Which is Better…1 or 2?

As I listened to a late show commentary on You Tube last week, something resonated with me. He was talking about how we are being lulled into thinking that we only have two choices in this country, as we navigate these times. Black vs. White, Fox vs. CNN, Blue pill vs. Red pill, Science vs. Conspiracy, Boomer vs. Gen XYZ…It’s crazy making!!!

I instantly thought of my last eye exam and the line up of different strength lenses flashing before my eyes. Which is better? One or two? Again…One or two? The initial decisions are so easy , instilling a false sense of confidence in my hawkish decisiveness. Bring it on Holmes! Then I start to second guess myself , as the disparity in the lens strengths presented to me, start to diminish and the “choices” are perceivably the same! And just as I’ve convinced myself that I flunked the test and am getting expelled from school…viola! My unique prescription is forged. Giving me the best chance for visual clarity , but more importantly, making me look more intelligent/mysterious than I am.

But humans are not like computers. Our innate coding language is not binary. We are complex and unique and multi-factorial. We are constantly adapting. Refocusing as we learn. Most of America is made up of stuff in the middle . Yet, our mainstream broadcast news and our disconnected , egomaniacal political leaders need to keep us polarized. Pick a team!! When we are divided we are weakened. All of our energy is funneled into fighting over who is right and who is wrong. It’s conscious sedation for the masses. And it’s working!

One thing is clear. We need to open our eyes to the fact that we have many choices and opinions and “lenses” through which we can interpret our own world. It’s not a “One size fits all” prescription. One person’s vision of freedom and civil liberty may seem myopic to another. In reality, this novel virus is taking us all on a ride with no clear path or end-point. And although, as a pediatrician, I gravitate towards protecting our healthcare workers, witnessing first-hand the power of infectious disease and the devastation it’s spread can bring…that is my truth…my lens. Regardless of everyone’s differing refractions, we all need to respect and fear the innate intelligence of any virus to take over the steering wheel and turn it’s host’s defense system onto a path of self-destruction.

So I am trying to envision a future in which we have multiple choices with which to fight this war, not just one or two. I don’t want to wear rose-colored glasses nor lose my ability to refocus. But rather, I’d like to think of the visible spectrum of light as my beacon. My “ROYGBIV”. I need to allow for differences of opinion, try to understand choices made by others as seen through a different lens. Try to choose grace and kindness as my default settings while staying true to myself.

And after every rainstorm, I purposefully seek out the magic of the universe in search of that amazing spectrum of light that keeps me grounded. Then I try to find my damned glasses, pour myself a glass of wine, open a bag of Skittles and “ taste the rainbow”.