Perspective

Everyone is familiar with your own point of view. Certain activities, phrases, and actions are normal in your own view and those around you. When you experience an outside perspective, some items that you're familiar with may look odd.

This week, I received an email version of the New Mobility magazine. One of the articles was about a quadriplegic who has made a living with assistive technology. The opening picture is of him using a wireless head set for his phone and chin controlled wheelchair. My first reaction was curiosity in what he was using and that it looked cool. Thinking for a second, that's what I look like with my phone.

Looking through my eyes, I don't see the stuff I use or how it looks like when I'm using various devices. In my early years as a camp counselor, one of the campers was also a high level quad. As I rolled by his bed one morning, I looked down and saw he wasn't moving and thought he had fallen asleep again. I commented to another counselor and she corrected me that he was actually dancing to the music. Looking again, yes his head was bopping around to the stereo that was running, exactly the same as I do.

The problem was I looked at his chest and arms for movement and didn't look up to his head. I have seen others using a mouth stick for various activities and think it looks challenging. Once again, I only need to look in the mirror to see the exact same scene.

Getting outside of our own viewpoint can sometimes be very helpful to better understand a topic. It's what I try to do in classes and when I study apologetics. Seeing it from multiple angles helps to work with someone that has a different point of view.

As you go throughout this week, try to look at problems from a different perspective. It is interesting in the quad life and helps to better understand the world God has given.