The sun sets on another day…
Snow snow snow. More snow! It was not long but it was enough, and as it fell I smiled and laughed, and well, it was kinda a little cool. (Yes, that is a technical term). As I watched I was lost for a moment in the snowflakes, and it was there I considered all the people around the world and the faces they wear.
Now I know this is a stretch, but it worked in my head, so give me a little leeway.
People wear faces. Sure they have faces, but they also wear the faces of what they want people to see. If you think about it it can be a little complex. I will start with a story. When I was in high school I took Latin. There was a class overlap with Advanced Classical Mythology. In that class I had fun and was neither aggressive, nor was I passive. I just pretty much enjoyed the class. One day there was a guy in the class arm wrestling everyone. I paid little attention but the class was egging him on and he was beating people one after another. At one point he came to me and said we should arm wrestle. I’ll tell you a secret, I had never arm wrestled before. I watched people, and paid some attention, but I never had any interest. I said “naw”, and went on, but he pushed and pushed and finally I relented. Now we had to line up and the first time we slipped. Then we locked and suddenly there was a battle. He had beaten everyone else with rapid ease, but I realized right away, there was little pressure. (I guess chopping word during the summers at my grandfathers did something for me). He pressed and pressed harder and that’s when I saw his face. He was scared, not of me but of losing. Losing the status and the fans he had, because he was popular, and I was not, and here I was holding him. So I let him win. I acted like it got hard and let my hand touch the ground.
Why?
Well, it meant nothing to me. I didn’t want to be popular. I only wanted to learn without anyone being all over me. I had only a few friends and that was fine. I did not need the win, but I saw in his face that he did. I also saw he was not the overconfident power man, but instead far more scared than most of the people in school, scared of more than just losing. It was a need for him to win, to keep that face.
We see it all around us. People who project one thing, but really are another. The confident person who is really afraid, the loving person who is not, the powerful person who just wants top be left alone, the quiet person who is content with themselves and so it goes. The trick is to see the faces underneath. Here is another example. Often I play the fool, or an quite silly, easy going, overly talkative, or more. Why? If you have ever met me the way I present myself keeps people from realizing I am normally twice their size and full of intensity. (Full of what?) I found early, if I was quiet, people were afraid. Children were more afraid until they got to know me, when I wear the face of a little silliness, that goes away and the stigmas dissolve with it. Often when someone comes close they say “I didn’t realize you were so big” and I smile, and laugh or show them how big I am.
Some faces are good. I think mine is. Some are not so good. I had what I thought was a friend once and they wore a perfect face, but as I talked to other people I found that friend was bashing me at all sides. It was a tough lesson, and one that I learned the hard way: sometimes you really need to see the face sooner.
What is your extra face? Who do you wear it with?
I have a friend and we really don’t wear faces around each other. Sometimes we disagree, but friends are allowed to do that. We do not shield each other from our truth, we become each others truth.
Do you have more than one extra face? If you are a salesperson, are you better with your faces?
All good questions. Consider them.
So as the sun sets on another day, we all have some faces we need to survive. We certainly can’t go to work and be as free as we are at home, we need to curb ourselves. We need to find the paths that work, but be careful always. People are wearing faces around you. Be watchful and see past that so you can always enjoy your day. BE true to yourself always, and always enjoy your day, and in the end, make your face as close to you as you can, so you can be you, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love life, and don’t let your face fall off…