perspective

Melissa Ann Howell Schier
6 min readSep 11, 2024

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Filly wanted to know the origin of the word perspective
late 15c., perspicuite, of things, “clearness, transparency” (a sense now obsolete); 1540s of words or expressions, “quality of being clear to the mind; quality by which the meaning can be seen through the words,” from Old French perspicuité and directly from Latin perspicuitas “transparency, clearness,” from perspicuus “transparent,” from perspicere “look through, look closely at” (see perspective)

Me madre es Bella.
Filly remembered this sentence from a childhood book her mom had given her and her sisters to help teach them Spanish. Filly’s mom, who grew up in Brownsville, Texas, already knew Spanish and could speak it fluently. She lived within walking distance of the border and she grew up making tortillas from scratch with her mother, and eating them with butter for breakfast many days. She and all her eight brothers and sisters, were fluent. The Spanish people, from Filly’s mothers perspective, were very spiritual, trusting of God, Good, and mostly Catholic. The girls were “good girls” who waited until marriage to have physical relationships, and they honored their parents and protected their babies and small children.

Many of the people from Mexico had work visa’s and would come over to work for the day, and then walk back across at night. The town of Brownsville was not rich, but the US economy in that border town was still helpful to the border town of Matamoros. Filly’s mother was able to love and respect the people from another land because she saw them face to face and she spoke the language. She did not disparage them, or elevate them, she just accepted them as equals. Likewise, they were considerate, grateful and friendly.

Filly, in thinking about the duality and reciprocity between separate nations, had the perspective that countries are like people. Individuals have boundaries and countries have boundaries. The individual can cut their hair, or change their manner of dress, but they are still themselves…not someone else. There is an inherent truth in the science of being who you are. Truth, is not relative. it is clear, and transparent, like the meaning of the word perspective.

Filly thought about how those who have a global “perspective” think that everyone can be treated the same and governed by one world global leader. That is the ultimate goal. But if countries are “individual’, like people, they have specific boundaries for a reason, possibly to not try to take over the role of God. God is not limited to just one big huge idea. His ideas come in infinite numbers, and infinite shapes and sizes and countries that hopefully protect individual freedoms, not usurp them or overpower them.

The fifteenth century origin of the word perspective, from Latin, meaning clearness or transparency, quality of being, clear to the mind, is a sense that is now said to considered obsolete. Filly disagreed and thought that it was interesting that the word perspective was considered obsolete in its original meaning. She had been upset when the word Vaccine had been changed to mean something less than it originally meant, (the original meaning there was also supposedly obsolete, since Covid, when the word vaccine was changed to mean that it will not actually cure or prevent disease)but now learning that even words that meant clear, certain and transparent, had been changed to mean something variable or “relative” was concerning. ie… Truth is now relative or from each individuals point of view? If one person says it is black and the other person says it is white and both supposedly can were true then nothing had any meaning?? Filly thought this was ludicrous and completely wrong. God was Truth. God was Good. There was no compromising that definition.

Then she thought about how John says that “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The “ Word” in Greek was “logos”, and was saying God was the most important principle in the universe. The biblical perspective about the Word being God in the beginning was clear , NOT dependent on a person’s view.

There was not confusion about God being good and God being the most important principle in the universe.

Filly thought about her country, about the people in her country and how her country was like a person. A person with a new idea about individual freedoms and about liberty in general.

The US as a person, had been told wrongly, by many sources, how evil it was. Filly had seen what happens to individuals, who believes themselves to be bad, or wrong, or disliked. They become self loathing. Some become gay or trans. And the suicide population of trans people is almost fifty percent.

Filly knew nothing good came from believing oneself to be wrong, bad or evil. That is why the bible talks so much about forgiveness. People might make mistakes and do some wrong behavior but that behavior can be changed and is separate from the person. .. and regarding forgiveness, God had the first and the last word.

In the same way, nothing good comes from believing a country, or a person, is evil. That belief does not produce change or inspire or illuminate. Innovation, productivity, inspiration and joy come from a belief in God as the fundamental value that inspires creation, and productivity. Hating a person who loves God and Country is incredibly short sighted and ignorant.

Jesus had value, and created healing, but Evil put a price on his head. That is what Filly thought.
Trump has value and created prosperity, but the world global government had put a price on his head.
Filly had seen a post on X with Trump holding a duck and a cat like pets. Trump pets.

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. That was the God perspective. That was what Filly thought. Where there seemed to be hopelessness, there still was the word, and the word was with God and the word was good. God forgave those who changed their behavior to do good and not evil. People can say they are sorry but the best form of penitence is to make changes and do better in actions.

Her randomly chosen bible verse for the day…
“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed,a ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men — swindlers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
15Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.

16But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Filly believed that God knew who in their heart was truly sorry for their wrong behavior, and who was just pretending to be sorry. She also did not believe that God meant for the little children and babies to come unto him because they had been aborted, and chopped up into little body parts to be used for medical research. Nope, probably not what God meant. And to be sorry for that was very very important as it was right after the story of those who say they are sorry versus those who show by their behavior they are sorry.

Filly was grateful for forgiveness and knew that her wickedness of the past was not her way of the present. The perfect present, today, where babies were valued and loved and appreciated.

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Melissa Ann Howell Schier

HoustonWorkout on YouTube, mom of five, journalist and artist and conservative who values life.