I went to bed at a normal time. I was tired but I could not turn my brain off. I lay awake and the hands on the clock swept past 12:30 and then 1:30. The last time I remember was 2:15. My problem: I had read of actions by the current administration that greatly disturbed me. I couldn’t shake my anxiety.

But, help came the next morning. It came from a most unlikely source. I was reading the sports page. The story was about Robert Mathis who retired from the Indianapolis Colts at the end of last year. It was a story about how he just keeps showing up to work with the young players. He seems to be a volunteer advisor and mentor.

The current defensive coordinator, Ted Monachino said of Mr. Mathis, “He does a nice job. He’s a good communicator, he’s sharp, he thinks ahead, he sees the game through a barn door instead of through a straw. So, I can see how he fits. I think he’s got a trait to (become a coach).” (Indy Star, May 10, 2017)

That is just what I needed to hear. I need to look at the world through a “barn door instead of a straw.” I so often lose my perspective on life when I get anxious. I get what some people call tunnel vision. My fear makes me focus on the what disturbs me.

But, when I open my mind to all the kindness, goodness, and love that is part of my life and is part of so many healthy and happy relationships I am more hopeful. When I look at all the beautiful and generous people who make up human creation, I realize that looking at the world through a straw is not a way to live. Sure, there is pain and cruelty. But, there is so much more. My health needs my sleep. And my sleep needs barn doors.

So, thanks for Mr. Monachino and Mr. Mathis for helping me correct my perspective.