Masks

 

"I will cease to live as a self and will take as my self my fellow-creatures." Shantideva

It was during one of those twilight moments between waking and sleeping that a thought popped into my head. We all wear masks. It is the only way to survive in this world. I'm not sure where the thought came from or why but I have been wondering about it. I believe that is true.

I don't think we consciously set out to deceive people but I believe that in order to protect ourselves we do not show our true selves to the world very often. Oh we let the world see a glimpse of the real us but the hidden part stays hidden for its own protection.

I often feel I show a braver face on the outside then I ever feel on the inside. I will take on bigotry which I hate. I will rail against the ill manners that are prevalent in our Internet age of hiding behind aliases. While those are beyond a doubt my true beliefs I often feel scared inside that I even bring the topics up. At heart all I really want is peace and people to be nice to each other. I guess at heart I should be called Pollyanna.

Their is also a temper inside that generally I try and hide. I get irritated that Mom doesn't take better care of herself but I'm not about to get angry at her although inside Iam riling. I have to be as quietly persuasive as I can. I promised to care for her in her declining years and I will make them as peaceful as possible. It is one of the reasons I refrain from yelling at my older brother who has no common sense. As long as he stays off of politics we can coexist peacefully.

So I'll finish my coffee and head back to the zoo with my happy mask on. The picture is called Masquerade.

The real counter is 5428.