When I hopped out of the truck in Sisters, Oregon to take this photograph, my immediate thought was “line of sight.” I wanted to write about unobstructed vision, and how very few things we actually see that way. Easy peasy, right? Not!
I started my online research. As a suspense/thriller novelist (#seanmcphersonnovels), I already knew about line of sight as it relates to firearms.
I didn’t know about:
Line of sight in electromagnetic radiation
Line of sight between missile and target
Line of sight as it relates to mental illness, particularly schizophrenia
Line of sight in the world of gaming (who can see what)
Line of sight in mathematics (projective geometry)
Line of sight as it relates to the production of pipelines
Line of sight in art is when an artist uses a horizontal line that runs across the paper or canvas to represent the viewer’s eye level and delineate where the sky meets the ground
Who knew?! Clearly, line of sight is more than meets the eye.
What do you see clearly?
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Hi Laurie,
I see clearly that the legal and monetary and political systems now pose at least as much risk as they deliver in benefit.
We are in a time of profound risk, and profound possibility.
I see the need for the acceptance of both responsibility and diversity.
Ted — amen. Amen. AMEN!
Similar to the line of sight in art, I clearly see through the lens of my camera the connection to the framed object or scene I wish to capture in a photograph.
Joanne — That’s a wonderful example. Thank you 🙂
Who knew there were so many points of view on line of sight? I guess that’s how I think of line of sight. Who is looking at what from where?
Arlene — Yes. The perspective of the person who’s doing the looking 🙂
“I can see clearly now the rain is gone.” After the storms of yesterday (derecho or tornado not yet decided in our area), the sun is out and all is clear.
it reminds me of how inner storms as well as outer rim chaos (politics, economy, relationship changes, etc.) can cloud the “line of sight.” Continued clearing of my/our atmospheres will assist in securing “presence” and a clear line of sight.
Thank you for sharing your research on “line of sight” … I didn’t know there were so many references. Have a clear day!
Audrey — I read online about the lashing your neck of the woods. Holy Smokes! I’m glad you’re ok.
I like your idea on inner storms. Thank you for sharing it here 🙂
I had no idea! Nice photo, though. 😉
I’m not sure I see much of anything clearly these days – although I think I do. I think I see our country heading for disaster, and if the election goes in favor of the incumbent, I think I see an end to our civilization as we’ve known it. But others questions how clearly I am seeing. And why does everything with me come back to the state of this country? I do not see clearly the answer to that. Fear, perhaps.
Carol — You’re not alone in that boat. The “U.S.S. FEAR” is overflowing with passengers at this time.
The artist in our household sometimes extends his arm, with his thumb on a pencil point to get an accurate line of sight. “Otherwise,” he says, “you’ll draw what you imagine is the correct angle of the open laptop, for example, instead of the true angle of the monitor as it faces the keyboard.”
My thoughts: I’d like to know more about lines of sight regarding mental illness and the world of gaming.
Marian — Cliff is definitly in-the-know when it comes to line of sight as it relates to artwork.
Like you, I’m very interested in learning more about how it relates to mental illness. That was jaw-dropping for me to read as I was researching.
Laurie, I live in Cherokee County, Georgia where so many news outlets are making hay while the Sun shines. National TV news have shown photos of our high schools without protections in place. We are one of the first counties in the US to reopen schools face to face. In this, the second week, more than 800 students and teachers have been placed under quarantine. In my line of sight, I see mistake upon mistake being made with our children…but I have no answers. This is not an easy question for me. Right now I am traveling on Blind Faith, and “Jesus, Take the Wheel”.
Sandi — Amen siSTAR!
I’m pretty good at seeing the line of sight on a putting green when hitting a golf ball toward the hole. Although many times that line is actually curved. However, a certain curve may be the only way the projectile (ball) hits the target (hole).
And I’ve been to Sisters, OR! Beautiful area. 🙂
Chris
Chris — I hadn’t thought of “line of sight” as it relates to golf, but you’re absolutely right! Thank you for adding that to the list 🙂
Bwhahaha … it’s never simple, is it? 🙂
Widdershins — Not in the least 🙂
It’s a amazing what you can learn from research for your book . A lot of authors say the research is the best bit , others say it’s a distraction.
I don’t think I’m seeing clearly in any direction at the moment, it’s been quite a year .
Cherryx
Cherry — I’m one of those in the “love the research camp.”
And yessiree, this year has certainly been a doozie!
Whoa, good question. To be honest, I never think of “line of sight” in the sense of firearms. When I read your post, though, immediately “line of sight” means intuition to me. When I meet someone I know well, or even someone I don’t know well at all, I get a “line of sight” into them – I see (feel?) their pain, joy, mistrust, worry, confidence, low self-esteem. I think we all have this “line of sight” ability, but we use it too rarely.
Pam —
Ohhhhh, now THAT’S insightful! I hadn’t thought of that, yet it makes perfect sense. Thank you for throwing your hat in the ring!
As Pam so beautifully expressed, line of sight is about intuition for me. It is also about foresight. How will our current actions affect the future. This second point is key during the pandemic. How are we preventing the spread of disease as we go through our daily routines? It’s rather zen really, focused on health in the present moment so we and others can enjoy it in the future.