The Fabric not the Holes

​There are many metaphors that are used to differentiate people with negative viewpoints from those with a more positive outlook.  My suggestion is to consider life as a piece of fabric that we have been creating over the years.   When we hold it up there will be certain areas that have had a lot of our attention, where the threads are strong evidencing hard work and creative energy.  In other areas there will be holes where things have yet to be achieved or completed, or perhaps earlier efforts which have unraveled a little.  If you were to do this now would you be concentrating on the fabric or the holes?
 
Taking the analogy further, where there are too many holes it may not be possible to see any patterns running through the fabric.  In fact the holes may come to represent the only noticeable pattern.  If we take a close-up view of any large object it is not always easy to see its qualities and it may be that it takes years for the pattern and purpose to become apparent.
 
Imagine hanging the fabric on a washing line. Where there are plenty of holes the breeze will pass through without creating any disturbance or stress.  Where there are very few it will billow like a sail as it catches the wind and tries to contain it, harnessing the energy while possibly straining the threads.   Where there are fewer much larger holes they can funnel the power of nature intensifying its impact as it passes through.
 
Taking a linear view of this process, we create a continuous tapestry that becomes a personalised account of our lives and those around us.  From this perspective perhaps it would not be possible to revisit our earlier work to improve it.   Instead we are able to use the lessons learned from looking back to impact upon our present work as we move ever forward. 
 
A more holistic view may mean the boundaries of the piece are in place from the outset, though it may take us a long time to appreciate where each of these edges lies.  We work our way across the fabric sometimes staying to concentrate our efforts on specific areas then move more swiftly making broader changes as we go.  We leave a trail between more heavily worked areas with our path crossing itself as we move with varying degrees of purpose across our landscape.  For some people there will be an even spread across the piece while others will have large clear spaces punctuated by intensely worked patches of detailed and complex designs.
 
It may be that we are able to return to earlier work so that it can be unpicked and reworked in different designs with stronger or more diverse threads.  Others may choose to start afresh in another location using former efforts as a jumping off point for deeper or wider explorations.
 
We can survey the territory to either side, look over our shoulder and to the farthest horizon.  As we move across the piece the view may change to reflect the development of our ideas or remain a constant reinforcing the values inherent in our position.
 
Reworking achievements over and over may improve their appearance, increase their relevance, or bury the created original obscured beneath new threads.  These reworked constructs can create the effect of a relief map further emphasizing the highs as well as overshadowing the lows.
 
Like all creative endeavours it can be finished but is never completed.  Each piece can stand alone framed within its contemporary context or be considered as part of a complex whole, like a piece in a massive jigsaw spread within and across time.
 
It has been my experience that people from supportive backgrounds early on develop a tendency to see the fabric and not the holes.  Those whose lives have been particularly secure may not even notice the holes, or at least diminish their importance, and leave it to others to deal with any shortfalls these might represent.  For those who prefer not to focus on details there can be a risk if they rely upon others to do this for them.
 
Like many who grew up being reminded constantly of the gaps, it has taken me a while to begin to appreciate more what has been achieved over what was missed or remains to be achieved.  To appreciate the uniqueness of the personal contribution resulting from our reflection upon our own path does not require us to make comparisons or to set the content against the gaps.
 
While it may sometimes be important to map our progress against future milestones, it is not always useful to set a value on what is by framing it alongside what is not.  Focussing on achievements rather than failures or absences can become a keystone of our self-belief.  
 
There needs to be fabric for there to be holes.  Things we do will frequently have a more significant impact than things we omit to do, and regrets always seem more focused on our failure to act than on any mistakes we have made.
 
Whether looking for a foundation upon which to build or developing a route map with navigation points to support your progress it is, I believe, more important to consider the fabric and not the holes.
 
© 2016 Michael Golding