Seeing the big picture.

Wide Horizons

“Whether it be physics or architecture or Eastern forms of meditation or Western forms of prayer, every field of inquiry affirms the fact that the wider our views, the less isolated we are.”

                                                   R. D. Chin

My father spent the years of World War II in the Pacific. He shipped out from Gulf Port, Mississippi, through the Panama Canal and into that wide, wide expanse of water. Most likely, it was the first time he'd seen the ocean, having grown up in the mountains of North Carolina. He had astigmatism, and the Navy Doctor gave him exercises to do everyday at the prow of the ship. He was to stretch his eyes as far as he could to scan the horizon to the right and then to the left, then up, then down, ten times, slowly. This he did, and it cured his astigmatism. Through his whole life, he never needed glasses except to read when he was older. I like to picture him, a very young man in a sailor uniform, standing out at the peak of the ship, scanning the wide Pacific ocean.

Wide horizons are curative in a multitude of ways. Whether it involves expanding one's mind with reading or education, having people of other cultures and races in one's circle of connection, practicing a spiritual discipline or a martial art, traveling, rock climbing, birding or almost anything else, every time we extend ourselves in a way we haven't done before, we widen our horizons. We broaden our understanding of the world and of other people and creatures in it. We learn something about ourselves and our place in the great scheme of things. We feel less isolated.

One of the perils of aging is narrowing down to a tiny point of reference, as one stops interacting with the world. Our connection to here and now, to time and place, to expansive vision and deep curiosity ratchets down to the confines of our home, sometimes to a single room. We cease to have insights, or ideas. This causes our brains to lose function. Being a life-long-learner is critical to a healthy brain. Keeping our hands involved in the life around us, and in understanding others keeps us from becoming dull and sad.

The fact that you can 'learn something new everyday', as cliché as it is, can make a big difference in longevity. It's exercise for the brain. Living longer is only desirable when there is something to live for, right? Broadening one's horizons is a cure for boredom and depression. Get out there and live expansively today.

                                       In the spirit,

                                          Jane