Article May 14, 2012 Issue

Where's Waldo?

Mark Slettehaugh

Several years ago, my granddaughter and I were searching for Waldo in the pages of a Where’s Waldo? picture book. Waldo was well camouflaged in the complex pictures spread out on the double pages.

At first, it took us quite a while to find Waldo in some of the pictures. Sometimes you look right at him and pass on by without recognition. However, once you find him, he seems to pop right out the next time you observe the same picture. By the time we finished the book, we could find Waldo quite rapidly in the pages, no matter how complex the scenery. Even though we didn’t always find Waldo as quickly as we would have liked, it was comforting to know that he was there in the picture to be found. We simply adjusted our visual technique until we recognized him.

This happened in 2004. At around the same time, the climbing rose bush in our backyard died. My wife and I thought it was because I had not laid enough straw covering for the winter. We never got around to cutting the dead rose bush down, so we left it through several growing seasons and winters. Then last summer, a big bright rose bloomed on it for the first time in years. It was pleasing to know that beautiful ideas thought to be lost have a way of resurrecting themselves.