What The Eye Sees ...

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.


ROBERTSON DAVIES 

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Quotes

A few years ago, I heard a story worthy of repeating.  This story is about perception and I loved the ending!

A woman was in between flights at an international airport.  She decided to purchase a bag of cookies to munch on while she waited for the departure of her next flight.  Finally finding a chair in the midst of strangers, she settled in with her book and cookies.  

Deeply engrossed in her book, she mindlessly reached for a cookie; but much to her surprise, she found another hand in her cookie bag!  She quickly jerked her head to see just who this greedy hand belonged to.  A well dressed man sat next to her greeting her with a smile, as he proceeded to eat a cookie.  "Of all the gall," she thought.  Oh well, what was one less cookie.  She continued to read, but once again when she placed her hand in the cookie bag, his hand was exiting with still another cookie.  She was furious!  She gave him a look that would fry bacon, but he just smiled back.  

As her last flight was finally called for boarding, she decided to finish the last cookie and throw away the bag.  As she turned, however,  she discovered the man breaking the remaining cookie in half and gesturing to her to take the last half.  She grabbed her half of the cookie from this rude gentleman and boarded her flight.

She was still steaming when she took her seat on the plane next to the window.  She replayed the entire cookie scene in her head, still appalled  at the inappropriate behavior or this rude man.  Placing her book upon her lap, she reached down into her purse to retrieve her glasses when her hand touched upon a crinkling bag.  She pulled the bag out of her purse and to her amazement she was looking at her bag of cookies! 

Can you feel it ... the dawning of truth, the embarrassment, the recall of all judgment placed upon the innocent man, and the humiliation of not being able to explain your side of the story?  

Perceptions are frequently obtained through too small a lens.  We need to use a panoramic view finder to see the big picture!