Change of Perspective

When I was a kid, I'd lay upside-down in a chair or off the sofa, feet stretched over the back of the furniture, chin up and hair dangling to the floor. My kids do the same sort of thing. I don't remember when I stopped doing it. I'm not sure what the allure was and is with seeing the world upside-down. Perhaps it's just the temporary change of perspective.

I remember inverting my world and imagining walking on the ceiling. I'd step over the top of the doorway, which should have seemed awkward but just seemed a part of the change. In my mind I'd continue throughout the house, experiencing our home in a unique way. I don't recall ever thinking it was weird that I was doing this.

It seemed like it reset my perspective in the right-side-up world.

The upside-down world had few obstacles. There were light fixtures, the occasional ceiling fan and those doorway things I had to step over, but other than that the "floors" were remarkably and refreshingly clear. I'm sure this isn't what I thought I was enjoying then, but hindsight is another perspective.

I wonder what, if anything, my kids are imagining when they invert their worlds for those moments. Are they resetting their perspectives too?

This time of year always catches me in a downward slump. The light and warmth dwindle. I find myself more and more anxious about interactions with people. My mind creates negative feedback where there most likely is none. If at all possible, I avoid meetings and interactions. This almost never is possible at this time of year. My stomach churns before each meeting.

Perhaps I need to see the world upside-down again.