A few years ago, as if it were yesterday, I posted an anecdote on the blog: “Eyes that do not see”. It is a timely reminder that we must look at the world with a more attentive eye for the unexpected, or we run the risk of continuing with more of the same. I was reminded of it by Carla Ramirez, who told me some time ago that she has used it with her students in class. Here it remains, to renew her teaching.

_______________________________________________________________

The gas station paradigm (Mar. 28, 2008)

A few days ago I went out in search of a gas station to return a rented car with a full tank of gas, and thus avoid the abusive charge that companies like Hertz make on the price of fuel. When I started the search, however, I did not expect to live a learning experience like the one I want to share with you today.

It was around 11 p.m. and the GPS took me to the precise spot illustrated in the photo above, on the Champs Elysees, just a few steps from the headquarters of Publicis, the parent company of Saatchi Saatchi.

When we arrived at this corner, our eyes immediately indicated an error in the GPS and a failure in the system, because there was no gas station as we understand them in our countries. Without a second thought, we went looking all over this area of the city, going from one “gas station” to another, just as the satellite navigation system indicated. We consulted with several people and were repeatedly sent back to the same places, which we visited again and again without finding the diesel to fill the tank that was already in reserve.

Had we gone in daylight on this quest, we might have noticed something that was new to me: the gas stations in the historic centers are subway and you see nothing but a discreet sign like the one in the photo. This sign leads you to the entrance of a parking lot. As you can see in the photo below, what was there was a ramp to a basement on the Elysées with a subway gas station conveniently located a couple of blocks from the Arc de Triomphe. The signs are of strict signage, and the gas stations of profound respect for the value of the land, the architectural setting and the cultural legacy that even they must protect.

Eyes looking for the usual, they will not discover what is different. My retinas went in search of a conventional proposal to my understanding, without going open to discover what was new to my eyes, what they had not seen and what needed to be discovered. After more than an hour and a half of searching with looks accustomed to established schemes in our daily environment, I learned once again how important it is to see the world with alert eyes, attentive and eager to discover what is new, what we do not know, what requires a fresh and renewed look.

In this process, I could not stop thinking about how much we fail to see because we do not open our eyes wide. There must be countless “gas stations” that we have not found, for the simple reason of going to look for them with preconceived models, with established images or with defined expectations. This must be why it makes sense to think that the fish must be the last living being to realize that water exists.

I also thought a lot about our clients, because they constantly reject ideas for the simple reason that they fail to see what is beneath the surface, because they are not attentive and alert to discovering the new and because they are perhaps afraid to consider new options. I also could not stop thinking about my enmity with the massive pollution of signs in our streets, and the lack of intelligent legislation to find harmony between the exterior environment and its surroundings. If the Champs Elysées protects its buildings and monuments, shouldn’t we do the same with our landscapes and mountains?

From a phenomenal loss in Paris, based on my ignorance and the search for fuel for the rental car, I came away with a new idea and a small piece of acquired knowledge, as well as a renewed lesson that focuses on opening our eyes to see what we normally no longer see. The pictures, by the way, were taken the next day with the intention of illustrating and sharing the experience with you.

I, for the moment, with my eyes wide open, or as we would say in our backyards, with my guavas well peeled.