Hello Longview!
I love learning new things, and just recently, I learned of a concept that has blown me away.
My eyesight has been poor most of my life, and I joined the world of “glasses-wearers” in the 2nd grade. Brown square frames were not only unpopular, but also downright uncomfortable. I couldn’t wait to swap those awful plastic gadgets for contact lenses; but it would be many years and countless “faddish” frames later until I could enter that world. Who remembers the gigantic swoop-stem frames from the 80’s?
During a recent visit to my eye doctor, I learned how intelligent one’s vision can be. As a person with bi-focal vision (near and far-sighted issues), I found out that by using the dominant strength of the best eye for near-sightedness and combining that with the dominant strength of the opposite far-sighted eye, contact lenses can be made to create what is called “mono-vision”, or one-vision. I was initially very hesitant to try out this new-to-me concept. How could both eyes see the faraway distance things and the close-up reading things all at once? What if it didn’t work? What if it ruined my vision forever? But – what if it did work? What if I could bypass bifocals and really have mono-vision? I decided to give it a go. I placed those thin plastic disks into each eye and I was astounded! Taking a strength and a weakness and making a strength … clarity in vision magnified!
The best part of learning, for me, is applying and sharing. I have thought about this mono-vision concept many times over the past month, and I’m starting to use the concept as a factor filter for the many opportunities in my daily life. For example:
How do I apply the strength of a certain policy and filter it through its potential weaknesses to make it a strength? How can one’s weakness be strengthened by another’s strength, or one’s strength be strengthened more by another’s weakness? How can “mono-vision” occur in a board, commission, council or business setting?
Longview City Council will have the opportunity to test out our own “mono-vision” this year given two unique circumstances that occurred in February:
1. We said farewell to Councilmember Christine Schott with gratitude for her thoughtful contributions to our council team and wish her well in her new journey. This departure leaves a gap, and a council subcommittee will be tasked with the focus of setting parameters to guide the council in the selection of a new member within the next 90 days. Applications will be available soon.
2. During our recent yearly retreat, council discussed at length the vision for the City of Longview over the next five years, decade, and half century. A council subcommittee was assigned the task to begin the framework for visioning for Longview. How do we make a strength from the best and the weakest parts of Longview? It is so exhilarating to be a part of creating the vision for our city, and there’s no doubt that the council will be successful in this plan.
How will you “mono-vision” your life in 2022? You never know until you give it a try!
Best to you all,
Mayor MaryAlice Wallis
