Soul’s Window

Oct 28, 2008 by Naomi.

Eye to eye, face to face, hand to hand — that was the way deals were made. A handshake was the absolute promise to uphold the deal and its ramifications. The eyes told the tale.

Somebody said eyes are the window to the soul. I don’t know if that is true but the look in an animal’s eyes is very revealing whether it’s your dog, your lover, or an acquaintance in your club. I cited dog first because a pet is familiar. The eye is a simple organ that occurred millions of years in the simplest of organisms. Odd isn’t it, that the eye has remained so critical for our survival in so many ways?

Perhaps not so odd when you think about it. An organism had to see to know. Just simply to know. Organisms could feel their way out of the water but when they did, the ones who had a desire to figure out what was going on had to be able to see what was going on. And without the opaqueness of the water, the opportunity to develop the lens could not be denied. The eye had to reflect everything. It had to give the organism the information needed to eat, sleep and be merry, so to speak.

The eye has always been connected to the part of the animal that could act. Turns out the eye is not so simple after all. It remains connected to the brain in many places as recent research shows. You can read expectation, wonder, apprehension, and joy in the eyes of your pet. You are admonished for leaving it with strangers while you go off playing. You are received skeptically when you clap your hands or speak harshly. You are welcomed in joy when you come into the house. Oh that joy is often accompanied with a wet kiss but the emotion shows in the eyes first.

Just so with any person you come face to face with. The expression the eyes impart comes from the emotions of that person. The expression your eyes send comes from your emotions. Those interchanged looks are followed by action. Walk on by. Turn away in disgust. Whoop with exhilaration. Wrap arms together. No words required.

After serious business we sign our name to seal a deal, no longer is a handshake considered enough although in our society we end with handshakes anyway. Robert’s rules require that the aye’s have the final say. The eyes having done the haggling and compromising before hand - the deal is made.

Yes, indeed, the eyes have it.

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