P is for Perspective

Quite often, if not always, things boil down to perspective—how we look at the person, the situation, the event, our surroundings, everything.  Take traffic and male other drivers.  Please.  Let’s say Mr. Neverlooks pulls out in front of me causing me to slam on my brakes and, after I’ve braked and my speed has been lowered to a crawl at best, he takes off and continues down the road at least five miles over the speed limit.  From my perspective he’s an idiot.  And I would love to smack him.  From his perspective…oh, who cares?  He’s an idiot and that’s a bad example. 
 

Let’s try an example from my MIL.  Her perspective was always positive.  It wasn’t a dreaded chore to wash dishes instead, it was great that one had dishes to wash.  Great attitude- especially for someone who never really did any housework to speak of.  She hated housework and just didn’t do it.  She was a Mary as opposed to a Martha, if you will, deeming life so much better sitting and writing or watching PBS or going to a poetry reading or the symphony.  Ok, so who’s going to disagree with that perspective?  Except, from my perspective, how does the house get: cleaned up?  Meals prepared?  Homework assisted?  Kids cleaned? Errands run?-- if one doesn't find a happy medium between their Mary and Martha?

How about the perspective of parents when their babies grow up and go out on their own?  Empty nest, empty hours, empty feelings all coupled with pride, excitement—the sweet lonesomes, if you will…But, from the perspective of the kids it’s excitement, nervousness, thrills, delights, the momanddadwhos?… 

And there’s yesterday afternoon when, right after his bath, Tucker went running outside after a squirrel RIGHT THROUGH THE TOPSOIL MOUND and I, just for a second, perceived having puppy stew for supper.  Instead, my perspective (after I may or may not have blessed out Hubs who has YET to do whatever it is he’s going to do with that mound of topsoil) was more along the lines of-‘so what, he’s a dog doing his doggie thang.’

Finally, this week, I could look at all the cleaning, straightening, tidying, washing, scrubbing, meal planning, shopping, blog posts for the A-Z challenge that I signed up for (please, next time, someone STOP me!), etc. that I have to do as a drudgery.  But I’m not.  From my perspective this means one thing:  EVERYONE is coming home for Easter weekend!  

This is the 15th day of the A-Z Blog Challenge for the month of April. And this thing is getting harder instead of easier...thankfully, we're in the second half!  I just might make it!