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I recently saw a live play presented by a local theatre company. It was a comedy set during the French Revolution. An aside: it was very funny, tragic, and informative all at once.

The person who started the performance with the usual reminders to turn our cell phones on after the show, appreciation for the support of various government funders, and a big thank-you to the season subscription ticket holders. A special note to single-ticket holders, especially first-time attendees.

Then his opening remarks took a sudden turn. He shared a personal experience from when he went to see a 3D film with friends. He noted there was an additional ticket charge to upgrade from the standard 2D format.

Then he dryly commented that the theatre company has been presenting plays for several decades without charging an additional ticket fee to see the play in 3D.

The audience all laughed out loud.

I had never thought of my experiences of being entertained by live plays, such as Shakespeare in the Park, the many main and side stages at music festivals, and, going back many years, watching my children in school performances. They were all in 3D long before 3D became a thing.

Changing gears, I have a friend who lost the use of one eye in childhood. She has adjusted very well. But one frustrating thing is staring at those pictures with messy, abstract patterns until, suddenly, you can see a 3D picture hidden in the pattern. 

It is impossible for her to see the hidden pattern.

A more functional example would involve difficulty with stick handling a puck, catching a ball or frisbee, and pouring coffee into a cup.

Over time, the brain uses other measurements to help the one-eyed person overcome the disadvantage. When pouring coffee from the pot into the cup, one would get used to the feel of the arm placement. Perhaps by putting one hand on the cup while pouring, the brain would get the information needed to be accurate.

In the hockey example, once the puck was on the stick, the brain would have all sorts of additional information to stick-handle it. The difficulty is grabbing a pass, especially if you were moving at the same time.

Try rolling a marble across a uniform-coloured surface. Close one eye and roll it away, towards, and from left to right. Each time, use your thumb and finger to pluck it off the surface.

The gift of 3D is an upgraded feature that most of us have, but it isn’t guaranteed. I am grateful every day for being lucky to see in 3D without an increase in my gift price.

Please give this a bit of a think. What aspect of your life are you grateful for that you could easily take for granted?

Please comment. Send me an email with your bit of a think. I am curious about your thoughts.

Photo by Glenn Walmsley, titled “Like Father, Like Son.” It is actually two different figures, salt & pepper shakers to be more detailed, spaced one in front of the other by 2 feet. The red background was used to eliminate other cues your brain might use to determine the actual perspective.

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