A Matter of Where You Stand

Walking into the Vail (Colorado) welcome center, I was drawn to a piece of art hanging overhead.  It was fascinating in its simplicity: a curling structure that reminded me of a ribbon that was either being tied or untied.  I wondered about its meaning in this ski town.  Did it represent one of the ski runs, copying the twisting and turning that occurs as you race downhill?  Did it symbolize the toboggan runs found in both winter and summer sports?  Was it one of the rivers flowing down the west side of the Continental Divide?

Artwork is fascinating:  the viewer has the freedom to interpret a meaning... even when it is different from the artist's.

What do you see?
(Red Eddy by Paul Vexler, Vail Village Welcome Center)

As I walked around the center reading materials and exhibits about Vail and all it offers the visitor, my eyes moved back to the overhead piece.  Depending on where I stood, the piece changed from an unfolding ribbon into a "curly Q" or a “pretzel.”

Life is sometimes like that!  If we stay in one place, we think that we have seen all that life offers.  As we move and look again, we are invited to see anew.  What we assumed was true may have a different meaning or we might gain a deeper appreciation.

Do you see differently from where you are standing?

I wonder:

• Do our initial insights have an underlying truth as we perceive or understand a situation for the first time?
• Is it possible that, as we move and change, our perceptions gain a new understanding or meaning of the truth?
• Are we able to hold both truths gently and lightly as we continue to seek?

In other words, all perspectives might contain some truth, depending on where a person stands.  Maybe our task is to describe what we have seen or experienced; invite others to do the same; and, like an artist, stay open to differing views.

Do you become tied up when someone disagrees with you?

Rather than being all twisted or tied up in our relationships, we could allay our confusion by moving or changing our position -- testing our assumptions -- and observing what happens.  Like holding a multifaceted gem, we can turn our understanding around and attempt to see the sparkle of richness and truth in someone else's viewpoint.


This week, may we....

• Have the courage to move from where we have been standing;
• Allow new perspectives to challenge our earlier beliefs and conclusions; and,
• Become open to diverse views.

Larry Gardepie

Dialogue San Diego Consulting

(click on link for website)