Lying on one of the purple couches in our college library, I aimlessly look up at the ceiling. I then proceed to raise my legs to simulate standing and walking on this unknown, mysterious world above. I think about walking on the ceiling tiles that are soft at first touch, yet somehow sturdy enough to carry my weight without collapsing. I think about how to get around the light fixtures that sit intermittently hazarded alongside the tiles. I think about how it would be to climb through the now inconveniently awkward door frame to get into the next room. I think about how the sensation of walking beneath bookshelves full of books held in place only by the force of gravity and, well, reality would feel. I think about looking up and seeing chairs, desks, and the like suspended from what I would now call the ceiling at a whole new angle from which they look like foreign forms of unknown use. I think about standing, and looking out of the window at the vastly different world outside. I step over the exit sign that now reads *upside-down* “TIXE,” realizing that I really need to work on reading books upside-down if I were to properly familiarize myself with and embrace this other, upside-down milieu.
Such is the boundlessness of my imagination.
Brief interjection: I’m actually very psyched about how unusually relevant this story is to my main idea. I’ve had this anecdote in my head for a while now, and I'm so pleased to finally share it with you.
*Takes deep breath to calm the excitement arising from how inspired I am.*
Alright, back to it. Rarely do we look at the world in reverse, or upside down, because we live in the present, right side up (or so we think). We live day to day in our heads, thinking of ourselves, and aware primarily of what is happening to and around us. Using this rather elaborate illustration of a day dream I once had, I intended to show how eye-opening it can be to just change your perspective of a place, of a situation, of a person, of a conversation, etc. The world from another perspective is completely different from the one you typically inhabit, and realizing this is one of the first steps to living in a constant state of wonder, openness, and understanding. In this state, you will come to see that everyone has their own language, their own views of the world, their own fears, their own inspirations, their own drives, etc.
“To each their own” is a phrase that comes to mind as being particularly applicable here. So, the next time you get irritated by how someone says hello to you, remember that they’re coming from a different world, and speaking a different language than you. Maybe dialect would be a better word to express my point than language…You decide. Choose your own adventure.
Essentially, different perspectives are naturally foreign to us. All I’m going to suggest is that you remind yourself of that fact every once in a while. Attempting to take on and understand the perspectives of others is the next step. Go at your own pace. Understanding is a journey, and this is merely one of many steps that I’ve come upon and wanted to share.
