John Y’s Musings from the Middle: The Eyes

Are the eyes truly the window to the soul?

I think they are.

About 5 years ago a book came out titled, “A Hand To Guide Me: Legends and Celebrities Celebrate the People who Shaped Their Lives.”

It had a picture of Denzel Washington on the cover. (See below).

This book had an important impact on me.

I never bought the book, or the book on tape.

Never borrowed it from a friend to read. In fact, never once opened the book. Never even ever touched it.

But I would stare at it every time I’d go to the book store, which was at least once a week. This went on for nearly six months.

What did I stare at? Denzel Washington’s calm, humble and yet assured look. Not seeming assured with confidence– but rather assured with integrity.

I love this picture and decided I wanted to live my life in such a way that if the eyes are truly the window to the soul, one day I could transmit through my eyes the same calm and peaceful soul Denzel Washington appears to in the picture.

I’m still working on that…and will be for years to come. Many days I feel my eyes look less like a composed and serene Denzel and more like the frenzied, fearful, vacant eyes of the protagonist in the movie Eraserhead.

But I try. It’s a goal. And a good one. And I got if from a book. With a picture of a man who’s soul spoke to me.

Through his eyes.