What You See In Others Is What They See In You

by Raymund Tamayo

Here’s the thing.

Two brothers, Cain and Abel, walk up to a big river. They've never seen their reflection.

"Someone's in there," says Abel, looking at the water.

Cain sees it too. He grips his stick and raises it. The "other" in the water raises his. A threat. Cain braces for the fight. The image in the water braces right back.

Abel, meanwhile, looks at the surface and smiles. The image smiles. He waves, a sign of hello. The reflection waves back.

As they walk away, Cain’s narrative is set: "Hostile people in there. Aggressive. Dangerous."

And Abel's narrative? "I have to go back. I met someone remarkable. So handsome and friendly."