I Can See Clearly Now

In the BC world (Before Covid), if somebody claimed to have 20/20 vision, this was agreed to be perfect vision. It could be argued now that 20/20 vision is open to interpretation. There are those who view 2020 as the slippery slope down to somewhere very unpleasant to which we’re all heading in a handcart. Then there are those who view 2020 as a blip from which we’ll hopefully emerge eventually. And then there are those who argue that 2020 has given us the clearest vision yet that our thoughts and how we view the world around us shape our reality.

It is all very well to talk grandly about looking on the bright side, but in the middle of a global pandemic it can sound a bit glib. However, it is exactly in times like these that we need to pay more attention to our thoughts. If we focus on chaos and gloom, then we will experience more and more chaos and gloom. It is confirmation bias. You will always see and experience what you believe you will.

The importance and beauty of nature has been highlighted more than ever this year. Outdoor space has provided solace for many of us lucky enough to have access to fresh air and outside space. Never has my garden seemed more beautiful and previous than during the lockdown this summer. I planted spinach, potatoes, leeks and Swiss chard and our little vegetable patch provided an abundance of freshness for many weeks. When faced with grim situations we can focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t.

Last week, Johnny Nash, the singer who gave us the beautiful ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ passed away. I love this song. It reminds us that there may well be obstacles in our path but if we can see them, then we can work out how best to navigate around them rather than crashing blindly into them. If you wear glasses, it’s the joy of cleaning them after you’ve been out in the rain and putting them back on again. Everything seems brighter when you pause for a moment and give them a wipe. I Can See Clearly Now is the perfect song for dark times, even if you still feel like you’re standing in the rain.

It’s going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day.

“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. ... In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.”

John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in