I am sharing this post from 6 November 2018. The topic was Masks, so it fits perfectly. And since it’s one of my early posts, not many people have read it. I have made a few changes.
When you say mask, what comes to mind, (apart from the masks we’ve had to wear in response to COVID-19) can be anything from the masked figures from a suspense/ thriller movie, to a romantic masked character in a Cinderella-like ball! It could also be the traditional costume masks worn in certain cultures, like that of Venice , Korea and some African countries.
But I would like to talk aboutEveryday Masksthat we all wear. Not intentionally but subconsciously!
We are taught to conquer our feelings, to not show our fears and not to divulge out hurts. Be brave, be strong! This constant conditioning has an impact on most of us. We start hiding behind masks.
We mask our fear with a smile of bravado. We hide our tears behind a mask of indifference. The hurt is hidden behind a facade of nonchalance. The weakness is covered by a show of overconfidence.
Have you ever thought why!Why is it not right to show our feelings? Why should the emotions be hidden from the people around us? What is the reason for the pretense?
Maybe the pressure to conform to a certain standard is one of the factors. Girls can cry but boys can’t. Boys have to be brave and fearless. Girls have to be gentle and compassionate. There is nothing wrong in having these qualities in our personalities but projecting the stereotypical image, binds us socially to a fixed standard. We can’t be ourselves.We hide the emotions we are not Supposed to feel. And we wear Masks!
We alsowear these masks to protect ourselves from getting hurt. If we wear our hearts on our sleeve then we are going to get hurt. People are going to make light of our misery so it should not be shown. Tears and sorrow, anger and frustration are all hidden. We need to present a side of our personality which doesn’t makes people around us, uncomfortable.
Isn’t it the time to tear away theseMasksand to show the world our feelings.The feelings which will set us free from the shackles of the expectations of the society. Be ourselves. Express what we are feeling, but at the same timedon’t put the burden of our emotions on others.The expression of hope and fear, love and dismay can be shared with the world around us. This will at least lighten the burden we feel by hiding our true emotions.
I am writing to express my opinion, share my experiences and to maybe provide some insight. My blog is addressing women at 50 ( but men are welcome to read my posts) ,their issues and the questions that come up at this stage in life. I don’t aim to teach, but to learn together.
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Those are some lovely masks. I have several I brought back from Guatemala (Mayan ones) and a huge one I bought back from Papua New Guinea. That one is almost like a spirit that guards the house.
This was a really good piece! I wore a mask many years trying to put forth the “perfect family” while my husband was an alcoholic. Then it was hiding my pain and loss behind a smile until a friend talked me in to getting help. We should all be more honest and transparent.
I’m glad you reposted this! It’s absolutely true. If we were all more open and honest about our emotions, we’d find we’re not so different after all.
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Thanks Angie. Yes you’re absolutely right. We are same under our masks.
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I agree 🙂 I just wish most of us had the courage to tear down these masks and show our real selves to the world.
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Indeed, if only people had the courage. Thanks 🙏
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I think we all do at certain times, it’s a necessity.
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Thanks Cheryl. You’re right we all do at one time or the other.
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Spooky 🙂
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🙏🙏🙏
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Those are some lovely masks. I have several I brought back from Guatemala (Mayan ones) and a huge one I bought back from Papua New Guinea. That one is almost like a spirit that guards the house.
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How wonderful. I have a couple of Korean masks.
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Love this. We have a few masks that K brought back on her trips. Must do some photos of them.
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Thanks! Yes you should share them.
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This was a really good piece! I wore a mask many years trying to put forth the “perfect family” while my husband was an alcoholic. Then it was hiding my pain and loss behind a smile until a friend talked me in to getting help. We should all be more honest and transparent.
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You’re absolutely right Leigha! Wearing a mask to hide our true self and emotions just costs us a lot in terms of stress.
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Yes, we should strive to always be ourselves!
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Indeed Susi.
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