Humbling Experience

WHICH DO YOU SEE-YOUNG OR OLD?

I loved Psycology 101. This was one of the pictures that helped teach us about perceptual illusions. I could wile away the hours starring at the different pictures and go back and forth between two illusions.

Yesterday was a day to see how my mind has other kinds of perceptions.



My summer has been busy babysitting the grandboys. Not babysitting like keeping my eye on them every second; but more like keeping them occupied so they stay out of trouble while mom is at work -kind of babysitting.

Occassionaly when the boys come over they play with a little girl named DD. DD stays with her grandma during the week. I've told the boys they aren't allowed inside her apartment since I've never met the grandmother, but that it is okay to all play outside in the community area.

Several times the boys have come home with something DD's grandma has given them. Once it was a miniature American flag, another time it was a can of soda and once on a very hot day, a popsicle.

Finally I asked them to politely say no thank you when offered something.
"I don't imagine DD's grandma has that much money that she can afford to be buying treats for the neighborhood kids. Sometimes older people only have a little money for food and necessities, I told them."

My boys nodded acknowledging they understood what I was saying, but had a questioning look that I dismissed because I was busy doing something else.

This weekend our church sponsored an oldies car fest. One of the activities surrounding the car show was a pancake breakfast that I helped with.

As I served eggs and sausage, a friend I knew many years ago came through the line. I'd never met his second wife but I knew she was the sister of one of the women in my widows group.

After saying hi to my friend I turned to his wife and introduced myself and told her I was a friend of her sisters and I was happy to meet her.

"I see your three grandsons occassionaly" she told me as I scooped a spoonfull of eggs on her plate. As she continued down the line she finished saying "They play with my granddaughter DD."

After trying for a few minutes to remember who DD was, I started to laugh when I finally remembered.

I'd been picturing DD's grandma to be an 80 year old, stooped over woman, raising a granddaughter on a fixed income. This woman was atleast 10 years younger then me, fit and trim and certainly not appearing to be short of money.

It made me think of all the people out in blogland. Some of us have never met in person and yet I have a percieved visual of every person whose blog I read? And even what we read isn't always what the blogger is trying to say. And yet our minds can paint such a vivid picture.

Just make me kind of wonder how many times people have imagined me to be a stooped over woman with one foot in the grave.