Thursday, September 2, 2010

Through the Looking Glass

   Have you ever wondered if the dream is real and real is the dream? I did when I was a child, waking up and in the blurred edges between the tatters of a vivid dream and being fully awake. I would wonder which were real. I sometimes still have vivid dreams, but rarely get lost between the two worlds in my mind. However, there is another perception that I would think is still some value to examine, and determine if it is the waking or dreaming world. Are we who we are or who we are perceived to be? Or more confusing yet, some combination of both?

   If we could look through the looking glass and see how people perceive us, would that change how we perceive ourselves? It might be an ego boost or bust, it might make us realize our own perceptions and encourage us to seek out the reality.
   What kind of perceptions am I talking about? Well, I’ll give my own example… I made a new friend last year. This woman looked confident, poised, each hair in place, smile perfectly happy, and at ease in her own skin. I thought, oh I hope she isn’t my group because she just looks so put together! That was my perception. The reality was that behind the beautiful smile and adorable hair-do was a woman who was just as cluttered and complicated as I was. She had struggles, disappointments, failures, hopes, dreams, and plans. She had to-do lists that were too long and hurts that were stinging her heart. She had beautiful peals of laughter and a tender heart and wasn’t what I thought she was at all.
   If you could poke your face and heart through the looking glass and get a good look around, perhaps the perceived person would take on different shades of personality.

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