Perceptions.

This word has been on my mind tonight, so I guess that is what I am supposed to write about.

There are as many perceptions in the world as there are people.  We each have our unique perspective on any given situation, on any given day.  It is said that there is no reality.  Just perception.  Yep…  our way of regarding someone or some situation.  Our understanding, or interpretation of….. anything.  A mental impression.

It isn’t far from an opinion, really.   What we perceive is influence by every other single moment of our lives.

For instance, if our parents taught us from the time we were born that oysters were highly poisonous, and we would drop like flies if we ate EVEN one… we would probably be reluctant about frequenting the Oyster Bar Scene.    Oysters are poison.  That is our truth.

So you see, perceptions can be a tricky thing.  Because let’s face it.  For whatever reason…. people actually DO eat oysters, and they survive!  (And they LIKE them!)

Just today, in several conversations throughout the day, I could see that people had extremely divergent impressions of varying situations.

Here’s another side of it.  Some people don’t give a rat’s astroid about what other people think.  Somehow, I truly believe this is a gift.  Maybe.

I wish I had just a little bit of that.  You see…. I care way too much about what other’s think of me.  I put an awful lot of weight in it.  Daily.  I think there is a difference between being “open” to other’s opinions….. and worrying about what other people think about us.  And I worry.

With all that said…. I hope you don’t think any less of me tonight.  The truth is… I don’t like oysters.  Not one bit.   My perception of them rests in knowing that they are a grayish white bivalve mollusks with rough irregular shells.  And they remind me of snot.

But back to the thing about perceptions.  I guess it might just be that we do not necessarily have to agree with, or share, the same outlooks as others … . … but perhaps  we should simply accept that we are all unique.  And that truly is one of the best parts of life.

I can’t think of anyone I admire who isn’t fueled by self-doubt. It’s an essential ingredient. It’s the grit in the oyster.   —  Richard Eyre

For memory, we use our imagination. We take a few strands of real time and carry them with us, then like an oyster we create a pearl around them.  — John Banville