A Matter of Perspective

I vividly recall my first trip to Washington D.C. At the age of eight. Maybe it was the opportunity to see landmarks and national monuments, or maybe it was the wretched summer heat that made the biggest impression. But, I like to think it was set that changed my world that summer. My mom used the opportunity to take my sister and I to the national gallery where they were showing an exhibit of Andrew Wyeth's Helga. But the real catch for me that day was Van Gogh's Starry Night. I remember being mesmerized by the color and by the magic. I believe that the night sky is more beautiful than even a Van Gogh. As a closet painter, I really love looking at things from a different perspective. It's interesting to look at a painting from the side. I like to the bevels and strokes of a painting. But life occasionally affords an opportunity to look at life from a different angle. I had one of those moments this week. Bol and Jok are two of the Sudanese Lost Boys. To listen to their presentation and look at Bol's amazing art work is surreal. The obstacles that both men have overcome make most lives look like a fairytale. I think that we all need a reminder that the power of the human spirit is able to overcome so much. It reminds me that no matter what happens, or how hard things seem to be, things are always better than they seem.