11-24-16

Life in One Word

If life could be summed up in one word, what would it be? Since I bear responsible for posing the question, I'll answer it.

The one word I chose is perspective. Based on the third definition, perspective is simply how you mentally perceive things. This viewpoint, if you will, determines and dictates everything you say and do. Everything you think, feel and even believe. Also the way that you hear things and filter them. Perspective affects how you dress, the words you use, what you eat, where you go, and how long you stay there. It influences what you buy and how much you spend on it.

This word moves you to love some people while hating others. It pushes you to fill out applications for certain jobs while leaving some stones unturned. It dictates who and what you find beautiful or even super ugly. Hence the saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Well, so is everything else.

Nothing in life and how we choose to live it can escape the dynamics of this all encompassing word. This piece of vocabulary permeates the halls of congress, the oval office, the suburbs, the hood, trailer parks, prisons, hospitals, etc. Wherever life is lived there exists perspective.

Perspective is why every so often "they", whoever "they" are, determine if I should be called Afro-American, African-American, or simply black.

Perspective is why Black Friday is so successfully marketed to consumers which puts more money in the pockets of business owners.

Perspective is the underlying reason behind why the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer. See, the poor, out of need to possess and be validated by material possessions, keep giving money to the Joneses who in turn use it to further distance themselves from the poor and the disenfranchised. I, for one, helped several famous people buy a hose, I mean, mansion every time I watched Friends or bought their Jordans, or shopped at Wal-Mart. Now my money is their money. Now this money is spent according to their perspective which means it's reinvested to make more money. Why didn't I do that?

Perspective is why juries at the end of the trial will say, "We find the defendant not guilty," as opposed to, "We find the defendant innocent." The reasoning is who of us is ever actually altogether innocent. Born sinners come to mind.

Perspective is why there are so many different truths, not to mention sexism, racism, capitalism, judgmentalism and any other "ism."

Perspective is that which influences are morals and values.
Perspective is why you don't see Caucasian Americans on job applications, even though we all are of immigrant descent.
Perspective is the reason we all live differently.
Perspective, the essence of life.

P.S. Praise God for changing my perspective from temporary to eternal.
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