Writing in response to the prompt Friday Writings #242: Perspective
Last Sunday wasn't exactly my day.
My team lost the match. I missed my train. And to make matters worse, I missed a get-together with an old friend I had lost touch with and was really looking forward to meeting.
On my way back, sitting in the train, I noticed the person sitting next to me. He was cheerful, smiling and thoroughly enjoying himself.
We were sitting in the same train, travelling through the same city, on the same Sunday. Yet, somehow, we were experiencing two completely different worlds.
And that got me thinking about perspective.
We like to think we are seeing the world as it is. But are we seeing the world around us—or our interpretation of it?
Two people can stand side by side at exactly the same moment and inhabit completely different universes. One sees an ending; the other sees a beginning. One sees chaos; the other sees possibility.
The same rain can ruin one person's day and make another feel romantic. The same empty road can feel lonely to one person and liberating to another. The same setback can make one person give up while another sees an opportunity to start again.
Two people live through the same day. One finds boredom; the other finds beauty. Same city, same job, same circumstances—and yet, completely different meanings.
Because meaning doesn't simply arrive. We make it. We build it. We breathe it into existence.
Nothing is entirely fixed. Every event is, in some way, a mirror, reflecting the observer as much as the thing being observed.
Perspective does more than colour reality.
In its quiet, relentless way, it creates the reality we experience.
What a valuable insight! And I love how you made it into a story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words
Delete"Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them."
ReplyDelete— Attributed to Epictetus
Great and non-great men thinks alike sometimes, is all I can say
DeleteA thoughtful and well-penned reflection - Jae
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your visit and words
DeletePerspective is situational. One small suggestion - why don't you write on WordPress. You will get more views, readership, likes and comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your visit. While I would be happy to reach more people- I could not get myself to be comfortable with Wordpress.
DeleteYou have tremendous talent in writing! Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much—your words mean a lot. I’m glad my writing resonated with you.
DeleteLove how you articulated reflective reality. Although some experiences are too grave for such considerations, much of how we feel in our daily lives is how you have expressed it.
ReplyDeleteHi Suman
ReplyDeleteI just found your comment from March 2026 on my Wordpress site that I rarely visit since I've moved to Substack now. I hope to see you there so that we can continue our conversation. You had asked a question about writing a book and whether it would be worth it. Always I say. Write first, then see how to publish it. I'm adding the link to my substack here. https://kalpanamisra.substack.com/p/cake-cousins-and-a-90th-birthday