Perspective

Through Amateur Eyes is the introduction of a book called "On Looking" written by Alexandra Horowitz. Here she writes about how she rarely paid attention to her surroundings or discarded most of the things that went on the streets and blocks when she walked her dog. However, as she clearly stated "Together, we became investigators of the ordinary, considering the block--the street
and everything on it", she began to pay attention to her surrounding. Not only that, she began to appreciate details with all of her senses, just like a dog would. She describes how each person has a different perspective and how this perspective was influenced by the person's experience, background and professional environment. I believe we can all relate to this. We can set up a subject and never arrive to the same conclusion or agreement because we see things and perceive things and situations differently because of these backgrounds and experiences. This of course applies to certain topics. For example, I am sure any person on their right mind would consider robbing as wrong and illegal.

I am a fifth year physics student. My job as a physics student and researcher is to observe with details the way nature behaves and explain those behaviors with mathematical models and expressions. I remember when I was a freshman student. I used to enjoy fiction movies and see life and surroundings as most people do, not paying attention to every detail and just enjoying the moment and appreciating the overall concept of things. When I went to Old San Juan I would be amazed about how big cruise ships are and how they could float. I would stay frozen when airplanes flew over my head and wonder how a 160,000 pounds airplane could fly. After taking core courses I now understand with details how airplanes work, how they flight, how ships float and I can see all the fake in fiction movies. I can see the physics everywhere, in cars, buildings, orthopedics and hospital machinery. I have learned to watch carefully my surrounding and try and understand what goes on with them and how they work. My brain is now accustomed to remembering little things most would consider irrelevant. I can for example remember people's clothes easily. Once I see a face I will know I have seen it before when I see it for the second time. I will remember the song at the background of a certain moment or situation. When I mention this to people, even friends, they go "how can you possibly remember that?". I tell them I have trained my eyes and applied what I have learned in class and that doing that has sharpen my sense of vision to details.

Each person has gone through experiences that make them either more aware or less aware of their surrounding details. Age, gender, culture. state of health and country of origin affects perception of people. They walk and see what I can't see just like I see what they can't see. This shows how interesting having a wide variety of friends or colleagues can be, it can help to see the world from a whole new point of view and learn from them.