perspective (pəˈspɛktɪv)
— n
1.
a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance
Judge not, lest ye be judged
Have you ever had this experience? You’re waiting somewhere public like–oh, I don’t know, DMV or something–and someone near you is acting incredibly rude and inconsiderate. (Hold on, before you all jump and raise your hands, don’t answer just yet, because we’re not focusing on that person, we’re focusing on you.)
The general killed the Viet Cong; I killed the general with my camera. Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world. People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths.” –Eddie Adams, Photographer
Go ahead, fill in the blank: Character is _____________
Did you ever ponder this question? Is character defined by what you do, what you wear, how you speak, the things you believe in?
Or is it defined by whom you associate with, your socio-economic background?
Remember when you were a child, and you believed you could fly if you just ran hard enough and leapt? I’m not proposing you do anything like that might possibly cause bodily harm, but I am asking you to consider what it was that allowed you to take that flying leap off that porch, or deck? Was it ignorance? Maybe just a little. Was it foolishness? Again, maybe a bit. But I submit to you that it was something else. Something that as you watched reality, grownups and negative people snuff out your dreams (some rightfully so), died within you. Something that seemed a lot more fun than the harsh “reality” of life.
Some of you already know from my bio that prior to my work as an IT Professional, which preceded my career as a writer, I was a professional musician. That’s right. I was a cellist who graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. I’ve performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Cairo Royal Opera House, and concert halls in Israel, South Africa, Jordan and Israel