Perception Dependent

Perception Dependent

The way I see it, our world is a hodgepodge of sensations that we have collaged into meaning. It's not that the world is this way or that, nor is it that people "are" this way or that. We make them that way through our perceptions, and everything is quite situation dependent.

This is why some people (and philosophers) would argue that reality is arbitrary–what I'm seeing is not necessarily what you're seeing. Maybe we miss details or look at a situation sidelong instead of head on. And let's not forget that our past paints events in shades of memories that slant our vision.

Let's take one of my recent experiences as an example. I was in a cafe drawing a literal blank for the word sandwich in Spanish. So, I pointed to what the woman next to me was eating.

"Un toast?" asked the server.

Well, not exactly, but it was close enough and I loathed the idea of resorting to google translator. Consequently, I nodded yes. However, another woman suggested that maybe what I wanted was a bocadillo. Yes! Exactly! Someone who understood! I smiled at her and the woman smiled back.

I should explain that I was really there for the Barraquito, the most symphonic drink I have ever had. My saliva was rising as I anticipated it. I knew I had gotten the name right, but the coffee that the server put in front of me looked quite ordinary. Unconvinced, I asked, "Is this a Barraquito?" 

The man behind the counter answered yes. Well, maybe it just "seems" like a normal coffee, I thought, and gave it a whirl. But no, my eyes hadn't deceived me–it was, indeed, an ordinary espresso. The guy had lied. Maybe my weakness in remembering  Spanish translated into being gullible, seeing as how I was a foreigner. 

I was determined to have the Barraquito I so craved, so I asked a kind lady behind the counter. She admitted that what I was drinking was, in fact, a regular coffee. A Barraquito had liquor, she explained.

"Yes, I know! That's what I want," I answered, and a few minutes later I was welcoming the glorious spiced coffee.

The delay of the real "Barraquito made it taste even more potent. A person next to me pointed out that the drink was spiced with lemon peel and cinnamon, so it was bursting with flavor.

"Yes, in fact I love both!" I exclaimed, and he smiled.

I could have focused on the server who tried to dup me, not truly enjoying the treat. I chose, instead, to let the four people who had helped to make my Barraquito/bocadillo breakfast a reality enjoy it with me.

That's what it's really all about, in my opinion: seeing the "bad" or what needs to be changed in the world, but choosing to focus on the good. I would have sacrificed the connection with four people for one person's actions.

People say it's often a handful of people "who ruin it for everyone". I say that it doesn't have to be that way. What if we paid more attention to and commended the people who are doing right?

Text and photo: Kristen Mastromarchi