Catching Idle Butterflies

Skewed perspectives

When I was a kid, one of my favorite attractions at either carnivals or our nearest amusement park was the Hall of Mirrors.

I loved seeing myself squatted down to about a foot tall and three feet wide, six inches wide and six feet tall, or shaped like and S or C. Even moving around one mirror changed how I looked or how the person standing next to me looked. I used to spend hours in there, giggling the entire time.

I realized my emotions work very much like a Hall of Mirrors when looking at a particular situation. I was tired and feeling down today, and when I came home from work, I checked my email and perused my favorite forums on WDC. My mood fell even farther when my mailbox was nearly empty, and so many people seemed to be having great conversations on the forums.

I asked myself why no one wanted to talk to me.

The moment I asked the question, I realized how silly it was. The answer was so obvious.

I first asked another question: “When was the last time you emailed others or reviewed other people’s works to receive reviews in return?” My answer? “Umm . . .”

Also: “How many forum posts have you left for others to respond to?” Again my answer was, “Umm . . .”

Oddly enough, that improved my mood. It wasn't as though no one wanted to talk to me. I simply didn't give them any reason to! My lighter emotions enabled me to see my situation in a more normal mirror, giving me a straighter, more natural perspective.

You’d think after 36 years of life I’d know that my emotions have a great impact on how I perceive things! And just because I see things one way, it doesn’t mean I’m seeing them how they are and not how I expect or want them to be.