Perspective is a funny thing.
I’m sure there are thousands of little German boys who would have given anything to be in Robert Enke’s place – the first-choice goaltender for the German national football team.
But on Tuesday, he threw it all away when he walked in front of a train.
Thousands of people are willing to point at something like that: “There is the most valuable thing.” but to him it didn’t mean that much. To him there was something more important… but tragically, it was missing.
What he saw must have been vastly different from what everyone else saw. More likely is that things were crowded out of his vision – that he couldn’t see what everyone else did, because he was preoccupied with something else.
Have a prayer for his widow and for his daughter.
5 Responses to "Perspective"
Sometimes reaching “the most valuable thing” is a crushing disappointment. All that glitters is not gold, and vice versa.
Well, we can only live in the world we believe in; we can only act according to (or, if we’re feeling contrary, against) what we perceive is the truth.
But it’s hard to see someone destroyed not because of a real thing but because of a belief.
Don’t let friends and family just drop out of touch. Something much easier said than done.
I think there’s a process of building up belief that goes on,
“They can’t give me what I need.” and
“I don’t have anything to give them.”
that leads to isolation.
Sometimes the isolation is rooted in guilt:
I’m such a horrible person no-one could possibly want to befriend me.
Sometimes the isolation is a mask for pain (physical or psychological):
I hurt so much that I can’t think straight and I’m so miserable that I shouldn’t interact with anyone.
If you can get through to someone in depression you might find some other underlying causes/rationales for isolation.