This photo is from a hike I went on in December 2013 in the English countryside. What strikes me is this… (Well, besides the fact that my superior photography skills have made the sun look like a melting blob.) A camera lens pulls out selected rays from the sun; it refracts the light in a particular pattern.
Likewise, in terms of life and actions, we all see selected effects, happenings, occurrences. Each of us has his / her own built-in camera lens, and we initially only see a few of the sun rays. This naturally affects how we see the world — refracting our thoughts into a certain pattern.
Being conscious of this, I sometimes try and shift my lens, imagine what someone else’s lens might reveal. Occasionally, this lets in a few rays that I hadn’t seen before. Which bring with them new ideas or new paths for conversation.
I’m not always successful in understanding a lens different from my own, but I strive to. And in that striving, my thoughts might refract into a slightly different pattern. Whether brainstorming for a project or having a conversation about politics, it brings perspective and new ideas.
