ASSumptions made

In the discordance of the work day, on a day when no-one should even have to entertain the thought of doing more than relaxing, I get the opportunity to walk into the sunshine for a moment and linger as long as the responsibilities will allow. Overhead, a small bird perches on a wire singing what I’m sure is a familiar tune to him though it’s new and enticing to me. As I raise my face to gaze at him, the bright sunlight becomes a red haze through eyelids which automatically close to filter and protect.


The warm air is a welcome relief from the artificially cooled interior of the office but it isn’t long before I escape into the shade of the building overhang. Now able to see without squinting, my gaze returns upward and I spend the rest of my stolen moments admiring the clouds against the sun-bleached blue of the sky. I don’t know if my cloud gazing is a lingering emotional connection with flying and what it represents, but I’ve found myself captivated by them since seeing their endless expanse from above for the first time.

As I look into the sky beyond the clouds, I think of how very far away that atmospheric ceiling is and how many people and places it covers beside me and my own singular spot on the earth. This thought recalls an article I saw in the Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html?mod=googlenews_wsj , regarding geographic personalities and how a certain survey has inconclusively labeled the American states’ inhabitants as being of one personality type or another. I say ‘inconclusively’ for the survey failed to determine whether we are products of our areas or if we’re similar because like seeks like and we migrate accordingly. New York and Mississippi were found to be neurotic states because of the high anxiety levels though for different reasons. I find it ironic that these two particular states were cited as having anything in common until I look at the reasons behind the anxiety levels. Though extremely laid back in comparison to New York, Mississippians are forced to deal with being on the low end of income levels and poverty creates an underlying stress level regardless of how fun-loving we are.

ASSumptions are made by each of us regarding the people in different regions or nations based on what we’ve heard and read. Sometimes it’s a favorable impression, sometimes not. The problem comes in believing everything you “think” you know and avoiding a place instead of spending time there and finding out for yourself. New Yorkers have the reputation of being the most unwelcoming, brusque people there are. However, I’ve found that they’re as accommodating, if not more so, than others I’m acquainted with. The most obvious difference I’ve noticed is the pace at which they move through life going about their daily tasks. For someone from a more relaxed pace, it can be extremely invigorating or quite daunting. The fact that New York is the jumping off place to the rest of the world also lends its inhabitants a different life perspective and expectation for themselves, I think.

Still on that ASS-U-ME train of thought, a brief text conversation that I had with a friend comes to mind. While referring to our years in college, he made a statement which surprised me because of his impression of me at that time. I suppose we go through life never knowing what people truly think and feel about us a lot of the time. We assume in many areas of life, don’t we? We have an impression of ourselves that we think others share and it’s surprising and even sometimes disturbing to find their image of us deviates from our own. How advantageous would it be if people were totally open with one another? You’d know if there were traits you exhibited which were detrimental or beneficial to future first impressions, relationships, and even job interviews? I guess it’s a bit much to expect anyone to be that open for, if they’re that open with you, then it means they’ve left themselves wide open to you and most people aren’t that secure.

Ah well, duties call. Caio for now.