The View from a Drawbridge

My dog Blue has a white streak on his forehead. It’s pretty standard coloring for Italian Greyhounds, but I absolutely love it. When we’re cuddling and I run my finger along that streak I often think about the fact that he isn’t even aware that it’s there, and there is, of course, no way to tell him about it. That prominent feature, as far as he’s concerned, doesn’t even exist.

Humans are much more self-aware. When we look in the mirror, we know that we’re gazing at our own image. And we can, to a certain extent, imagine how others must see us. We can be proud. We can be embarrassed. We are definitely aware of the figurative streaks on our foreheads, for better or for worse.

But we all have other kinds of streaks. Character streaks, spiritual streaks, streaks covered by a thick blanket of denial. Cruel people are either psychopaths or they do not see the impact they have on the people around them. And as they say in the movie “When Harry met Sally”, everyone thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor, but we can’t all have good taste and a sense of humor.

But when I am sitting there cuddling with Blue, I like to ponder those positive streaks that often go overlooked. Streaks of potential. Streaks of talent. Streaks that we discount. Personal gifts that we all have, and may not even realize are there, despite the fact that everyone else can see them as plain as day. I didn’t really know I had an artistic streak until I was about 40 years old. (Check out my work here.) People who are excellent listeners often assume that everyone has that talent, so they don’t realize what a positive impact they make on those they care about. Outgoing people don’t fully comprehend that some people find social situations excruciatingly painful. Natural born leaders generally don’t set out to develop this quality; it’s just there.

You hold great promise. You have amazing abilities. Everyone does. Listen to those around you. They probably have been pointing out that streak on your forehead for a long, long time. It’s time you appreciate what you have.