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| M. C. Escher ~ Relativity |
One day, many years ago, our seven year old daughter, Brielle, called to me excitedly, "Mom, come quick! This is my favorite commercial." I was surprised to see that she was referring to the provocative ad which had been dubbed The Diet Coke Break.
I was curious to hear what she loved about this rather "grown up" ad which capitalized on the law of human attraction. It showed several women who were excited to go on their coffee break. They made their way over to the high rise office windows and looked down where a gorgeous, ripped construction worker was stripping off his shirt. He reached over and grabbed an ice cold Diet Coke. As the camera zooms in, he flips the tab and takes a long slow swig of his drink! The song, "I just want to make love to you", plays in the background. Watching intently, Brielle said, "Ok, watch...do you see those ladies?" The women were straining their necks to get a good look. "Yes," I responded. "Well", she continued in a know-it-all tone, "those ladies REALLY want that guy's Diet Coke, isn't that funny!"
Bewildered, I took stock of her perspective then said, "You know, Brie; some people think those ladies want the guy." She looked at the TV, then back at me and responded confidently, "Oh no mom, they want that diet coke!"
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| Our Little Miss Brielle |
This delightful memory came to me as I contemplated the different interpretations folks have of Covid-19 and the shutting down of America. People feel passionate about their own viewpoint and strongly reject anything outside of it. Some of my "friends" post nasty memes directed at opposing opinions. Others use every news report to promote their own personal political agenda. Like me watching the Diet Coke commercial with Brie, we all have access to the same data; we've watched the same government updates and have read the same national perspectives played out in the news. Yet we don't all see them the same way. This is no surprise to me...it's a human response!
The lack of tolerance bothers me. There are those who want Americans to "stay the course", remain shut down with social distancing and mask wearing firmly in place. And then there are those that want a careful, well thought out return to work and re-opening up of our economy. I've found that people are quick to say that any perspective that differs from their own is "wrong", or "uninformed", and choosing to not wear a mask is "selfish". There are those who feel they have the right to judge, reprimand, accuse, and/or ridicule anyone who sees this difficult situation through a different lens from themselves. As my mom would say to us when we were being bossy kids..."Who died and left you boss?" When we open up America in a mindful manner, which will eventually have to happen; you may still feel unsafe. YOU stay home, YOU continue social distancing, YOU do what makes YOU feel safe. I for one won't be judging you! I'll be making my way back to the new normal with my face mask on, but only where it's required!
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