An Old Lesson Made New

For decades I have presented a speech that includes the warning that, “Things look different when you look at them from a different angle.†Last week I learned that truth all over again.   I have always prided myself on being able to read maps. I love maps. I have flown over much of our country using naught but a sectional chart while flying crop dusters with no radios. It was fun.   Last week I learned that son Kevin is traveling on a business trip to Shanghai in China. His flight will include a non-stop leg from Chicago to Shanghai. Being interested, I set out to create a map showing the great circle route for that leg. Google’s Great Circle Mapper gave me the route in short time.   I couldn’t understand the map at all. I went to another site and created another map which was exactly the same. I couldn’t understand it either.   Son Kevin, who knows most everything, pointed out that—guess what? I was looking at the map from a different angle than the one to which I was accustomed. The map was presented with a view from above the North Pole.   Bingo. I could understand the map. And once again, I learned that things do indeed look different when looked at from a new angle.   We’d love to post your comments. Please click the comment tab at the top.