Vision Test

Earlier this week, I was washing cups for the regular, afternoon cup of tea when one of my teachers approached the kitchen-nook. I saw him out of the corner of my eye, noticed the cup in his hand, and figured that he wanted to rinse out his cup.  Not wanting to make him wait through my washing 8 cups, I stepped back from the sink and gestured him forward, saying, "Please, go ahead." He laughed, began washing his cup, and commented that I "must have eyes in the back of [my] head to have noticed [him]."  When he first said this, I wondered if my peripheral vision has improved recently, but fairly quickly laughed this off. Visual acuity probably had little to do with it.

Sherlock Holmes says in "A Scandal in Bohemia" the following gem:

"You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear."

I feel that Japan has trained me to be more observant. I was so caught up in not making mistakes when I first arrived that I forced myself to attend to small details. Apparently, I've successfully accomplished this training of my attention. It wasn't the quality of my eyesight, but instead the attention to what I saw that was important in my kitchen-nook interaction. In the moments like this one where my work pays off, well ... I can't help but be a little proud of myself.

It's interesting that what we see seems more influenced by our attention to such details than the quality of our eyesight. Of course, several psychological studies have noted this trend; my own observations are hardly pioneering opinions. If you doubt me, visit this site and read the directions carefully. (It's important that you read the follow-up link.)  It just seems a greater reality now that I've experienced it so powerfully in my own little world.