Masks

So I went to this event at PCC called Masquerade, which is a 5 week study about how we tend to masquerade -- around our friends, co-workers, lovers, friends, etc. While it may be a tad obvious, we all wear masks -- okay, most of us do! Perhaps not in an obvious form but rather in more subtle ways.

It is said that we're open letters meanwhile we tend to prevent ourselves sometimes from being that. Why? It's the fear of being exposed, criticized, probed, being outside our comfort zone or even the worry of being ostracized. Usually, unless you have something very secret or dark to hide, there's no reason to put a front, right?

As time goes on, you begin to figure out whether or not you tend to put a mask on -- whether it be to maintain status, credibility, respect, popularity and so forth. For me, I realized that I don't wear too many masks and that can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's great because that means no one can say I'm two-faced but on the other hand it leaves me void of mystique or open to be torn down if a person doesn't like me.

My friend Lucy once said, "what you see is what you get". Those words are possibly the most meaningful to me. Why? If you can't accept someone for who they are, get steppin'! Should they want to change, let it be of their own accord, not to suit your agenda. Granted, sometimes we want them to change due to things that cause them harm and a change is, in fact, in order -- but they have to not only be willing to do it but also realize that on their own.

In closing, as crazy as unmasking yourself can be, it can, in turn, expose not only yourself as you are but also, in the end, weed out the real friends from the phonies.