Autumn Drives and Perspective Shifts

A Ripley County, MO gravel road

When the weather cooperates, this season beckons. Throw on some jeans and hiking shoes, grab a snack, jump in the car, crank the windows down, tune in to some music, and hit the back roads. Colors in the trees and brush are vibrant and constantly changing. An autumn drive is definitely a mood-lifter in pandemic times.

You don’t want to be in a hurry. Notice the butterflies, hear the birds and rustle of leaves, spot the deer and turkey, watch for squirrels, chipmunks and turtles, and be on the lookout for critters you might not normally see, like a fox or a groundhog.

If you make these jaunts as I do, without a definite route in mind, you steer toward new paths, making curious turns toward the unknown. You still have favorite routes you never skip, though.

For some reason I took one of those familiar routes in reverse last week. My usual mindset was jarred. The landmarks offered a different perspective. I knew what waited around the next bend or off on the hillside, but there were details I had never noticed. Some aspects of the circuit seemed brand new.

Hmm. What if we could THINK in reverse about current controversial issues? We know OUR stance, but what would it hurt taking a look in reverse? Might we gain some insight into a detail or two that could broaden our perspective or give us a heads up into understanding differences? Might our minds be exposed to details we have missed or ignored? Might we learn a thing or two about opposing views instead of considering all who hold them to be hardcore opponents?