post, I was unaware of the depth beneath the surface.
In college, I had a professor whose obvious distinguishing feature was that he had a deformed spine resulting in a hunched back. How unfair and untrue that he was distinguished by this deformation. He was one of the most brilliant, insightful people I’ve ever met.
In my lifetime, I’ve made some memorable goofs. At least, to me they seemed so. But, how sad if others remember me only from seeing the outside, the obvious, the imperfections.
So, as I sit at my computer, nodding, blinking, and saying, “Hmmm”, I come to the conclusion that the people who see only on the surface are the real losers in this thing called life. Getting to know what lies behind that hasty word or wrong decision or affliction will reveal a whole hidden depth. It’s easier to pigeon-hole someone and not look beyond the readily visible, but digging a little deeper is definitely worth the effort.
Manos Mysteries
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