I met a man last week, not in person, but on the silver screen. The film was part allegory, part documentary, and this brave man shared dark parts of his journey of infidelity. The most haunting moment came when the audience had the chance to view a photograph of his family, a shot taken before anyone knew the shameful secrets he carried.
I did not have the luxury of hitting pause in the theater, but as the photograph flashed between scenes, it told enough of the story, even without details. As Mumford and Sons sings, “It’s in the eyes”.
Our eyes are a window into our soul. While we can pose with behavior and mask our core self as we present a false self to the world, it is nearly impossible to manipulate our eyes.
I looked into the eyes of this man and his family. His wife smiles and her eyes flicker with life. The kids, too, possess eyes that instill hope and promise about the day and future. Moving clockwise to complete the family unit, I lost myself in the man’s eyes. And no wonder: To look into his eyes is to stare into the blackness of the solar system, without stars or the sun or any chance to return safely to Earth. I got lost in his eyes because he himself has no grounding. His face is blank of expression, and his eyes convey the power of hopelessness and the loss of anything worth fighting for. Dead. Just dead. Deadness owns him as the labor of concealing the truth has emptied his heart of any energy and strength.
His eyes tell his whole story. The man’s eyes speak of where he has been, and they tell of where he is going, presumably back into his own despair, lies, and cycle of shame. Years later, as a gift to those who care to listen, the man opens up his narrative to help us understand the why behind those eyes.
Our story always resides behind our eyes.
Process:
If you want to explore your heart and story, one way to start is to look through old pictures. Find a few photos from different stages of your life. Plan uninterrupted time to examine your eyes and those of whom smile alongside you.
What stories are told in the eyes?
What untold stories are also told through the eyes?
What feelings, longings, and hopes arise in you as you observe?
For further interest in the film, check out The Heart of Man trailer (https://heartofmanmovie.com/pages/trailer)
