Thought for The Day - Eyes Wide Open

Study for Pre-Dawn Light 18 x 24 Charcoals

In a day's time, in the instance of a moment, there is so much we can absorb and take in. Actually our senses take in far more than our conscious mind will acknowledge; our reasoning filters out far more than we would acknowledge. But let's consider what we might dismiss, the stuff our 'filter' sees but refuses to acknowledge.

In traffic, on the way to work - work and our feelings about it (good, bad and ambivalent) being our primary focus - we pass others. We drive by them, beside them and see them in our rear view mirror. We see them, but we don't; we see faces and the same tell-tale indicators in their expression as in ours. Someone is struggling with a decision about a spouse or 'significant other' oblivious to their pain. There is someone who has a child that is capable of so much more, but is that child falling into the steps of me, the parent, who also could do much more? What about the story behind the eyes of a homeless man or woman, or the person pretending to be? What motivates someone to stand on street corners and beg for money when they have a place to stay, food and perhaps a car? And how different is that from you and I, living from paycheck to paycheck, the modern day equivalent of hand-to-mouth existence?

At work, 'hello, good morning' and small talk break up the work load. But how much truth are we ignoring in the words of our 'work-family?' More importantly, how much of our own soul's cry and longing for the 'abundant life' goes unanswered?