I’ve always stood in awe of buildings.
They enamor me so much, from cottages to city skyscrapers, that I find beauty in each element, each brick, each panel.
I must admit, though, sometimes the buildings’ condition, and/or their history, makes it hard to find the beauty in the brick. I think that’s true in life. When we look harshly at our circumstances, we usually find the worst, and might give up.
When we view our experiences through a positive lens, we more than likely find something that makes us better for the experience. We press on despite the dilapidated experience for which we find ourselves. Eventually, when the problem passes, we find that we are stronger for the struggle.
Pictured here is the Nix Medical Center in San Antonio. It is the tallest building on the Riverwalk. Built in 1930, it is the inspiration for the Gleason building in Intimate Nightmares and Lullaby Trap.
What happens at the Gleason changes everybody in Nate’s world, rocks them, shakes them, almost breaks them, and yet matures them. In the end, it made mostly everyone who’d experienced the tragedy better people who could see the beauty of what they still had.
How we handle strife comes down to our perceptions. Remember, mosaic glass is nothing but broken windows, yet it’s also a work of art.