Shan told me a funny story last night about a mutual friend of ours. She was married about three years ago, and she and her husband received a bike rack as a present. She put it on her car three years ago even though she doesn't own a bike. It's been on ever since. She told Shan the reason she keeps it on her car is so that others THINK she's an avid bike rider. People don't have to know she DOESN'T own a bike.
It made me think about things I do to make people THINK a certain way about me, whether it's true or not. We all do it. We smile at work even though we are having a crappy day. We go to church even though we'd rather be sleeping. We call a friend to say hello even though we'd rather be watching TV. Every morning as we wake up, we make choices of what to wear, what mood we're in, what we're going to do for the day, or how we're going to make the most out of the day. How often is it pretend?
But then again, what kind of world would it be if we all wore our emotions on our sleeve? Women would be crying all the time because we're so emotional. Guys would mumble under their breath about people that annoy them. It would be a pretty depressing world if we didn't put on a mask every once in a while.
I have been known to put on a happy face even when things aren't so great. In the end, I wind up breaking down to one of my friends or continuing to wear the mask all by myself. Neither option is very healthy, and I'm working on expressing myself more.
What does your mask look like? Is it a bike rack that's never been used? Tennis shoes that have never been worn to the gym? A happy face when things aren't so happy? I encourage you to share with a friend. It will make you feel better!
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