Budding Nuance
When I was anticipating the birth of my first baby over 43 years ago, I read that, contrary to nursery fashion of the time which called for all things muted and pastel, an infant could not distinguish pastel shapes. I was thrilled to hear that and began to work on a high contrast, brightly colored bumper pad for her crib. I loved it! Bring on the LOUD color! Bring on black and white!
Children start out thinking like that, too. “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” Is she ‘right or wrong’? I used to think like that too—still do sometimes. Although I passed through these growth processes with my own three, it’s been fascinating to live in proximity with my 13-year-old grandson these months. We’ve had a marvelous time and great conversations. At 13, Walt is a fount of excellent questions. It’s been interesting to watch him start to dance with nuance, subtle differences and shades of meaning, and perhaps the suggestion of dropping the judgement we so quickly apply to other people. Months ago, he asked me, “When did you become a liberal?” My response was to ask that if that was his current label for me, to please hold it loosely, because I’m in transition. I’m evolving every day. No telling where I might be at 90.
It recalls that Biblical passage about being a child: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I grew up, I put childish ways behind me….” I Cor.13:11
No more garish colors of an infant’s nursery or a child’s bedroom decor. Their presence is still felt and appreciated, but their effect is mitigated by careful mixing with each other--careful reaching across the aisle and coming up with an entirely new color for your efforts. Would that we, and those who temporarily represent us in government, could put away the garish—the certain, the self-saturated, and enjoy the beauty and benefit of nuance. When we can, we enjoy each other so much more.
“Peeking Behind the Roadmap of Certainty”, “Dancing with Nuance”, and “The Tension: Curious or Smug?” 12x12 acrylic