You Don't Wanna Go There!

Perspective is a term we use in art to define the art of drawing solid objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other when viewed from a particular point.I have been working a lot on perspective in some of my paintings. It’s fun to find a spot and have that be the vanishing point to which everything else in the painting relates.I am fascinated how often an art principle parallels a life principle. Dan and I have just spent ten days on the Gulf in South Florida.  It has been heavenly.  We have loved walking on the jetty, eating seafood in a beach café, lying by the pool in the hot sun and then taking a long dip in cool water.  We have been entranced by the sky scenes. Every day I want to snap photos of the beauty in color, formations and depth of contrast.  And the sunsets.  Wow! Every one is unique and full of God’s beauty.Yet, before we came to Florida during what is purported as the hottest month of the year there, we heard naysayers telling us they wouldn’t go there during August for any amount of money. Too hot! Too humid!  We were so happy those people stayed home! Traffic was light, there was never a wait for a restaurant table or a problem finding an outstanding place to rent.  The heat and humidity were the same (or not as bad!) as it is in Tennessee and many other states during August.  It’s a hot month! But at least in Florida, you can jump in a cool swimming pool or step into an air-conditioned building.We heard comments on the red tide being the worst in years and no one should be at the beach.  Yes, we did see some dead fish…..not the huge amounts we see in the news (although there are undoubtedly pockets of shoreline where this is happening) and yes, we did cough a few times but all in all, the red tide didn’t seem nearly as horrendous as we were led to believe.  And as soon as you got away from the beach there didn’t seem to be any effect at all.  So the red tide didn’t deter us either.In real life, perspective is someone’s slant on a subject or event.  We heard people say, the weather is horrible, the red tide is horrible, the humidity is horrible.  One Floridian even stated “Can’t wait to get out of this place. Hot and toxic and smell of death all around.” Wow! Our perspective was the total opposite.I do believe we get what we expect.  We went to Florida to enjoy it and so everything we looked at, everything we did…. We expected the good….we spoke joy.  Our bias was that we wouldn’t let others determine the outcome of our trip.We all look at art with differing perspectives.  Someone may see a painting and think it has little merit while someone else immediately sees how that piece compliments the colors in their dining room.  We look at our spiritual journey from very differing perspectives.  One may come from the stance that we are born sinful and are continually having to stave off “the enemy” where someone else knows they are a Child of the King and therefore expects life to bring them joy and abundance.Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right!” and of course we all know you can look at life as the glass half full or the glass half empty.  In my mature years, I prefer to look at my glass overflowing and in that, I hope my enthusiasm and joy touches the lives of others in positive ways.How is your perspective on life? Does it need a reboot?