fog, n: cloud of small water droplets that is near ground level and sufficiently dense to reduce horizontal visibility
FOG [acronym, psychotherapy]: Fear, Obligation or Guilt; a contrived acronym describing something that obscures and confuses a situation or someone's thought processes
On many mornings this summer, we’ve awakened to fog hovering over hills, lakes and fields. Well past sunrise, cyclists need lights on to be visible and cars slow down, carefully traversing the roads.
We’ve had a lot of rain this summer in Connecticut. Grass is greener than usual, gardens are more lush. During an early morning walk in nearby woods, a friend and I noticed a pale green mushroom along the trail floor; between the lattice of tree branches overhead, the sun burned through the fog and the leafy canopy glowed a soft chartreuse.
As we discussed events observed during the previous week, it occurred to me that the things we were struggling to comprehend were like objects in a fog…somewhere on the other side of it, the objective truth of the event existed, but our perception was blurred by an ever-changing density. Our positions relative to the fog determined our interpretations of the experience.
To break through the fog, to see more clearly and find meaning in the events, we asked ourselves if we were relying on the most generous explanation of events or the least generous explanation of events.
The most generous—or the most compassionate—explanations for what we’d witnessed, enabled us to assume the parties involved harbored little ill will.
The least generous explanations—those requiring the least compassion—heightened our awareness, like hackles on a dog, putting us on edge, questioning motives and intent.
Leaning into compassion lifted the fog that had dampened our minds and mood. A feeling of calm emerged, facilitating each step forward.
In aviation, fog is described as "surface cloud that has a significant impact on flying operations, particularly landing and take-off.”
This begs the question, how do you help the fog to lift, so you can not only ground yourself, but soar?
