Perception.

“If your mercy is so cruel, what do you have for justice?”

So says the Elephant Man to his doctor, who defends the peremptory sacking of a staring hospital attendant as merciful for the Elephant Man's sake.

Human nature. Cruelty. Tolerance. Understanding. Gratitude.

Each theme played a part in this spectacular play that I watched tonight. More often than not, I feel that I am less than kind to someone around me, and little more impatient than I should have been, a little more gruff and snappy. There is so much that we don't see and don't understand about the people around us. We really really cannot see what they are going through. Unfortunately, I have been guilty of judging others. We have to learn to tolerate those those around us, because they tolerate us also. Perhaps tolerate isn't the right word. Yes, it's the wrong word. We have to love them.

Love them? Yes, for that is where our justice lies. Our mercy is not adequate. It is only in our justice that we can love, to look past our own frailties and mete out justice both to ourselves and to those around us.

The characters in the play wore masks. I was discussing it with my date afterward, and we never really came to a solid conclusion. But, though our discussion and with insight from one of my friends who acted in it, it seems to me that it was symbol of the masks and facades that we hide behind because we're afraid of people seeing us for who we are. We're afraid of what people think about us, so much, because we aren't merciful enough to ourselves.

We all have hope, just like The Elephant Man, who said: "My head is so big, because it is so full of dreams." We cannot even begin to dare crushing other people' dreams, because we think they can't accomplish it. Rather, if you do, it is more of a reflection of your feeling that you cannot do it.

I learned, tonight, that I need to be better, I have so much to be grateful for. The Elephant Man suffered so much, physically and emotionally, because of misunderstanding. I hope that I will misunderstand people less, so that my mercy may not be so cruel, then perhaps I can find my justice.