To Look, To See, to Envision.

What does it mean to see well, to see the world clearly, as it is, and to envision the future? A newborn discovers her hands and spends hours fascinated by their shape and movement. A mother turns a switch on a mobile above her sons crib so it will rotate to the sound of a lullaby that helps him fall asleep. As the days go by, a fog lifts slowly from the children’s eyes. The mother’s features sharpen as the infants study her closely while held against the warmth of her body. 

Several years later, those same infants are thrust into the reality of every day life in a poor household. They move through their small home, admonished not to wake their father who is sleeping, exhausted from a demanding night job. The mother, absent by day, returns late afternoon after spending eight hours on her feet cleaning houses. She too would like to rest and be left alone.

These parents love their children and work diligently to provide for their offspring. They cope by lowering the shades, turning off lights and allowing the glow of children’s programs to permeate their living area. Television is the third parent in the room. It raises their children by keeping them safe at home though mindlessly occupied and physically inert. Cartoon images flash and high voices babble twenty-four-seven, maintaining a continuous backdrop of sound that put them sleep and greets them awake. 

I’ve been observing the household for several yeas and can understand how tight finances can create a visual handicap.  The children look but don’t really see. They are not asked to do anything no presented with opportunities to try, fail,  persevere, and succeed. They are learning to give up easily. 

Interacting with them mades me think about the difference between looking, seeing, testing, and envisioning.  Given this background, I wonder how to inspire them to be curious and to search for details in the objects of their curiosity.

My childhood mentors helped me stretch my vision. One demonstrated the scientific method and demonstrated how to bring what observations into the microcosm of my soul. Another coached me to recognize edges. I studied a drop of dew on a leaf,  learned to visualize rainbow colors in flash of sunlight, and to smell the perfumes of everyday objects. A third, showed me subtleties of nature, to notice the movements of animals and birds against a background in camouflage. I became aware that wisdom of evolves with stops, starts, twists and turns, influencing how I envision the future. He helped me notice that the rocks we stand on, the homes we build, the air we breathe, and the people we love are an interconnected part of nature.

I’ve been wondering what presents I can bestow on the youth who cross my path. I decided it is not money or material things they need most but rather twin gifts of vision and curiosity. If I can influence them to look beyond the surface, to search for truth, to see details and nuances, they will never be bored. If they can gain courage to try, to fail, and to try again, they will be content. And, as they assimilate what they see and learn, they will envision a future filled with opportunity.