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Through the Eyes of a Guest


Last weekend John's dad Steve and step-mother Karen came to visit. Steve and Karen live in a quiet, rural town in north Alabama. We absolutely love to visit them because we can't help but relax the second we step out of our car and into their cozy world. We have a great time when we are there and it's a nice escape from our norm.

We had a really nice visit with them while they were here, and we enjoyed some fun Atlanta outings. In fact, I felt like a tourist myself at times because we hit spots I don't frequent on typical weekends. It was great to be with them and to step outside of my usual weekend routine.

In addition to exploring the touristy places, it was interesting to see them take in the sites of my daily landscape. Watching them, I felt like I was seeing my environment through a visitor's eyes, and their observations helped me consider things in a new way. I think it's healthy to observe others responding to what you consider normal, and it is good to see things through fresh eyes sometimes.

For example, on Saturday morning as we flew down 400 to Turner Field, Karen commented on how she was glad John was driving so she didn't have to deal with the traffic. However, I was sitting in the backseat thinking we were flying because hardly any cars were on 400 at that time and we were scooting down the road faster than traffic typically allows. Karen was used to fewer lanes and less people. I was used to more congestion and found the number of lanes on those roads normal.

The same thought transferred to the number of restaurants, businesses, and shops surrounding our home. While we find our suburb a nice "happy medium" between the city and the country, I'm sure they saw it as more crowded and hectic than they prefer. I love the fact that I can get to two grocery stores within 5 minutes, but the proximity and side effects of high population density and many traffic lights do not appeal to everyone.

Also, I'm sure that the houses in our neighborhood seemed extremely close together and lacking in natural landscape to Steve and Karen, whose neighbors have anywhere from 4-100 acres separating them from one another. While we carefully nurse our tiny plot of sod and flower beds with meager push lawn mowers and our hands, they require tractors to work in their expansive yards and heavy equipment for their gardens.

It's easy for all of us to get caught up in designating labels such as "normal," but I was reminded this weekend that normal, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. This truth applies to so many things - what I consider a normal schedule, diet, outfit, bank account balance, etc. might be completely foreign to you. Hosting Steve and Karen was a good reminder for me to be open minded, aware and sensitive to others' perspectives. We can always seek to avoid insult and offense when interacting with others by considering their viewpoint and not making assumptions. You will learn so much more this way and be surprised by what knowledge you might even gain about yourself.

Comments

  1. LivingABonaFideLifeJuly 13, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    Great thoughts Leigh. :) We all view the world in such different ways, it's wonderful that you are in tune to that!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Leigh HarperJuly 14, 2011 at 9:20 AM

    Thanks, Courtney!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Steve JacksonJuly 28, 2011 at 10:38 PM

    Good observations dear - love you lots! Pa

    ReplyDelete

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