My “seeing the world through Kermit the Frog’s eyes” ‘blagh’ engendered such a buzz on the information highway that it came close to shutting down the Internet. I won’t let that happen again.
But, if there’s any truth to the adage about waiting for the other shoe to drop, this ‘blagh’ post is the other shoe (yesterday’s ‘blagh’ being the other…other shoe).
So, you muster the courage to take off the emerald green glasses. Then what? Will it make everything better? Not particularly, because people who are willing to see things as they really are run the risk of being shunned, ignored or banned to the deep, dark forest.
Any time we challenge authority, it’s like taking off our glasses. And not only does authority hate it when people do that, many followers find it difficult to deal with, too.
The Queen’s Last Birthday, a chapter in my young reader’s book “The Adventures of Tom Tinker,” is all about seeing the world as it really is. Tom Tinker stumbles upon a town of people who are so afraid of the truth that they all wear figurative glasses, not literal ones. They live under a mean and wicked Queen who, because of her wickedness, is UGLY. The townspeople are so afraid of telling the truth, i.e. telling a Queen who believes she is BEAUTIFUL, that they all live a lie. The lie ends when Tom Tinker, who has not lost the ability to see clearly, stands up to the Queen and tells her like it is. When the Queen can no longer hide from the truth she turns into stone and the townspeople are finally free.
If we can’t muster the courage to take off our ’emerald glasses,’ we can hope that someone with the courage to do so will come along.
On the real YBR, I wonder how many Toyota employees were wearing ’emerald glasses’ when ‘mistakes’ were being made? And to be fair to Toyota, such corporate shenanigans happen far too often at far too many corporations. They also happen in the corridors of Congress, in the halls of higher education, and in the ranks of the College of Cardinals.
Seeing the truth and living it. It’s not easy because there are often some ugly consequences to be paid when you take off those damn glasses. But where would we all be if it weren’t for those who have the courage to risk it all so that one day we all may be free.
I understand using the the emerald glasses to see things in a different light. What about those who use glasses to hide behind something? Growing up I had many pairs of glasses (metaphorically). One day it could be beer, the next cocaine and occasionally sunglasses. I did so to hide me. If the eyes are the passage to the soul I didn’t want anyone to see the my soul. I did so for many reasons. First and foremost I am I guess you would say unattractive. I could not make eye contact because that would be letting my guard down. I always wanted a relationship with a beautiful woman as I am sure most men do. I would always question if an attractive woman showed interest in me. So I would use the tools (for this discussion glasses). Depending on the woman I chose the glasses accordingly. I was so scared of them getting to know the real me because of past relationships once they saw into me without my glasses my trip with her on the YBR was over. I found using the glasses all the time worked well for me. I also learned that a one night stand suited me much better than a relationship, because if they wanted to get to know me they really weren’t getting the real me, but an altered version. This altered version met a very wonderful woman. She saw through the altered part of me and tried her best to get me to go through life without any glasses. I chose not to and in doing so I killed that relationship one that meant a lot too me. Up until that point no one cared what color glasses I wore. This wonderful woman showed me the light without sunglasses wasn’t that bad. Having the self esteem issues and being weak minded I fell back into a comfortable pair of glasses and losing a wonderful person along the way. Eighteen years later I find myself going through a separation and trying not to put on the glasses. It took me awhile to figure out what this wonderful woman was trying to say to me. I am very fortunate to be able to call her a very good friend. I am looking forward to the second half of my life if I am lucky enough to live that long without any so called tools or glasses(well except for the ones I need to see). I don’t know where this YBR is going to take me and if my glasses show me the right road, but I do know that we learn from our mistakes and also that sometimes the weakminded can be stronger in matters of the heart. At least that is what my current glasses are showing me.
Maybe Toyota employees weren’t wearing emerald colored glasses and maybe the public continues to look at the reports about Toyota through their emerald colored glasses – are we really seeing things as they truly are? Is it just a coincidence that as soon as the U.S. government created bailouts for the American auto makers and thus had a major financial stake in their success…reports started coming out of Washington regard Toyota concerns…just asking the question…with my glasses off and my eyes wide open.
Point well taken…however. One, I was using Toyota as an example because it is a current issue. And while I agree that motives for doing something cane be based on revenge, jealousy, etc…but, when the truth comes out (if it ever does because I don’t think truth stands a chance anymore) and it shows that the car manufacturer was ‘knowingly’ at fault, then I would wonder how many people had their glasses on i.e, looked the other way. If, on the other hand, Toyota was the victim of revenge/spite, I think we’d need to go after the source for the allegations.
I do appreciate the time you took to comment.