“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible” writes Jonathan Swift. Perhaps it is the strength we have within ourselves, the value in someone we know, the ability of someone who we may be at odds with. There are times in our life that our greatest power is to see beyond what is in front of us.
As the story goes, there were two men, both seriously ill, in the same room of a hospital. Quite a small room, it had one window looking out on the world. One of the men, as a part of his treatment, was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon (something to do with draining the fluid from his lungs). His bed was next to the window. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
Every afternoon when the man next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. The window apparently overlooked a park where there was a lake. There were ducks and swans in the lake, and children came to throw them bread and sail model boats. Young lovers walked hand in hand beneath the trees, and there were flowers and stretches of grass, games of softball, and at the back, behind the fringe of trees, was a fine view of the city skyline.
The man on his back would listen to the other man describe all this, enjoying every minute. He heard how a child nearly fell into the lake, and how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses. His friend’s descriptions eventually made him feel he could almost see what was happening outside.
Then one fine morning the nurses came in to check vitals, deliver pills and start the day. It was realized that the many closest to the window had passed away in his sleep. Without his friend, the man on his back soon lost his connection to the outside world. After a few days he asked if he could be switched to the other bed, he wanted to be next to the window. So they moved him, tucked him in, and made him quite comfortable. The minute they left, he propped himself up on one elbow, painfully and laboriously, and looked out the window only to realize that it faced a blank wall.
I can be the change I seek in this world… . I will remember that an open mind leaves a chance for others to share a worthwhile thought.
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