It seems we (especially I) are often terrible at seeing the difficulty those we perceive face in synonymous experiences. Our vision isn’t just blurry, but inherently far too narrow. We don’t grasp. Most we can do is barely see, peeking through our blurry telescopes. If still we judge, we risk cruelty founded in our incompetence.
Even with our blurred vision, we see what’s vividly terrifying. Its colors are bright, and typically we comfort and support those we see under such light. We admire those who act, fight, confront, play, despite this sheer fear.
I feel often we neglect, disregarding carelessly, those who experience vast depths of challenge from seemingly mild difficulties. They can seem cowardly. We tease. We get frustrated. We downplay. We label. It is understandable that we do so. It seems it’s in our nature to judge. We can’t see from anything but our lenses; they are calibrated by our experiences.
Yet I feel it is also our nature to empathize if we understand. Our ability to see is incomplete, so we must attempt to touch, hold, think, and map. It is callous to not, if you are one to judge. It pains me to see. I say if we are to peek at one’s constellations we must attempt to grasp the physics of their universe. Note its laws. We must study its gravity, and its continued inertia.
If you try, you may soon find your greatest admiration directed towards these seemingly cowards. Their strength might be subtle. They may move in steps, crawls, rather than leaps. What seems to be a pond of fear might be an ocean with giant waves of courage.