All the Things I Don't See

Have we ever stopped to think that what we see isn't really what there is to see? And that the things that I see aren't really the things that everybody else sees? All of this is just a matter of perspective, but not only does it depend on the physical point of view of a person, it depends on many other factors that can influence how that person sees things.

This thoughts come to mind because I started reading this book called On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz. It is the story of how the author herself decided to take eleven walks with different people to see what they perceive. For example, she takes a walk with a geologist, a sound designer, a child, and even her own dog! She tried to see things how they all saw it, from their perspective. Truthfully, I haven't read much of the book, just the first chapter, but by just reading what is the introduction to this book, it got me thinking on all the truth that she was speaking by pointing out that we miss out most of the things that are really happening around us. Plus, the most interesting part of it all is that she got me thinking that, it isn't about what we see, it's about what we don't see and how we ignore certain facts and just put our concentration on minor details that don't really let us see the bigger picture or what's important. So, why is it that we do this?

I believe all of this has to do with our identity. It may not seem very clear, but all those things that make us see differently have to do with a set of characteristics by which a person is known. If I'm a woman, I will see things differently then a man, or if I'm from the Caribbean, I will pay attention to some things and avoid others. In my case, which is the only case I can actually tell you about with certainty, there are many factors that let me see some particular things. For example, I've always loved nature, and every time I walk through my university, I look at the floor to see the leaves laying on the floor and how they're stepped on, or how they move with the wind, or I notice that in some areas the grass looks greener and in others it's more brown, or how sometimes in between the cracks on the sidewalk there are little plants growing from underneath like they're trying to break through the cement. It truly just depends on what that person finds interesting and worth watching.

In conclusion, our perspective depends on the things that distinguish a person from others, and I believe that this factors will let us see what we want to see which in reality is the only the thing that we see.