My Universe

When I was at high school our school motto was “Take the light, and give it out.” That has always made sense to me. I saw things in black and white, light and darkness, good and evil. Take the light, the knowledge, the truth you have – and share it with the world around you.

Many years later, I now realise that I see things in terms of multitudes of shades of grey. That is: light, knowledge, truth – what I see and know of them are simply my perspective on a continuum, where today’s understanding of the truth is at point A, or point Q and so my perspective of those things – is just that – my perspective. My perspective is today’s snapshot of truth -which might be a pale grey with a hint of lavender – one of many shades of grey. How I perceive the planet, my world, my knowledge, my truth if recorded, is simply today’s version of my knowledge or my truth. No less valuable than yesterday’s version, no greater value than tomorrow’s. Every record is determined by my experience of the world (my knowledge, my truth) at any given point along this continuum we call life.

My perception of the world may differ tomorrow. My frame of reference may change. My ‘goalposts’ may change. Today’s continuum might become tomorrow’s box of pastels, or a pie chart, or some linear graph, or a numerical sequence, or a symphony, a dance of kinetic energy, or a mind map, a language or a philosophy.

The interaction of light and darkness, good and evil, truth, from my perspective, might become a graceful dance or a mathematical equation, a picture, a parable, a precious stone, or a microcosm.

My perspective is simply that – my perspective, my interpretation, my understanding of the world as I see it, my snapshot as at today. How I will make sense of the world around me at some later time, I cannot say. All I know is my experience, my view, my ability to make sense of my world today. And that is why I write – to record this view – which tomorrow I may consider rubbish. Will good and evil change? Will light become brighter and darkness recede? Will truth be truth as I understand it today? I do not know and I cannot say.

I simply know that I keep changing. My views expand or contract. The lens becomes more clear or more cloudy. My perceptions change. What appears a telescope today, might be a microscope next week. This is my universe.