Thoughts on Perception

Thomas Doty – Storyteller

Image.

I gaze at long shadows on a summer evening. They soften the glare of a hot day. They dramatize details. As shadows grow longer they stretch and make bridges between daylight and twilight.

My thoughts shift to people. There are ways of perceiving folks that soften harsh edges and reveal delicate gestures. Noticing is essential to knowing.

Evening stretches toward night. I squint to see more. I try to match the rhythm of my watching to the subtle shifts of the landscape.

Darkness. My eyes turn inward and I meditate on words. I visualize a story I have been learning to tell. I look at each word until I notice a difference, until I see the soft eyes of the story returning my gaze.