Masks

One day, long before many gods were born, I woke from a deep sleep and all my masks were stolen, the seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives. I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting, “Thieves, thieves, the cursed thieves.” And when I reached the marketplace...I looked up...the sun kissed my own naked face for the first time. For the first time my own naked face and my soul were inflamed with love for the sun, and I wanted my masks no more.”
The Madman, Kahlil Gibran.

As far back as the time of cavemen, it's likely that the mask has been part of our daily ritual... one face for stalking prey, one for dragging the little woman off to the cave, and another around the campfire with the boys, juggling for bragging rights.

If you're a woman, your closet is filled with masks... there's the professional mask, the devoted mommy mask, the lover mask, as well as masks for the smart-ass, the whip-cracker, the meek or powerful face, along with a myriad of others.

How does the mask differ from facets of personality, you might ask. Well, I asked... you might very well not give a shit, but something happened that made me want to take a closer look at the faces I wear.

As a middle child, I wore the mask of pleaser... don't shit disturb, get only A's, do the chores, and maybe, just maybe, someone might notice you were there. When, at 17, I realized that mask wasn't working, I replaced it with the mask of strength and independence... a charming facade that worked throughout my professional career and until my children were grown.

My personality is hidden behind each of the masks I choose to wear in public. I'm stubborn, close to being anti-social, do not suffer fools gladly, and have learned that I'm most comfortable with my own company, with few exceptions over the course of a lifetime. I have a mask to cover each of these flawed personality traits, and it's with rare exception that I forget to don it in a timely fashion. Does anyone know me... not likely. Do I care? Sometimes I care very much.

And then there's the mask of the Internet... the modern day horror story!