But Eye see what my mind sees.
As a child, I used to look at clouds of all shapes and sizes decorating the majestic sky and always wanted to capture the view. Given our science teachers were too realistic and taught us how the atmosphere is made of gas and molecules that make up the vast sky that looks like a giant painting to the human eye, I came to terms with the fact that I could never physically touch it, but as a smart kid, I managed to bring the sky to me.
On a piece of paper, I started sketching what I saw — 2 cumulus clouds, 1 line at the bottom for a field of grass with long enough sticks poking out on the outline depicting grass blades, half the sun with 5 rays poking out of the semi-circular ball on the corner of the page — of course, proudly adding a bit of trees shaped as cotton candy on a stick.
Now came time to color the masterpiece.
Yellow for the sun ball and the rays, maybe add a little red there.
Green for the field and the pokey grass and trees.
White for the sky.
And Blue for the clouds.
And I did this consecutively for years until I reached the age of 8 and a curious classmate overlooking one of my many masterpieces called out, “Hey, clouds are not blue, they are white! The sky is blue.”
I looked at her, confused. I disagreed with her right-away and told her “No, the clouds are blue.”
To show that she was right, she pointed at her work and another student’s paper. “See? Everyone knows clouds are white!”
I flushed. I wanted her to be wrong. None of my teachers pointed it out. This girl must be wrong.
But ofcourse she wasn’t. Then, feeling a bit ashamed, I started coloring my clouds white henceforth.
I learned from my mistake. But I could never shake off why I colored it wrong when I, myself used to witness the splendour of the sky every single day.
When did the sky become blue and clouds white? And, why didn’t any teacher correct me? Were they too nice, letting me be “creative”or whatever that is anymore, or just unbothered?
I perhaps was looking at the sky — not at the clouds, I perhaps was thinking about the colors (thank God the grass did not turn out blue). Maybe I needed that thump behind my noggin, maybe i was just lazy.
Over the years, I came to terms with the fact that I have had my own perspective regarding everyday phenomenon that another would perceive differently. And maybe that’s how differently children see the world and we don’t understand it given the knowledge we have, the facts we have absorbed while growing. And perhaps that is how we still look at the world and that is what that creates such a wide range of diverse ideologies and thoughts that we as an indiviual can not phathom but can only experience through each other.
I perhaps was looking at the sky — not at the clouds, I perhaps was thinking about the colors (thank God the grass did not turn out blue). Maybe I needed that thump behind my noggin, maybe I was just lazy.
I have never researched the scientific reason for it, ever. But I wanted to share my experience where I once saw clouds blue.
