I see unicorns

Remember a few years ago when people got a kick out of staring at a very complex graphic that just looked like a big puzzle — except when you stared at it long enough (squinting your eyes and relaxing) another graphic supposedly popped out, usually a Unicorn.

I never saw the Unicorn. In my family, two of the kids saw it, two did not. Looks of pity from my siblings egged me on, but after 15 minutes nada. I have various theories as to why that is so, ranging from the realists vs. the idealists to the impatient vs. the patient. Well, most likely it is probably because two are scamming the other two!

Anyway, even though I never saw the picture-in-the-picture, I actually believe in the idea that “things are not what they appear to be.” Especially with people. The “interface” that is often presented to others can often hide the true identity of what the person really is.

For instance, awhile ago I was driving along a busy 4-lane road in Boston. We weren’t going very fast, maybe 20 mph, and the two lanes going my direction slowed down. There was a truck in my lane so cars were merging into the next lane. Several cars are being very polite (I know, hard to believe in Boston), allowing cars to orderly weave in. Except for the guy next to me. He kissed the bumper in front of him preventing me from weaving in.

I didn’t get upset, just shook my head and watched as we passed the truck and he merged into my lane and then speed up to prevent another car from merging. Phew! Takes energy to be that mean, I thought…not for me.

And then a surprise. Not a 100 yards down the road I see the guy brake. No cars in his path — what’s up? As I get closer, I see a little field mouse running lickety-split across the road. Mr. Meanie braked for a mouse!

Huh, I said. I see a Unicorn.

IOW, I see the real person in there.

Sometimes it isn’t so obvious. Like in a meeting or working with colleagues. Or husband ;-). I gotta work it a little — squint my eyes and clear the head of what I think I see and say to myself: what’s the real person in there? Someone who’s better than what appears: kind, calm, generous, caring.

And when I see it — the true image — it softens me.

See, the true image to me is the one that God created. If you believe in only one God then whatever is created by Her must be like Her. (How could She create something unlike Herself?) My understanding of God is that She is Love, She is good, kind, caring, generous — unconditionally and completely.

So the image She created (you and me 🙂 ) must be a reflection of this….hehe, the Unicorn is in all of us!

My most favorite spirituality author, Mary Baker Eddy, writes in her seminal book Science and Health,

“Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. “

Not a bad way to spend your day, looking for Unicorns!