A Founatain of Inspiration

There are a lot of differing ways to view life.  I agree with those who say it is a test- I believe it was pitcher Vernon Law who said "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward"- and I agree with those who liken it to a journey- I view all decisions, small and large, as forks and paths which determine our future roads and destinations.  However, I have another metaphor for life, and for reality as a whole, which seems to be fairly unique.  I view life and the world as a large sculpture.

To many, this may not initially make sense, and in fact it probably sounds utterly insane.  Before you begin searching the phone books for a good psychologist, however, allow me to offer an explanation.   Let's imagine that a certain tourist- I think I'll call him Bubba Billy-Bob Hacker- travels to Rome to see Berninis' famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.  If he stands at a single point- we'll say it is the eastern side of the fountain- and admires the view, then walks away, he will have only a partial understanding of what the fountain actually looks like.  If, when this individual returns home, he's asked to describe the fountain, his portrayal, while accurate, will be incomplete.  Let's say that Bubba was accompanied by a friend who chose to walk around the fountain and appreciate it from every view- as he obviously had more sense than his companion, I think I'll name him something nice and normal, like Joe.  When Joe is asked what the fountain looked like, he'll be able to offer his listeners a complete description- unless, of course, he suffers from memory loss.  But that is hardly the point.

Every system of belief, every world view, and every cultural understanding has a portion of truth in it.  No one idea is wholly and unarguably right- though it may be that some hold more truth than others.  I suppose it could be said that I view understanding like a puzzle- pieces of axiom and actuality are garnered from various world views and then pieced together into one coherent image of life.  Those who seek to understand life from multiple, differing view points are likely to have a clearer and more complete picture.

An example of such a "puzzle" is my view of the universal force which appears in many religions.  The Hindu idea of a Universal Energy is extremely similar to the Druidic idea of Awan and the Christian idea of the Holy Spirit. In fact studying Hinduism in an Eastern Philosophy class helped me to understand the other two concepts better. I suppose it could be said that I looked at the sculpture from all sides. Likewise, my exploration of differing ideologies and beliefs has led to the discovery of my own personal understanding of spirituality- a blend of Christianity with Celtic Druidism and Native American Shamanism that fits my soul perfectly and echos with a ringing truth in my heart.

I am neither wise nor perfect- in fact I am miles removed from both- but I believe that looking at life and existence through multiple views has enriched my understanding and endowed me with at least a small glimmer of sagacity.