...About Perspective

We, as humans, seem to lose sight of perspective sometimes. Actually, most of the time. We have a natural tendency to make things much more important than they should be. 

The (2nd) definition of perspective is: • true understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion. 

We've all heard, and likely been accused of "blowing things out of proportion." This would be losing perspective. That's not really what I'm addressing here. I'm looking more at the things we place great importance upon, which, truth be told, are probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  

As usual, I can best relate my meaning with a story. 

My friend Mark is the Director of Bands at Troy University. The Sound of the South is a very widely recognized college band, so Mark has occasion to be in the company of others high in the field of marching bands. At some gathering of "those people," he was in a group that was huffawing and snootily pontificating about the glorious "Marching Arts." Conversation about how "...we in the marching arts should one thing or another..." and "...those not engaged in the marching arts are so often this or that..."  Mark listened for a minute, with his head cocked to one side like a dog hearing a high-pitched whistle, and finally asked, "What are y'all talking about? What are the marching arts?" 

One of the assembled poo-poos began an answer of, "why, the beautiful artistic creation involving musicians on an open plane creating a myriad of entertainment, enhanced by silk flags and creative dance." 

Mark, being Mark, said, "Man, I don't know where you're from, but in Alabama we call that 'marching band'. And it's not that big a thing. It's just entertainment for people at a football game. It's not that big a deal -- it's just marching band. Now when we go out and do a show, and it cures some disease, then it will be important. Until then, it's just marching band!" 

THAT is keeping things in perspective! Of course Mark wants the band to do well. Of course there is aggravation when it doesn't go as well as it should. But you know what? It's just marching band.  

For many years I was one of those really uptight kinda people. I lived on the precipice of stressed out! Years ago it was acceptable to smoke in a private office. I was living in Memphis at the time and working a very high stress job. One day, I was talking on the phone in my office. The conversation was not a pleasant one. After I reached over and hung up the phone, the buttons on my sport coat caught the side of the pen on my desk and it fell on the floor by my foot. I grabbed the 9"x9" ashtray on my desk and slammed it down onto the desk, breaking it in to 10,000 small pieces all over the office. How'd that feel, Paul? Better?  No. In the end, I still had to bend over and pick up the pen, and I now had to clean up 10,000 pieces of broken ashtray, and sweep the floor!  I had allowed the stress to promote whatever small issue it was WAY out of perspective. 

My assistant came running in like I had fired a gun, looked at how mad I was, and softly closed the door without a word!  But... I digress. 

I think that we all probably have a story like that. If we are honest, we will admit that we let too many things become bigger than they should be. Yes - things have to be right and orderly and proper, but I think we all might do well to take a deep breath and really look at what perspective we assign to things in our lives. Our jobs are very important. But do we have the right perspective of them? Are we making things more important than our spouses, or our children, or our families, or our faith, or our close friendships? I think Maybe. 

I am beginning to look a bit more carefully at things. I try to remember to tell my family and friends that I love them. I find myself more relaxed. I am proud to say that very few things now have control over me because of misplaced perspective. 

Maybe we could all relax just a little bit if we all put things into a better perspective. Don't sweat the little things. There are PLENTY of major things we have to truly fret over. Let the little things be little things.  My wife always says, "Don't waste brain cells over something you can do nothing about." She's a pretty smart ol' broad! Maybe we can all look a little closer at what's really worth getting worked up over. Maybe, just maybe, we can all relax a little more.  

I mean, really, it's just marching band. 

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