As we are about to usher out 2016, I want to share a thought-provoking story. I am not sure where this tale originated, but it definitely provides food for thought. It is the story of the black dot on white paper. Here is how it goes:

Upon entering the classroom, a professor told his students that he was about to spring a pop quiz on them and handed out the tests, text facing down. Then he asked his students to turn over the paper. To their surprise, they were staring at a white sheet graced by a single black dot. Puzzled, they looked at their professor who calmly instructed the class to write a short essay on what they saw before them. The students went to work. They wrecked their brains. Uneasily, they scribbled down a few sentences. The task was tough. They tried to describe the location of the black dot, its size and its color. After all, what can you say about a black dot on white paper? When the allotted time was up, the professor collected the papers and proceeded to read the answers out loud. After all the papers had been read, the professor spoke again, “I am not going to grade you on this. But I want you to ponder something. Did you notice that each of you focused on the black dot? Not one of you wrote about the white part of the paper. The same applies to life. Life is like this large piece of white paper. All of life is there to enjoy. Yet we tend to focus on life’s limitations and imperfections, which is the black dot on the paper. Instead of enjoying the good things that surround us – home, family, friends and nature – we zoom in on the black dots – issues concerning health, relationship, work or finances. Even though the black dot is tiny in comparison to the white sheet, it becomes the focal point of our thoughts. As we embark on a new year, try to pay more attention to the good things in your life, enjoy each moment, think outside the box and keep the black dots in perspective.”

The black dot on a white sheet of paper,
© J. Elke Ertle, 2015, www.walled-in-berlin.com

On that note, I wish you a wonderful 2016!

J. Elke Ertle

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.