Days 204-208 – Second Looking, Second Listening

How often have you had a friend invite you to a movie and heard yourself say, "I've seen that already." The obvious implication is that if you have "seen" it before why see it again?

If a movie is exceptional (Annie Hall, Casablanca & Citizen Kane come to mind) than you will likely see more in the second viewing than you did in the first. Freed from tracking the story line you can watch for the light, relish the soundtrack, notice the way the actors speak the words.

The same is true with a song, particularly a complex piece of classical music. Refuse to listen to Beethoven's Ninth many times and you will deprive yourself of the ever-deepening experience that comes with new hearing.

What of the "ordinary" things that surround us? When we see a table we identify it and usually move on.

I walked around my home looking at "overlooked" spaces through a camera lens. Consider the image (left) and the ones below.

Look around your room right now as you may never have before. Go beyond identifying. Experience.

After you know a friend's face you may stop seeing them. Look again. What do you see in their eyes today?

Talk with someone once blind who has come to see, or a sighted person whose eyesight is about to vanish. Ask them how they see.

If you are a veteran caregiver how do you nourish your healing powers? Look again. Listen again. Touch again.

Open the eyes of your heart.

-Erie Chapman

Table wheel

Garage doorway

Front Hall Orchids

Cushions

Sofa Study #3

Photographs: Erie Chapman, 2014

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Categories: Reflections, Holidays, Spirituality

Tags: caregivers, Erie Chapman, eyes of the heart, Second listening, Second Viewing

6 responses to “Days 204-208 – Second Looking, Second Listening”

Padre Dave Poedel

July 21, 2014 at 12:29 am

My renewal and refreshment comes from The Eucharist. Simple bread and wine, becomes for us the very Body and Blood of Jesus to cleanse and renew and strengthen us to care again…

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Erie Chapman Foundation

July 21, 2014 at 9:38 am

Thanks so much for your Journal comment, Dave. See The Eucharist as you describe certainly reinforces the holiness of the experience.

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~liz Wessel

July 21, 2014 at 11:17 pm

Yesterday, as I spoke to my mom, her new roommate, on the other side of the hospital room curtain, heard my voice and mistook me for her daughter. The expression of love she offered for her daughter was touching. Although she was a bit confused about the circumstance she was clear about the love she held in her heart.
I so appreciate your message, Erie and how our life experiences are enriched when we pay attention. The past week with my mom was one such experience for me. I let go of all the distractions of TV, cell phone and technologies enticements and instead just spent time with her, sitting by her side.
Your cameras lens lends a unique experience in relationship to line, form shadow and light and the beauty each composition offers. It so worthwhile to slow down and really see.
The other night I watched a movie called “Smoke” that I had seen about 5 years ago and it left quite an impression on me. One fascinating aspect of the story is about this man, Augie who every morning at exactly 8:00 am walked outside his store in New York and snapped a photo. Whoever happened to be walking by was caught on film. I found this gesture to be so beautiful.

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Cheri Cancelliere

July 22, 2014 at 7:01 pm

Thank you Erie for reminding us to look…and look again…with our hearts and not only our eyes. We are surrounded by beauty if we only take the time to really see.

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sbeng

July 24, 2014 at 1:00 pm

Thank you Erie for this reflection-“second look and second seeing” brings me to the Christmas song sung by Carrie Underwood-“Do you see what I see, do you hear what I hear.” It was not just a baby going to be born but the Son of Man who will :bring “goodness and light”. If we look again not only with our eyes but with our heart we can be supportive, nurturing and apply the healing balm to an individual or individuals whenever there is a need.

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Jonathan Ang

July 24, 2014 at 5:57 pm

I remember a couple of months ago, a friend of mine lent me a CD by Death Cab for Cutie. One of the songs in it was What Sarah Said. Not really a famous song of the band but my friend really felt a connection to that song. I later found out that the song greatly expressed her feelings of her mom’s passing. As I listened to the song over and over again, I cannot help but understand and somehow felt the emotions she was going through.

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