I can’t see this mouse. My eyes will wander and examine its features, yet my knowledge will always be incomplete. I don’t see this mouse with true clarity. Instead, I see the connection that exists between us. I see the mouse through a human perspective that is shaped by a set of values and assumptions. I don’t see the mouse.  I see a human understanding of what a mouse is. My eyes are clouded by the ideas that permeate my civilization. A strong belief in individuality pushes me to believe that the mouse is small. If that belief wasn’t present would I see the mouse as belonging to a larger collective? Would I determine its size based on the species as a whole and view its imprint on the world as large? My culture has interwoven concepts of size with assumptions of cuteness. I want to see the mouse, although my vision is obscured by my background. I want to see the mouse, but I can only see my connection to it. The cord that binds us together is a mix of human and mouse. If I can identify which pieces originate from my perspective then I can begin to untangle these knots. I can identify the pieces of myself that are present in the connection and then I can explore what is different. As I glimpse further along the cord that binds us, I see the mouse with greater clarity. I will never see the other end of the connection. I will never see the mouse. Some things are always beyond our ability to see and comprehend. Only a mouse can see and understand what it means to be a mouse.