Different

Before The Grinch

Many a child has heard or seen the tale of The Grinch. The Grinch’s appearance during the holiday season is almost guaranteed in certain countries.

What if our childhood pre-dates the 1957 creation of the Grinch? Or what if we had a different version narrated in our culture? What might have preceded this green icon of emotional transformation? Other stories of gratitude and reclamation of one’s soul were ubiquitous. From biblical to fables, the parable of witnessing humankind in a new light is constant.

How might we avoid being resolved to one version of a narrative? How might we be open to other interpretations? How might portrayals from others add value to our journey instead of challenging our core beliefs?

Other Ways of Seeing
Tsugaru Iwaki Skyline, Japan

When we glimpse this image, we might see different adventures. An auto enthusiast might consider how a sports car handles this route, road cyclists might see a climb with endless switchbacks, a skateboarder might consider a possible descent, a drone operator might think about a viable video, and a landscape artist might see a subject matter to paint. Others may see the consequences, a fear of heights for a car passenger, an engineer who wonders if a better design existed for the road’s construction, or an environmental conservationist who ponders the necessity of the road.

How might we allow for broader interpretations of a subject beyond what is immediately apparent?

Everybody But One

When I first encountered this sign I missed the arrow for Vaca Ranch and assumed every outfit was to the right. It seemed obvious that the main course of travel went right. Among the noise and clutter, it is hard to stand out, despite taking the road less traveled. Just because we are on different route than the rest, does not mean those seeking us will be successful in navigating to our location.

Different

Boat

Walking in Venice, Italy one sees thousands of vessels.  Taking pictures of any one of them is a task similar to capturing an individual zebra or wildebeest on the savannah in Africa.  Our eye catches the ones that are different.  Being unique means people look beyond labels and see why you do not fit.  Sometimes the characteristics that you exhibit are exactly what they are looking for.

Syria Boat

CruiseMixed Boats