My dog sees the world much clearer than I do. Apparently dogs cannot see colours, but take in the visual world in shades of grey only. The fact that there are an infinite number of shades of grey means that Jasper's perceptions of reality are probably not too far removed from the true pictures being transmitted. He likely sees a bright red as a bright grey, while a very light yellow colour probably is just a tad removed from whitish grey.
The canine world has never observed colour, so they can't miss what they've never had. When Jasper looks at a rainbow all he sees are semicircular shades of grey that supposedly lead to a pot of grey coins. I doubt he even cares about the rainbow or its mystical bounty and I bet he can never quite understand his master's fascination with those things. I learned in elementary school that a rainbow also holds the secret of the colours of the spectrum. I have never forgotten that ROY G BIV lives inside every rainbow no matter where in the world it may be - Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet. They are beautiful.
Colour is everywhere. It has come to symbolize moods (red = anger), gender (pink = female), the environment (green = eco-friendly), and the rainbow itself is the symbol of the gay and lesbian movement. I know these colours are out there. I sense them. I'm just not sure that I completely comprehend and appreciate them. You see, I've always known that I have a tendency to see everything in only two colours, either black or white. As a result, I often see only only two solutions to a problem, two outcomes to a situation, two courses of action from which to choose, you are either someone I like or you are not, you are a good person or you're not, you are a team player or you're not.
I'm not certain why I'm like this. Perhaps it is a means to simplify a complicated world. This is not necessarily a positive thing. I tend to limit my options too quickly, I see people as being one way or another and don't allow for the prospect of change in those I have preordained.
I actually started this story thinking about how numbers are the essence of black & white thinking. A number is a finite thing, it is quantifiable and unquestionable in its value. It is what it is. Despite this, numbers always seem to come with a secondary meaning attached. This meaning is what colours the numbers and makes them so confusing. The confusion only grows when numbers are manipulated. Let me show you an example: In 1989 I was 185 pounds. Today I am 235 pounds. (I'm not fat, I'm just short for my weight.) I have gained 50 pounds. That sounds brutal and it is, but let's look at it another way. In 22 years I have gained an average of 2 1/4 pounds a year. Now that doesn't sound too bad. Put another way, I've put on 3 ounces a month. That's represented by a couple of Timbits. Losing weight is going to be easy when I frame it using those numbers. If I cut back on those Timbits and throw in a bag of chips or two, then the weight will just fall off of me. If I lose just 10 pounds a year, when I'm 66 I'll be 35 pounds. If I'm going to be that thin, then I'd better play it safe and not cut back on the chips.
I'll continue to work at being more open minded and to appreciate the abundance of colourful people that make up our world. I'll also continue to observe Jasper and try to learn a little more about how our non-judgemental canine friends have flourished despite being colour blind. Forgive me if I happen to invade your personal space in the coming days and weeks. Getting a good sniff seems to help dogs to form an accurate opinion of people. I'll try to avoid getting too close to your crotch, but I make no promises. So please follow the advice of your mothers and always wear clean underwear. The colour of them doesn't matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment