New Eyes

The everyday things become a poem,
when we look real hard
and get to know 'em.
If you haven't got eyes to see that,
then maybe you should grow 'em.

-B.C. Byron

Growing eye plants is difficult and not recommended for any but the most experienced farmers and gardeners. These plants are quite finicky and require constant attention. Too much water and the eyes burst from liquid saturation. Too little water and the eyes come out more like raisins, which have poor vision. Since growing eye plants is not practical for most folks, I recommend a change of perspective rather than literally growing new eyes. If you want to see a poem in everything, which I strive to do, you’ll have to change your mindset. Learn to count blessings.

Our perspective about the things around us is largely within our control. Seeing things in a positive light just takes practice. Unfortunately, we often spend too much time looking for things we don’t like about the world around us. Poems aren’t always positive and happy and neither is life, but poems can be a good way to step back and look at the world in a different way and this can lead to finding the good in a tough situation. As a kid, I found a pretty neat trick with food that helps me enjoy (or at least tolerate) foods I don’t want to eat. I pretend that I have been stranded on an island by myself for ears and the meal in front of me is the first thing I’m eating after being rescued and brought back to civilisation. I imagine how new and exciting it must be to eat plain old vegetables, or bread, or whatever boring food after having to forage my own meals out in the wild. Suddenly, the food in my mouth is becomes a treasured flavor, something I missed during my long isolation away from everyone else when even salt and sugar were completely unavailable. A little perspective and imagination can turn broccoli into a dessert, well almost.

I read a great book called Man’s Search for Meaning. It was written by a Jewish man who survived in a death camp during World War II. He learned that his frame of mind was something that could keep him alive and even find a bit of joy in a dark situation. His troubles didn’t go away and he certainly didn’t ignore them, but he survived and found a way through. I can’t think of a better example of growing new eyes. If your eyes are only seeing frustration and boredom, grow new ones. It’s up to you.