The eruption seemed different and detached from atop the cliff, four and a half miles away. It was like watching a silent movie. We saw the steam rise into the sky, but couldn t hear the roar of the water, nor could we feel the warm vapor blow past us. We saw the people, but we couldn t hear the Ooo s and Ahhh s of the crowd. Our perspective shrunk everything, even the gigantic, sprawling Old Faithful Lodge appeared tiny.
Perspectives can change everything.
Whether in a literal or figurative sense, when one views a situation from a different place in time or space or maturity and experience, it changes everything. Only the previous day I had observed exactly the same scene from up close. It seemed so large, magnificent, and impressive, but when I took a step back, well, maybe more than just a step, it was not so domineering. From our distant perch upon the cliff, far above what we were observing, the scene took on the appearance of a model railroad layout, with miniature buildings, cars, trees, roads, and people. And this one even had a geyser.