Words from WW Blog

I’m working on a 1,500 piece puzzle right now of a lion. Spiritual-types think it is Aslan from C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Me? I think it is a huge challenge for this color-blind 66-year-old. 

Slowly, I’m putting things together. Aslan, if you will, has half a face so far. His hairy mane is a bit patchy, but it’s starting to lose its gaps. As I’m looking at the shape of each piece’s connecting tabs and pockets (Jigsaw puzzle terms), I’m making discoveries. Sometimes a piece connects into another piece, but the picture it creates doesn’t make sense. Puzzle working is a learning experience, filled with trial and error, pondering, envisioning, and adjusting.

The emphasis, however, is on learning what makes sense and what has the danger of looking like a Picasso painting. As I learn the picture becomes clearer and the confusion lessens.

It seems that such a puzzle mindset would benefit those who are navigating the pandemic puzzle. It began with an outline of the problem. All of a sudden two pieces that look like they could be linked draw attention. Learnings from Singapore and South Korea seem to fit together in a pattern. The blank number of cases in several island nations hint at another learning.

A new testing procedure and a drug that has worked on a number of infected patients who had no other options bring together some clarity in one of the corner areas. This tab seems to lock into this pocket.

The more we listen the more we learn. The more we observe and facilitate discussion and dialogue the clearer the face of the virus’s makeup.

Back to my Aslan, sometimes I call Carol in to help me see the colors or at least explain what colors are what in each piece. I am not so hung up on having to complete all 1,500 pieces with no one else’s input, that I’m resistant to asking someone who can tell the difference between red and green.

After all, it’s about completing the puzzle, not be puzzled by its confusing blend of shades.

I may be wrong, but it seems that the pandemic puzzle is more about cooperation rather than competition. It’s more about finding the solutions rather than feeling the necessity of having sole ownership of the solution.

Like Aslan, may courage be evident in the face of our resolve.

Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com

This entry was posted on May 5, 2020 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.