Petraglia1

GracePetraglia
Ms.Gardner
English10/Per.6
27January2016
LookingGlass
WilliamShakespearesaid,Eyesarethewindowstothesoul.Iwasjustalittletyke
whenIheardthis,asillygoosemydadcalledme,andIdidntunderstandwhatitmeant.How
couldsomeonessoulbeintheireyes?SoIdecidedtogolookingforthemeaningbehindthe
poetswords.Inrealityeyesareslimybulbswebbedwithintricateredveins,butsomehowthey
expresssomuch.FrommystudyIhavelearnedthatweholdsomuchofouremotionsinour
eyes:paininmyfatherseyeswhenhismotheravictimofAlzheimer'sdidntknowwhohe
was,anguishinmymotherseyesforlettingthedogofftheleashnearabusystreet,prideinmy
brotherseyeswhenheintroducedustohisgirlfriend.Infact,welayouremotionalturmoilbare
foreveryonetosee,ifonlypeoplelooked.Thetruthismostpeoplejustwindowshopandmove
along.
Lookpeopleintheeyewhentheyretalkingtoyou.Mydad,beingabusinessmanat
YoungsMarket,wasfondofenforcingthiscommoncourtesyintohiskids,Anthony,Ana,andI,
fromayoungage.Hedbesittinginhisredleatherchair,feetproppedup,paperopen,and
glasseshalfwaydownhisbulbousnose,andcommandmetomeethisunwaveringstarewith
eyesallthecolorandspiceofcinnamon.SowhenImeetsomeonenew,Ifirstandforemost
starepenetratinglyintotheireyes:mudbrown,greyblue,chocolatebrown,hazel,bluegreen.I
challengethemtoholdmygaze.ImnotsurewhyIliketodothismostpeoplehavetrouble


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lookingpeoplestraightintheeyes,itsapolitehabitourparentstrytoinstilinusfromayoung
ageandyetIstillplaythislittlegame.Asimpledefinitionofaneyeisthepartofthebodythat
youseewith,(MerriamWebster)butsomereligionslikeHinduismclaimwehaveathirdeye
thatallowsustheabilitytoseebeyondwhatisinfrontofyou.Ifyoulookintosomeoneseyes,
youcanseeyourreflection,andIgetastrangesensationthatwhatyoureseeingreflectedis
whattheyareseeing.
Arentyoureyesgreen?No,Ithoughttheywereblue?Thedebateovermyeyes
followsmearoundthejealousyintheirinquisitivevoicesfollowsmetoo.Iwishmyeyeswere
likeyourcolor.TosomeextentIunderstandthehypeaboutblueandgreencoloredeyes,really
anycoloredeyesbesidesthedetestablebrown:mud,feces,anddirtarecommondescriptors.The
hateexpressedagainstbrowneyesissomethingIdontunderstandbecauseIseewarmth,my
dogandmydadseyes,thebasisofourplanet.Butmorethanthat,Ilookforthedepthin
peopleseyes,nottheircolor.Iliketothinkofeyesasanonionmultilayered.Lookpastthe
colorandchanceuponamassofswirlingemotions,divedeeperandyoumightseewherethey
keeptheirsecretslockedaway,lookfartherstillandyoumightgetaglimpseoftheirmemories.
Itslikethatsaying,thereissomuchmoretopeoplethanwhatmeetstheeye:mudbrown,
greyblue,chocolatebrown,hazel,bluegreen.
However,somethingIvecometodiscoveristhatoureyescanalsoblindus.Theyrethe
senseweutilizeanddependonthemost.Withthemwejudge,othersandourselves.Oursight
canalsodisableus.Itookpianolessonsforeightyears,andthroughoutthoseyears,Ineveronce
ablewastolookatthemusicawayfrommyhandsandplay.Myhandsstrainingtoreachacross
theivorykeystohitthatchord,myhandsflittingandjumping,tanglingupintheirhurrytohit


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thatnote,myhandsglidingacrossthesmoothsilkykeys,andmywristbouncingtomakesure
thosestaccatonotescameoutjustright.Myeyesneverleftthekeyboard.Myeyesneverleft
becauseIdidnttrustmyhands,Ididnttrustmyself,Ididnttrustmyearstoplaythesong
withoutmyeyes.Ireliedtooheavilyonmyeyes.
Oureyescanbringusinsight,yetleaveusignorantofthepartsoftheworldthatarent
aboutseeing.Still,Iamthankfulformysightbecausethereisawholeworldtoseeand
experience:theiconicsightsofTheGreatBarrierReef,MachuPicchu,theAuroraBorealis,the
RomanColiseum,andmoresecludedplaceslikeabakeryinFrancelostamongalabyrinthof
cobbledstreets,agardeninNewYorkCitytuckedintothesuburbanlandscape,abeachhidden
bythecurvesandwildfoliageofAustralia.Withoureyeswecantravelwithoutleavingour
houseswejusthavetoopenthewindowsandletthelightin.
Ilookaroundatmyfamilyandwonderatthenoveltyofgenetics:mudbrown,greyblue,
chocolatebrown,hazel,bluegreen.Ipeerintomyowneyesinthebathroomandsearchforwhat
peopleseeiftheylookintomyeyes.Cantheyseemysoul?Wouldtheyknowitiftheysawit?I
widenmyeyes,pullawaymyeyelids,watchmypupilsgrowandshrink,andpressmynose
againsttheglassinattempttolookdeeperuntilmybreathobscuresmyview.Ifmysoulisthere,
Icantseeit.


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WorksCited
Eye.
MerriamWebster.
MerriamWebster,n.d.Web.24Jan.2016.