Recalling a chapter from The Story Of My Life - Helen Keller wherein she mentions what would she wish to see if, by a miracle, she is able to see the world for just three days, I understood that it is simply amazing to see how much of the universe around us do we do not see but only look at through our eyes. We are so used to the world around us and so busy making our days count that we only see what is needed to accomplish a certain daily chore.
Having read the account of how Helen Keller wishes to view the world if she were granted with a vision for three days, came a new insight into how we see the world around us. It felt as if everything I was looking at is renewed and filled with a freshness that I can perceive through this renewed sense of vision that now includes a characteristic of childlike delight of discovery and a sense of wonder and praise for those insignificant happenings as they happen. Although you cannot be an artistic observer at all times, that one time was something that made this post happen.
As I learned to see the observable world (again), it unfolded with millions of perspectives that earlier passed for nothing.
My limited vocabulary and amateur skills of self expression are insufficient to explain what it feels like to try 'seeing' the world form a new periscope of delight, wonder and discovery. So I feel better to use some examples.
The struggle of an ant carrying a speck of food around is a routine observation. But it is delighting to wonder about the fact that such an insignificant (in our world) creature has its own set of thoughts. I am unsure if they are actually 'thoughts' because it is we humans only that pride ourselves with that capability. But whatever, something is driving that creature towards a destination and the effort. Isn't this new discovery wonderful?
Have you ever observed a face ever so carefully that you can notice the mind behind the face doing thinking, calculations, concluding and the face just goes on reflecting all that? The smallest twitch of an eyebrow that changes whole expression of the face to reveal to you that some thought did not ended into a very worthy conclusion or a minuscule smile appearing for a nanosecond as a consequence of fond thoughts crossing the mind!
The ordered randomness in patterns of nature; trees swaying to the rhythm of cool evening breeze as if few wise men nodding in agreement to some deep rooted discussion going on.
Pollen strewn below the flower bearing trees shining in the morning sun telling that there is life happening silently.
The narrow continuous trickle of water from the edge of a fountain, wavering like a threadlike serpent, while others look at just a fountain. A few drops of water waiting to be fed by the mist of a fountain so that they can drop free to meet the ground.
Not only nature, looking at the man's creations, the society moving and living around, life happening, busy people, expressing people, a lonely rusty bicycle awaiting its the owner, an abandoned vehicle counting its days, the cement jungle about to fade into the night.
Everything has an inherent characteristic of delight and wonder to the onlooker who is blessed to so observe.
Such an onlooker, the observer of the world and its events, the one blessed with this childlike sense of wonder is never bored whatever situation he is 'observing', he will always be in his own world. Amused at the little little-ings happening around him. He is blessed by the goddess of Black Pearls and needs no companion to amuse him.
Try to get into that mode sometime and forget your ills, perils, boredom, workload. See how it feels to be an amused silent observer.
