Points of View of Our Daily Lives

The point of view I take on a situation can alter how I feel.

I was struck by how man points of view were available from atop this local bridge.

First of all, I must confess, one of my favorite imageries to photograph is a chain link fence. To me they represent literal and figurative boundaries.

Below me is the freeway, which streams traffic through, to the north, and to the south. Depending on what I’m up to when I’m taking in such an image can alter my perspective of where I think all this traffic is up to. Today, however, I’m reminded that so many people couldn’t possibly be up to the same thing.

I remember going into labor with my eldest son, and how intrusive the freeway felt when we were trying to make our way to the hospital. There were workingmen everywhere, traffic was slow, and the contractions exaggerated.

I once slammed into the back of a woman while driving southbound on this freeway. I had spotted my boyfriend’s car in a parking lot that was visible from the freeway. Curious as to why it was there, I got distracted trying to take in all the details and didn’t notice the traffic coming to a sudden halt – and bam! My front end was nicely snuggled into the back end of another vehicle.

There were those countless times, too, when I traveled this freeway to get my kids and myself to our daily scheduled locations.

To schools, to Girl’s Club, to work, to the doctors – you name it, and the freeway most likely got us there.What’s different about today’s perspective, or point of view, is that I was walking over this bridge to get to my daily scheduled places. Besides saving on gas and minimizing my contribution to global warming, I have learned to enjoy getting to where I need to be, by foot.

So here I am, traveling by foot, watching people travel by car, all the while appreciating the various details of our individual lives that make us so different, yet have us traveling along the same paths.

The nice thing about traveling by foot these days is that I get to take in sights and people I couldn’t possibly encounter while driving. And the exercise I get while I’m at it is priceless.

Here’s to hoofing it through my city and taking in many perspectives and points of view.

Happy trailing.