It all depends on your perspective

A nine-year-old boy approached his grandfather and said, "Grandpa, what's your perspective?" The grandfather patted the boy on his head and said, "What do you mean?" The boy replied, "Well, grandpa, it's kind of how you look at things."
I love that story because of its perspective on perspective. The boy asks a serious question. The grandfather's perspective is that the boy is using a big word and probably doesn't know what it means. The child's perspective is that he has used a big word and grandpa doesn't know what it means.
In writing, perspective is an important concept for the writer to understand because it is crucial that the reader understand it. Every situation provides opportunities for different perspectives from different people - and that's what life is all about.
My favorite story illustrating perspective is about a rich farmer who takes his grandchildren to the circus. He notices a young man who follows behind the animals with a bucket and a shovel, ready to clean up whenever an animal relieves itself. The man performs this undesirable work with diligence. The farmer is impressed. When the circus is over, he approaches the man with the bucket and says, "I've been watching you today. You are a dedicated worker. I need a dedicated worker on my farm. Come work for me. I will pay twice as much as whatever you're making here - and you'll be away from this filthy job you have. Will you come to work for me?"
And the young man replies, "What -- and give up show business?"