Framed Ballerina

Years ago my family was staying with friends and my young son had to sleep in a strange bedroom.   That night he called out for me.   When I got to his room he was upset, crying and pointing at the wall.  He cried out, “Monster, Monster.  Daddy it is a Monster.”  As I cleared my head and looked at the wall I saw a framed photo of a ballerina.   While some might fear ballerinas much like clowns, it was the furthest thing from a monster.

As I tried to convince my son that a ballerina is indeed not a monster, I thought about the experience.  My son was teaching me about the power of perception and how we constantly interpret the world around us.

As adults, focused on building our organizations to operate at a high level, we need at times to check our perceptions.  In groups we need the space to challenge our mental models.

It is not just a child’s perception.  Some people see monsters where the rest of us see ballerinas.

Not being able to sleep, I decided to write.  Specifically a short poem inspired by my young son, scared of monsters in his bedroom.  A lesson for us adults to be aware of our perceptions.

Framed Ballerina

Monster, Monster on the wall.

A child’s fear and a parent’s concern.

Monster, Monster on the wall.

A child’s imagination and a parent’s confusion.

Monster, monster on the wall.

A child’s truth and a parent’s deception.